Labyrinth Walks 2025

by | Dec 25, 2025 | Labyrinths, Reflections/Profiles

Reflecting on labyrinth walks this year with a link to some of the past.

What Will the Year Bring?

Early in the year, facing low back surgery, I was uncertain how many labryinth walks I would make. It turns out later in the year offered many opportunities.  Here are some I took in this past year.

This past winter’s weather was a dud.  One week of winter with some snow.  But, mostly, cloudy, rain – not snow – and just day after day of waiting.  At least the labyirnth was accessible for me early on.  You can see the burn areas and the tan path to walk.  In February we drove north. The Keweenaw Peninsula had boatloads of snow, so I suppose my snow angel is “cheating” but with their labyirnth under feet and feet of snow, this will do.

We also stopped at Westfield, WI, to take in a labyirnth created by families in memory of a beloved son, son-in-law by the families. This labyrinth is well worth a walk. I hope counselors, pastors, and people in general will walk this wonderful labyrinth especially in these uncertain times.
Below is part of Roger Schmidt’s story he shared. We later talked on the phone.

“Everyday is a Holiday” (Andy Polk)

“Yes it is on the Westfield School Property.  I am quite sure that if school is in session it would be appropriate to go to the office and ask if you need permission.  If it is not a school day you can just park next to it and walk it.  I was the Superintendent at the time it was built and it was dedicated to my son in law who was killed in a tractor accident.  I built it with the assistance of Andy’s father and both of our families. I hope that you enjoy the journey.  Be sure to read the bricks as there are many that have messages engraved on them.  Andy was a beloved math and physics teacher and around 2000 people attended his funeral.  There were so many we had to have it in the school gymnasium.”

Something I CAN do!

While recovering I was happy to participate in and lead Friday Lapheld Labyrinth walks with and for Veriditas. Promoting The Labyrinth Society’s Gathering “Celebrating the Spirit of the Labyrinth” was great and a dry run for my talk in late October early November, “Spirits of the Labyrinths.”  Dia de los Muertos, All Saints and All Souls Days.

Embrace ‘Ayni’

This followed by a last minute request to help a colleague in Tasmania who had inadvertently double booked the time. “Embracing ‘Ayni’ through Solvitur Ambulando” or “What Can We Do When We Can’t Do Much?”*

*From online source Global Volunteers. “The Quechua word for this mutuality is “ayni”, meaning “today for you, tomorrow for me,” suggesting that giving comes before receiving. “Ayni” (eye-nee)   is the only commandment of the Incan religion that the Andeans know and keep until this day.”

Growing Together

round lap labyrinth.

Lap labyrinth.

What a happy way to contribute during what could be an otherwise slow recovery time.  Then, as fate has it, my colleague/friend, Tina in Tasmania, and I did a catch-up ZOOM.  As she shared why she needed a fill in for her presentation, another idea grew like summer blooms. Remember, this was summer in Australia and late winter in North America.

Competere*

 

Her community worked to prepare soil, grow and tend vegetables, pull weeds, sweat, complain and laugh together, gather and preserve fruits of their labor as they competitively “Grew Together.”  I was reminded of how the Friday Lapheld Finger Labyrinth walks had been growing since COVID-19 (March 2020 in the USA).

  • Tina shared how a high shcool friend  and she bounced off ideas as they “competed”. From the Latin root word “competere” meaning to strive together, to seek together, to meet/coincide. Perfect!

“Growing Together” became our theme for an August Friday Walk. We engaged a conversation of how different groups can “grow together” and then invited our global labyirnth community to walk and share after. Amazing comments!

Mr. Rogers Inspirations

Again, filling in for colleagues, in late fall the theme, “Channeling Mr. Rogers: How the Ancient Path of the Labyrinth Can Guide Us as Modern Day Helpers,” struck a cord with participants in our Friday Handheld Finger Labyrinth walks. Technology expert, Annika, enthusiastically embraced the idea of short “chat rooms” so more people could participate.  The music selection initially was instrumental versions of Mr. Rogers’ songs. As tehcnology has it, something else happened and a riotous selection of similarly named songs popped up. People laughed as they delighted in this anomoly of music. Chats were followed by the closing plenary session. People shared such poignant comments as to fill my heart with appreciation for the opportunity to work with them and for branching out into a different way to engage people.

