POSTPONED – Caring for Common Ground

Caring for Common Ground

Education for Spiritually-based Ecological Restoration

Program postponed – due to current restrictions of group gatherings we are postponing this program until June 2021

People from diverse spiritual/religious (and non-religious) traditions are invited to learn together how to heal the land and restore relationships and spirit!

Workshop Topics:

• Dialogue about intersections of faith and contemplative spirituality, ethics, and environmental care
• Hands-on experience in land care
• Strategies for engaging others in spiritual ecological action
• Reflection and fellowship

Come as a member of a group, or as an individual. Holy Wisdom Monastery is an ecumenical, inclusive Benedictine community committed to hospitality, prayer, justice, and care for the earth. All are welcome!

Cost

No cost to participate. Saturday lunch and dinner and Sunday lunch included. Lodging not included.

Thank you to the High Winds Association Foundation and Madison Gas and Electric for their support of this initiative.

What is Caring for Common Ground?

Caring for Common Ground is an educational program convened by Holy Wisdom Monastery, in collaboration with the Earth Partnership (UW-Madison) program, to bring people of different faith and spiritual perspectives together around land care practices. We strive to create a supportive learning environment where people can share ideas about spirituality and ecology, learn tools to put their values into action, and join others in a community of spiritually-based ecological restoration. Caring for Common Ground participants are invited to participate in seasonal gatherings after the initial workshop, where members of past and current cohorts share knowledge, resources, and fellowship.

Who Can Participate?

Anyone who wants to! We welcome participants who want to care for the earth and who want to learn and share with others. Participants do not need to have experience in ecology or land care. We believe that everyone can contribute to and learn something from this experience.

What Will I Learn?

We encourage collaborative learning about ecology and spirituality (especially contemplative spirituality) and land care practices. We learn through individual and group reflection, including nature observation, journalling, art, dialogue, and hands-on experiences in the field.

What do Past Participants Have to Say?

Caring for Common Ground:

• Has so much to offer people of faith or from faith-based organizations on the topic of land restoration and environmental stewardship, from practical experience on how to plan a restoration project, learning more about plant selection, and hands-on practice, all rooted in the premise that our faiths call us to do this work. This workshop sparked ideas for future projects at my organization and also restored me in the process.
• Was an uplifting, loving educational development – and even more so – spiritual development experience that prepares people to enact their values more effectively.

Registration

Register by September 25, 2020.

• Program full – registration closed

More information

• Greg Armstrong at garmstrong@benedictinewomen.org or
• Claire Bjork at cshaller@wisc.edu