The Power of Gathering Together

By Heidi Holliday McKitrick

Last Thursday, over 75 friends of The Center for Spirituality in Nature gathered together in person in Washington, DC to celebrate a decade of connection to the wild world, Spirit, and each other. From a seed of an idea germinated in Beth and Clint's living room, the Center has grown into a national network of nature-attuned seekers. 

True to our mission, the celebration was eco-friendly, low waste, and contemplative in nature. We began with a micro-retreat, where participants chose to attend one of four workshops, including sessions with our founder Beth Norcross, CSN program director Rev. Payton Hoegh, board member Everett Marshall, and local sound bath practitioner Jen Engers.

From our decor, which was foraged or sourced from local buy nothing groups, churches, and volunteers, to the food, which was seasonal and locally sourced, we took pride in bringing our organizational values and vision to the event.

Our planning committee, made up of our board members Melissa Diemand, Devon Maust Earle, Je T’aime Taylor, CSN staff, and superstar volunteers Katharine Corcoran and Alycia Ashburn, brought this vision to life through dozens of hours of planning and sourcing. Our board, volunteers, and staff contributed wonderful silent auction items, including bundles showcasing the many regions and states we work in across the country, as well as artwork created by our talented supporters — the gorgeous quilt, nature photography, and jewelry.

One of the strange things about working for a remote nonprofit organization is that many of us have never met in person, despite having built strong friendships and teams online. As I worked at the registration table, I mentioned to one attendee that it felt like a reunion of long lost family members — truly a testament to the community that CSN nurtures. 

We were honored to present the inaugural Heartwood Award to our winners, the DMV Nature and Forest Therapy Guide Community. Seven members of the community accepted the award in recognition of their work on eco-spirituality and their contributions to the field. Their nomination for the award reads: “What sets this group apart is the seamless integration of nature and spirit in both their personal and professional lives. These guides are not just practitioners — they are stewards, teachers, and spiritual companions. Many of them serve as therapists, educators, and community leaders, bringing the principles of forest therapy into hospitals, schools, faith communities, and marginalized neighborhoods. Their lives are living testaments to the belief that healing the Earth and healing ourselves are one and the same.”

After the event, our whirlwind week changed focus to strategic planning, and the board and staff set a bold vision for the continued growth and impact of the Center. 

When I returned home, I tried to find the words to describe how powerful the week was for me, and I decided that I have a “hope hangover” — I’m still feeling the emotional and spiritual echo and joy of gathering together in person, and the hope that it instilled in me. I hope that many of you feel the same.

As our board chair Avery Davis Lamb said in his opening remarks, “in an era too full of hate and division, we need communities that lead us in love.” The Center is truly one of those communities.

I invite you to join us in Avery’s toast to the Center, and to contribute to our continued success:

To this community that, for ten years, has reminded us that we belong to the Earth.

To the Center that has offered us pathways back to wonder,

Back to connection,

Back to love.

To ten years of guiding people into deeper relationships with the Divine Mystery found in soil and sky, with water and wind, with our own creaturely kin - 

And to the leaders who have tended this work with such devotion.

And to the next ten years:

May the Center continue to root us in what is sacred

And rise with us into what is possible.

To the Center for Spirituality in Nature - 

May its love, its vision, and its courage keep flourishing.

Cheers!

---

Donate to CSN