Stepping into Wellness

Sculpture of girl pointing north with Surprise Lilies behind her.

Surprised by Joy.

The “dud” winter proved helpful as I could walk the horseshoe drive for exercise.  Flat surface and enough steps to gain back strength. By spring I gingerly began walking the labyrinth using trek poles.  A measure of balance was the challenge of walking to the center on the raised limestone rectangles.  Over time I regained balance. By summer I was happy to see the flowers and as usual was delighted to see the blue lobelia and the Surprise Lily.

 

Travels Yield Labyrinths

August found us motoring to Chattanooga via Land Between The Lakes.  A fascinating history of taking over land, manipulation, regrowth, restoration. And, hugging the west side of Kentucky Lake is this wonderful little labyrinth. St. Peters of the Lake. A picnic, walk and into the Land Between the Lakes itself. Then on to Chattanooga.  Jessie and I endured heat on our walkabout to find the labyirnth at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. A respite inside the sanctuary revealed an elaborate and child centered altar. Terra Haute, IN, was a complete surprise.  Set off in Hawthorn Park a lovely labyirnth in honor of a family greeted us. Again a broiling day. So the coolness and sighing of the trees and quiet calls of summer birds soothed the soul.

Channeling Mr. Rogers 3.0

People pausing to assemble a fish puzzle like Mr. Rogers paused to feed his fish. Nurturing and being Nurtured

Quietly working.

“It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a neighborly day in the beauty wood, could you be my, Would you be my?” Oh how people love Mr. Rogers to this day. And we could use more of him in our world today. Each presentation of Channeling Mr. Rogers has its variations. At the core is Pause…Kindness…Helping. And, Prairiewoods Spirituality Center is a grand place to live these values as a small group shared kindnesses they have received and extended to others. Autumn is just the right season to live Channeling Mr. Rogers 3.0.

Celebrating the Spirits of the Labyrinths

We meander. Springfield, MO, proved a great place to stop and the Drury Hotels scored again with service and friendliness. We plotted a clockwise route to visit three labyrinths in the late afternoon. The sequence proved just right.  The first labyrinth at Unity needs more than love.  While initially a good idea, without maintanence the labyrinth painted on a section of parkling lot way back in a corner had declined.  Uninspired it is bordered by a dumpster and storage building, faded, weedy and simply neglected.  * Contacts with the church asking their plans to revive yielded nothing. St. John’s Chapel United Church of Christ labyrinth is nicely situated even close to major roads.  Set down it’s protected by trees so has a cozy feel.  It, too, needs some love and the members appear to have plans to refresh it. The most inspiring and well kept is St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church labyirnth.  Gorgeous!

 

Every year The Labyrinth Society hosts The Gathering.  In 2025 over Halloween, Dia de los Muertos, All Saints and All Souls Days we gathered at The Vines 4-H camp. Great time! Ingenious temporary labyrinths like the skull one this woman is walking.  And, reflections on creating a labyrinth from an old field.  Letting things happen and managing to a degree. (Note the reflection on the grass labryinth on the window to the left of the screen. Nearby Ferncliff Presbyterian Center’s labyrinth is tucked into the woods, tricky to find.  Worth it when you arrive. The website explains, “This 52 foot labyrinth of wood chips and rocks was built by students from Jonesboro, Columbine, Paducah who had been impacted by school violence and came to Ferncliff for healing over the course of five years.” The walk is not easy. Neither physically nor emotionally.  As my colleague and friend, Twylla, noted, “It’s all jumbled” and stirs up emotions.  In fact, the way is rough with rocks and roots. Healing is a messy path to walk.

 

Like the wise men in the Bible, we returned by a different route.  Our decision was simpler – we like to explore different places. So, Columbia, MO, found us exploring labyrinths, meeting friends for lunch and tucking in to another Drury Hotel. Prior to our visit the chaplain at the hospital and counselor at the high school all welcomed me with emails.

