As humans, we often fall into the perception that nature is something that’s “out there”
doing things that are somehow separate from us. At the same time, the more we
meditate, slow down, bathe in the forest, take the waters, we slowly become aware of a
“re-membering,” if you will, that we are not only a part of the natural world, we are also
constantly interacting with the ecosystem, and its other members are interacting with us.

This past month, we participated in a “musical walk,” with our talented friends,
Justin and Maren of Honey of the Heart. We walked to several places near the hotel,
singing songs to the trees, sun, plants and animals, and something magical happened
to remind us of our (re)membership in this ecosystem. When we arrived at the
geothermal source, there were a number of Killdeer (a species of plover) going about their normal routine, flying solo here and there through the creek bed and sounding their familiar cries in the morning air. Justin and Maren took up one particular song and we all began to sing along, and suddenly, all the Killdeer, in unison, rose up into the air and began playfully circling around us throughout the entire song. When the song ended, they dispersed and resumed their independent activities as if nothing happened. None of us have ever witnessed this behavior - they were clearly singing with us, dancing in the air as we all sang together. What we often perceive as “nature” is a myriad of beings, waiting patiently to be in relationship with each of us.

Robert Bray, a longtime Wilbur guest who now leads Forest Bathing here, reminded us
recently that our deep connection with the natural world, through listening and
observing, is a scientifically proven, positive step toward our own well being. Each of us,
in our own varying degree, may have forgotten to listen to what the sky, water, birds
and plants are saying to us. If so, we can always make the choice to slow down, open
our hearts and our ears and listen. We welcome you to join us in doing just that during your next visit to Wilbur Hot Springs.

Since March, when our stewardship work trade efforts began in earnest, we have collectively logged over 800 hours! We are deeply humbled by the support of our community and are so grateful to everyone for giving us their dedicated support. Thank you to everyone who participated in achieving this milestone. 

During the autumn season, cooler weather makes for more comfortable work conditions. It also means the springs become busier and our rooms fill up, making it more challenging to accommodate work traders.. If you are interested in future work trades, you can assist us in navigating through our busiest months by completing this survey. As our summer projects come to a close, we excitedly await steady rains to create ideal conditions for building Beaver Dam Analogs! Be sure to join our Stewardship email list to stay up to date on all upcoming opportunities for this winter!

Be on the lookout for bird boxes on your next walk in the nature preserve! David Adams recently brought us 12 new bird boxes and helped us to locate and repair already existing boxes. We plan to monitor the boxes for activity and cleaning and refreshing them for new inhabitants each year. 

Wilbur actively collaborates with third party land based projects. If you have a passion or a project and you think Wilbur might be a good setting, please let us know. Additionally, we have a need to make multiple trail signs this winter. If you are experienced in making signs with a CNC machine (or would like to learn), please email brew@wilburhotsprings.com.