Voices
of Whidbey Institute
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Meet Joe Sendek, our Indomitable Facilities Steward
This week we continue our series to introduce the Whidbey Institute Staff. The Whidbey Institute runs on the fuel and the love of a very dedicated and not-large group (24) of hardworking and whole-hearted people, almost all of whom work part time.
We're so excited for you to meet more of us here!
Chatting with local artist, author, teacher and more: Deborah Koff-Chapin
How to even introduce much-loved local artist Deborah Koff-Chapin, founder of Touch Drawing and the Soul Cards.
June Solstice Greetings
Solstice Greetings
As we embrace the long days and short nights of summer, we celebrate the glorious growth and abundance of produce from local farmers. If having access to healthy food is important to you, now is the perfect time to explore your nearby farm stands and farmers' markets. Engaging in reciprocity within the community and savoring clean, locally grown food is a wonderful gift on the island, allowing us to support our local food system while staying connected.
In the Gardens with dee
dee elle, our wonderful Housekeeping staff and Place Team member, (also lovingly now known here as steward of cabins and tender of gardens) has taken on our gardens - both the herbal/culinary garden by Thomas Berry Hall and the beloved West Garden - and will be checking in with us regularly with around her work.
Find a Spot and Breathe
Back in April of this year, Whidbey Insititute hosted Nourished: A Gathering. Prior to the retreat, one of the Nourished facilitators, Lilly Georgieva, connected with our forest steward Larry Rohan. They decided to bring Larry's knowledge and passion to the retreat in the form of a forest immersion walk.
June arrives untamed.
Beneath the trees, roots stretch and wander in their own directions, growing quietly and stubbornly in their own time. Branches once dotted with spring blossoms are now deepening into countless shades of green, carpeting the horizon in abundance.
Finding Joy in Rainbows: Navigating Emotions and Hardship Through Community
There's something about the sudden awakening of spring vegetation that stirs some primal memory that winter is over and this new season holds a sense of abundance and relative ease.
A Forest Bath Experience
20 of us gathered Sunday, May 2nd, at Storyhouse for a Forest Bath Experience. We began in the Storyhouse Meadow, then moved into the woods at the Listening Circle, and back inside Storyhouse for a sound bowl meditation and a simple tea ceremony, with our guide, Nancy Schmidt.
What Are You Waiting For?
Invitation to Join a Special Event in May
I’m venturing out of my forest nest, shaking the moss from my hair, and preparing to cross the water for something truly significant. Have you heard of the Global Earth Repair Convergence in Port Townsend? You might wonder what it’s all about and whether it’s worth your time. The answer is a resounding yes!
In Honor of the Whales Majestic
If you listen closely, you may hear the silent rhythms floating across time a top the gentle rolling of the sound.
Stand! Quietly, as to invite her and her cohorts close enough to the shore so that all of our blessings are shared.
April at The Whidbey Institute
There is something I want to name that feels every bit as essential as the one hundred and six acres of forested beauty that hold us here.
It’s the people.
Sensing in the Forest
There’s 25 of us this sunny Saturday Spring Equinox morning. We’re here to experience the woods through our senses with Larry Rohan, Whidbey Institute’s (WI) Forest Steward.
Forest Medicine
Happy Spring!
What a wonderful time to observe the natural world waking up from a winter nap and seeing buds bursting with new growth.
Into the Equinox
In the wee hours of purple skies,
I dream of the moments when we were regal.
The times without question and the knowledge that I was forever.
I weaved my spiritual thoughts between the here and now.
Forest Medicine
Here we are in the last week of February, and I'm thrilled to see new snow falling in the mountains, adding to what has been a very meager snow pack for this season. Climate models are predicting this may be the new normal, with more winter precipitation falling as rain. While I do track climate trends closely, I try to stay aware of how this data can affect my emotional state, depending on how I take it in. Accepting that change is inevitable helps me to stay positive and do the work that I feel is necessary at this time.
February Reflections: Finding Hope in the Forest
Can you believe it's already nearing the end of February? Time seems to sprint forward, leaving us breathless in its wake. In this whirlwind, we often wonder when we can slow down enough to let the world catch up, to find peace in the quiet moments. There are some days I imagine how serene it would feel to slow down so much that mushrooms and moss might take root in my hair, a testament to a life lived in harmony with nature.