Again, our clockwise visits yielded the most serene for last.  The Rock Bridge Christian Church was an adventure getting to and finally in a round about manner, there we were.  It’s guardians are making renovations to the entry and near the center for accessibility.  A satisfying walk. Unity of Columbia maintains the labyrinth. The entry is lined with pavers of donors’ names and sayings.  A happy place. A friend whose wife had attended Hickman High School guided us via back byways to the school as traffic was building up. Students walked by as we watched. Later, Counselor, Paige Reed, explained that she and staff are working to refresh the labyrinth that was created in memory of a devoted friend and teacher.  Always a good feel to learn that. Last was a quiet walk at the Boone Hospital Foundation  labyrinth.

The Year Ends

The ONLY possible day for a burn was Sunday, November 23rd.  Clear skies and calm to light breezes finally followed days of fog and high winds.  The next two days fog rolled in again.  By then the Thanksgiving holidays were upon us.  And, a massive snow storm over that weekend.  I got in a walk on the burned labyrinth and am content now to let the labyirnth rest for the season.

Navigating Grief Through the holiday Season

People around a table in candlelight.

Managing grief through the holidays.

Through the Nassif Community Cancer Center, Sayde Alexandrescu, Lisa Hanigan, and I created a poignant program for cancer survivor clients. Ways to acknowledge grief and welcome in light during this season where “abundance” can add to stress.  A lovely program and a surprise of connecting with  the labor and delivery nurse, Bonnie, who helped us navigate the journey of our son’s birth years ago.  Intersections.

This has been quite a year for labyrinth journeys.

  • Note: As a Veriditas trained Advance Faciliatator and who works informatlly with webmaster, Jeff Saward, in the UK, I connect with labyirnth guardians. Each labyrinth I visit, I reach out asking the status and after to either compliment or ask their plans to refresh, restore or consider decomissioning.

 

 

Labyrinths 2024

by | Jan 9, 2025 | Labyrinths, Reflections/Profiles, Ruminations

Winter and Spring

Each January I post about visiting labyrinths during the years. Below are Labyrints 2024 that we visited.

January kicked off the year with a fun and moderately mild weather visit to a childhood friend and her family who now live in Wisconsin. We walked in Wauwatosa’s Hartung Park, where the community has installed an engaging labyrinth for all ages to enjoy. Watch as this youngster romped along the path looking for the icicle fairies who feed the Voogans. These are imaginary creatures, tall as a house, who live in the park.

Prairiewoods Spirituality Center in Hiawatha, IA, hosted a series of cross-quarter date labyrinth walks. The first, known in various cultures as Imbolc,  St. Bridgit’s Day, or Candlemas, marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox.

Early April we trekked to Arkansas for the total eclipse and to catch up with Veriditas and Outdoor Writer friends. The paved labyrinth at Hendrix College is special to Twylla Alexander who hosts special walks with her family in the holiday season.

Spring to Summer

One of my joys is to periodically help host handheld labyrinth walks through Veriditas. Each Friday since March 2020, Veriditas has hosted free walks.  As many as 100+ have attended worldwide from at least four different continents. Remember this involves navigating time zones and considering seasonal differences in the Southern and Northern Hemispheres!

December 2023 when I guided a “finger” walk, the North Polar Bear who comes out annually with the Father Christmas stories, jumped up and created quite a stir!  Viewers grabbed their Teddy Bears and other “stuffies” and joined in the chaos.  I could hardly contain anyone! Soooooo, North Polar Bear set the idea of play in the labyrinth.

This gave rise to the yoga class participants from the Nassif Community Cancer Center coming to the Phoenix Harmony Labyrinth. We’ve walked before and enjoyed a potluck. This year they gamely joined in what is known as the Appleton Dance which works well on a dual-entry five-circuit labyrinth. Laughter and clapping drifted over the yard.

Sometimes a pilgrim quietly arrives. In high summer, a Gazette reporter slowly walked the path, took photos, and sat on the bench in the shade of the birch.

Evening is always a pleasant time to walk, especially with a setting moon to frame the trees. I do miss the sounds of insects which have been diminishing over the years as loss of habitat and increase in sprays take their toll. Insects are critical for earth and human health.

Autumn to Winter

People use wheelchairs and feet to move through the indoor labyirnth.

