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Christian
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| Spirit in Nature (SpIN)
Interfaith Path Sanctuary is a nonprofit organization
that brings together people of diverse religious
traditions to promote reverence and care for the
Earth. Through education, dialogue, and spiritual
reflection in nature, SpIN seeks to awaken people
to environmental problems, promote environmental
action that is spiritually or religiously rooted,
and provide a replicable model for engaging diverse
religious traditions in caring for the Earth. Seeking
to create an opportunity for people of diverse
traditions to meet, meditate, walk, and worship
in a setting that is conducive to spiritual reflection
on nature, SpIN established a network of eleven “faith
paths” in the foothills of the Green Mountains,
near Ripton, Vermont. Nine of the paths represent
different religions (Bahai, Buddhist, Christian,
Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Pagan, Quaker, and Unitarian
Universalist), while the other two, including the
children’s path, are inter-religious. The
paths meet at a sacred circle, highlighting the
interconnections between different religious traditions
and between humans and the environment. In 2004,
a labyrinth made of natural rocks was added to
the site. SpIN encourages reflective walking along
the paths, which are marked
with “nature notes” indicating special
points of interest in the natural surroundings.
The paths have benches and quotes from each religious
tradition about connecting with the Earth. Located
on seventy acres of land, the Vermont path center
now has six to eight miles of paths with more than
6,000 feet of
river and brook frontage. Beaver dams and signs
of moose, deer, coyotes, bears, and bobcats are
found in the area, and “Nature Notes” highlight
twenty-five natural points of interest. In addition
to maintaining the paths, SpIN sponsors public
events
geared toward
stimulating dialogue and action on behalf of the
Earth, such as its Bread and Soup Speaker Series,
Earth Day Fair, discussion groups, guided walks,
and experiential activities at the path center.
Each year SpIN publicly recognizes a person who
has contributed to the connection of religion and
ecology with its annual Eco-Spirit Award. “Spreading
the Seeds” workshops are available for people
interested in starting SpIN path centers at other
locations, and the quarterly Spirit in Nature newsletter
keeps readers informed about events, activities,
and political issues related to religion and the
environment. The Spirit in Nature Handbook, which
contains information about SpIN and the Vermont
path center, is available in print and online.
At present, SpIN has more than 270 members nationwide,
about one third of whom are not affiliated with
any particular religious organization. New SpIN
groups are forming in Boston and western Massachusetts;
Norwich, Vermont; and Saratoga Springs, New York. |
| Inter-religious: Christianity,
Bahai, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, Pagan,
Quaker, Unitarian Universalist |
United States of America
(Northeastern Bioregion) |
| 1998–Present |
| Spirit in Nature was
founded in 1998 by a religiously-diverse
group of local environmentalists and naturalists
in Vermont, who came up with the idea of forming
both a community-based, inter-religious, environmental
group and an inter-religious, environmental “path
center” in the Green Mountains. SpIN leases
its seventy acres of land from Middlebury College,
and attained its 501(c)3 status in 1999. SpIN honored
Bill McKibbon, John Elder, Stephanie Kaza,
and Warren King with Eco-Spirit Awards in 2001,
2002, and 2003, 2004
respectively. There
are thirteen members on the Board of Trustrees,
representing six different religious traditions.
Five of the Trustees are Middlebury College students.
In 2002, the Board of Trustees joined with the
Middlebury Area Clergy to endorse the Global Warming
Action Coalition’s program to reduce fossil
fuel consumption locally by ten percent within
five years. In October of 2002, Skidmore College
opened
a Spirit in Nature Sanctuary on its campus in Saratoga
Springs, New York. At present, a path center is
being developed in East Hampton, Massachusetts.
SpIN is also affiliated with other nature centers
in Ipswich
and Plainville, Massachusetts as well as in Norwich,
Vermont. |
| “A place of interconnecting
paths where people of diverse spiritual traditions
may walk, worship, meet, meditate, and promote
education and action toward better stewardship
of this sacred earth.” |
Crystal Spring Center
for Earth Literacy
Fieldstone Foundation
In the
Alley Bookstore
Jefferson Legacy Foundation
Mailboxes
Etc.
Middlebury Area Clergy
Middlebury College
Moser Foundation
New England Grassroots Environment
Fund
New Road Map Foundation
Cuvilly Arts and
Earth Center
Skidmore College
St. Stephen’s
Church
Vermont Community Foundation
Vermont Interfaith Power and Light |
| To encourage the creation
of other Spirit in Nature Interfaith Path Sanctuaries
in
the United Sates and throughout the world. |
| None Listed |
| None Listed |
Spirit in Nature
Reverend Paul Bortz
P.O. Box 253
464 E. Main Street
East Middlebury, VT 05740
Ph: 802.388.7244
Email: questions@spiritinnature.com |
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This site is hosted courtesy of the
Harvard
University Center for the Environment
Copyright © 2004 Forum
on Religion and Ecology.
All rights reserved.
Last Updated:
12/14/05
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