Earth Sanctuary

I just returned from a personal retreat to Earth Sanctuary on Whidbey Island, Washington. Earth Sanctuary combines exemplary ecology with art and spirit to create a sanctuary for birds and wildlife and a peaceful place for personal renewal and spiritual connection.

Here are some photographs:

Dolmen
A dolmen is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of three or more upright stones supporting a large flat horizontal capstone. Megalithic tombs are found from the Baltic Sea and North Sea coasts south to Spain and Portugal.

I spent a rainy morning inside this dolmen and was treated to several visits by a hummingbird.

Earth Sanctuary has two stone circles:



Many stone circles can be found in the British Isles and parts of Western Europe, mostly lying not more than 100 miles from the sea. Other than my fascination with stones, the sanctuary has three lovely ponds inhabited by birds and ducks.


I also watched the resident Osprey; here is the nest:


This 72-acre preserve is possibly the largest ecological restoration project ever funded by an individual. Guided by a panel of experts, in 2001 Chuck Pettis launched a 500-year plan for returning the site to old-growth forest not only teeming with native species of plants, bird and animals, but also reverberating with spiritual power from installations of humongous rock megaliths.

It is a delight to visit!