Indoor labyrinth

Our minister, the Reverend Carin Bringelson creates unique services engaging a variety of congregants. One September service featured several stops where members engaged in physical activity. This included a three-circuit processional walk that a friend, Tom, helped lay down on the Ely Room floor.  We invited people to walk once to get the feel and then again more thoughtfully.  People enjoyed the experience and shared their takes on the various stops after service.

 

Finding labyrinths 2024 was slower this year because of different types of activities.

In September, Rich and I visited Lincoln, NE. Part of our adventure before his bicycle ride was finding labyrinths.  It was mostly futile.  One was a pretty walking area but not a labyrinth.  The other was tucked away from where anyone would choose to walk and behind an area of construction.  The path leading to a pretty paved labyrinth was overgrown and uninviting.  Needs love. One we simply could not find.

A similar experience in Charles City, IA, which did have a lovely paved labyrinth next to the river revealed that is was gone. To everything, there is a season.

October found me in northern California outside Yosemite at a labyrinth conference. The Gathering’s theme was “Awe and Inspiration.”  Indeed the day tour into Yosemite, although brief, yielded a sense of the grandeur of this sacred place so loved by John Muir and before him, the Indigenous people who lived there.

We are not always filled with Awe and Inspiration, so what do we do when things are tough? We walk through “Ordinary” time. Not meaning dull, but time of preparation. Although connected to the liturgical sense, we all experience “Ordinary” time and Awe and Inspiration. That was the theme of my talk.  How inspiring to hear people’s experiences and how they use the labyrinth to help them keep balance and return to a sense of appreciation and inspiration.

I’ve captured images of our trip below.

Finally, we approach winter with our final yard task of the year. Burning the prairie and the labyrinth!  My favorite activity.  Now, I can walk the path, note the ashen borders, and know that come spring the Phoenix Harmony Labyrinth will emerge even more robust than ever.

Burning and winter quiet.

Why Do Fires Burn Hot or Cold?

by | Dec 12, 2024 | 1080 Labyrinth Blog, Flowers/Grasses, Garden/Yard, Labyrinths

Humidity makes a huge difference when it comes to fire. So does the wind.

On mid-morning December 3, 2024, two Cedar Rapids Gazette reporters and a photographer arrived at Winding Pathways to experience a prairie burn. We’d set the date ahead of time, hoping burn conditions would be ideal. They weren’t, but we decided to give it a try.

The humidity was around 75% with barely a puff of breeze.

We aimed to burn our backyard prairie to reduce brush and encourage next year’s wildflowers. With low humidity cured prairie grass burns almost explosively, sending flames towering above the ground.

On the high-humidity morning, we struck a match and started an unenthusiastic fire that crept along the ground and only burned hot a few times. Then it died all by itself. We called it a day.

Three days later we tried again under very different conditions. The humidity was down to about 40% and a pleasant and steady southwest wind blew at around 10 miles an hour. What a difference! The fire roared across our prairie, consuming grass it had ignored three days earlier. Marion lit the prairie around her labyrinth and it also roared.

Dry grass is especially sensitive to changes in humidity. When humidity rises grass quickly absorbs the dampness. When humidity drops, grass sheds moisture just as quickly and is ripe to burn. Wood does the same thing but much slower.

Our burning is now over for the year. We know it will stimulate an amazing array of colors next midsummer when wildflowers are in full bloom.

Predawn “Stargirl” Labyrinth Walk

by | Mar 14, 2024 | 1080 Labyrinth Blog, Labyrinths, Reflections/Profiles, Uncategorized

Who Is Stargirl?

Stargirl taught us to notice…to care.  You know Stargirl, the spritely, hippie-seeming girl in the Jerry Spinelli story of the same title who showed up at a high school, wrote notes to people, played the ukelele, was nice to everyone, and even cheered the other team’s successes. She turned typical high school life upside down. And, then, vanished.

We walk today in her spirit. Usually ground underfoot is stone-cold and rigid. But with this “winter that hasn’t been” mole humps yield underfoot. We pause by the bell of the Phoenix Harmony Labyrinth.

Cookie Monster has nibbled the rim of the waning Gibbous moon as it slips west. Guided by moon shadows we walk.

From the south Mother West Wind shakes out the Merry Little Breezes. Off they skitter tickling the tops of the firs and rustling the winter-weary leaves of the Derecho-damaged oak.

Four Directions

Stop. Breathe in the air. Neither too cold nor too muggy. It’s Goldilocks. Just right.

To the east, a smear of red on the horizon separates the black earth from the velvet sky. Father Sun, starting to wake up, stretches his rosy fingers. Yet, stars still sprinkle the sky.

The ancient basswood tree full of gaping holes stands silhouetted. How did it survive when the sturdy oak shattered? Perhaps because it didn’t resist?

Totems

Vultures return in March. In fact, I saw one the other day soaring overhead. Checking out the basswood that has been home of vulture families for generations. Some people don’t like vultures because they are homely and eat dead stuff. Who among us is a Hollywood beauty?

As for eating dead stuff, good thing they do…One of Mother Nature’s cleanup crew.  Otherwise, we would be knee-deep in rot. Maybe we are anyway. Good parents their keen eyesight and sharp smell lead them to meals which they feed their babies until they fledge.

Watching the young on their first flights as they swoop down, cross the labyrinth, then flap mightily to land in the fir on the far side is always a thrill. Vultures are good totems.

The pause by the birches feels like home. New England. Robert Frost wrote it well: “When I see birches bend to left and right Across the lines of straighter darker trees, I like to think some boy’s been swinging them. But swinging doesn’t bend them down to stay.  Ice-storms do.”

Call and Response

Ahh, off in the woods a call and response as two cardinals awaken and call. A turkey gobbles from a tree top.

At the Center of the labyrinth, I thank the earth elements, plant and animal kingdom, those I have known. I send Grace to those I dislike, which helps me most. I stop and thank guides and Divine love.

Horned Owl

Injured owls find a safe home at the International Owl Center.

An owl floats past. Silent yet hearing, unseen yet seeing all. Quiet knowing. Carrying us through the night into the day.

To the north the Big Dipper’s handle swings off to Arcturus and look! A shooting star blazes brightly dropping into the North Star.

Stargirl is with us.

 

Labyrinth Travels 2023

by | Jan 4, 2024 | 1080 Labyrinth Blog, Labyrinths

Each January I post labyrinth walks of the year.  Below are labyrinth travels 2023.

Wide Travels

Branching out from the Heartland, we explored different regions of North America and took in labyrinths along the way. Some labyrinth travels 2023 were deliberately to walk certain labyrinths. On other labyrinth travels 2023 we encountered serendipities of labyrinths and medicine wheels.  Along the way, we met new friends and reconnected with long-time friends and colleagues.

Spanning the years

Spanning fall 2022 into winter 2023, the Nassif Community Cancer Center hosted a time for home goods walks.  Staff and cancer clients walked the dual entry (processional) labyrinth leaving canned food goods, hygiene items, warm clothing, and backpacks.  Matt Schmitz, the coordinator, routinely picked up and organized items that he distributed in mid-January. Two friends, Tom Hess and Lynda Black Smith yet again helped design the labyrinth. Tom an engineer and Lynda an artist.  A team. What great friends to have who get down on hands and knees, chalk out the design, re-adjust and tape…and re-adjust again to make all this work well. Thank you!

Wanderers and Worshipers

Usually around the New Year friends stop by to walk and bless the Phoenix Harmony Labyrinth. It’s odd to see it without snow as winter begins in earnest. Throughout the year, both friends and pilgrims from afar surprise us to walk.  Always a welcome treat.

Each Friday since the Pandemic began, Veriditas has held Friday Finger walks that attract participants worldwide. Think about that!  For close to four years, Veriditas has supported people through difficult times. The following is loyal, new people join, the programs are engaging, and we have fun!  Four that I guided in 2023 with staff support were: First Walks, sharing about our first, or memorable, encounters with labyrinths; Drop Preceeds Flight, how we pick ourselves up after difficult times; Fair Things, how we can use HeartMath to counter the negative impact of events that seem to overwhelm us; and Walk In Beauty and Balance during this high season of holidays and Holy Days. What a wonder-full way to support labyrinth travelers 2023 worldwide.

The Minnesota Labyrinth group, organized by Lisa Gidlow Moriarty holds a winter walk each January.  Some years labyrinth walks are outside, other years inside. Fortunately, the 2023 walk was inside a lovely setting overlooking one of the myriad metro lakes. Jill Kimberly Hartwell Geoffrion welcomed us into her home and we met again at Kanuga Retreat Center in North Carolina in the autumn. This link shares the many labyrinths she has known across the world.

Westerly

The Black Hills are always a treat to visit even in late winter.  Meeting with the Ohlens in town and at Terry Peak and visiting with the minister at Emannuel Episcopal Church where the lovely labyrinth wants attention.  The minister is working to make the labyrinth accessible. Rapid area has many labyrinths to explore and some Native American symbols and structures, too.  An impending storm chased us home early. Yet, memories linger of the sacredness of The Hills.

Medicine Wheel, Valley City, ND

Modern medicine wheel

Another intriguing structure of the West is a modern-day Medicine Wheel in Valley City, ND! In pouring rain we exited the Interstate and reveled in the care and intricacy of the wheel and the proportional alignment of planets represented by various stones reaching far out from the wheel. This is worth a stop and walk and reflection.

Closer to Home

 

Closer to home, Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center, in Hiawatha sponsored four cross-quarter dates. Director, Leslie Wright skillfully guided novice and experienced walkers contemplating the changes of the year. She used each walk as part of the requirements to become a Veriditas Trained and Certified Facilitator. Always a joy to attend and participants shared tender perspectives. April found high school friends and me walking the Cangleska Wakan labyrinth in Solon, Iowa. And, then enjoying Dan and Debblie’s ice cream in Ely. Naturally, Bottleworks Labyrinth downtown draws walkers for a quiet stroll in an urban setting.

Easterly and South-Easterly

Cedar Lake North labryinth

A favorite stop

Tucked into the North end of Cedar Lake in Denville, NJ, is a charming labyrinth nestled among trees and stumps – remnants of Super Storm Sandy and Hurricane Irene. On our walks or paddles around the Lake, we usually stop, walk, and appreciate the care of the owner for the charming structures. A gentle pause.

Autumn found me winging my way to North Carolina’s mountains.  So much to take in with walking a labyrinth with a Veriditas colleague in Greensboro, NC, touring with a sibling in the Bedford, VA area, catching up with an OWAA colleague in Johnson City, and presenting with a Canadian Council colleague at The Labyrinth Society’s TLS Gathering.  “Channeling Mr. Rogers: How the Ancient Path of the Labyrinth Can Guide Us as Modern-Day Helpers.”

In Greensboro, Vicki introduced me to a lovely courtyard labyrinth wanting some attention.  What a challenge to renovate this to its glory.  The dual entry labyrinth at Kanuaga Retreat in Hendersonville, NC, fulfilled its duties as close to 100 walkers gathered, sang, laughed, learned, and walked. Leslie W, from Ontario, and I walked quietly sharing thoughts on our presentation. In the main assembly hall, participants walked the large labyrinth in the presentation, “Labyrinth Activism: A Powerful Practice for Peaceful Change.” One particularly meaningful program was the pre-dawn “Forest Bathing” walk on the large outdoor labyrinth.  The waxing gibbous moon and brilliant stars twinkling through crisp mountain air completed a sense of connection.

*******

Into Canada

Summer Solstice found us camping in Montana, then lodging in the hamlet of Val Marie, Saskatchewan, Canada, attending a Legacy Labyrinth and Activism workshop at The Crossing, and exploring The Grasslands National Park in Saskatchewan, Canada. The skies are amazing, the weather incredibly mild and inviting like the sirens’ songs. Madonna regaled us with stories of pioneer days centered on the importance of aprons in women’s work.  We are working to have her come and present in our area with stories, songs, and dance.

In July a friend drove us to Stratford, Ontario, Canada, where a Council colleague and I firmed up collaboration on our Kanuaga talk, ate at local eateries, took in the town, and, of course, walked their splendid backyard labyrinth.

South

September is a fine month to travel in, even going South into heat.  And, how hot the weather was!  While we initially plotted several labyrinths along the way, we found ourselves taking different paths. One potential labyrinth in Gulf Shores, AL, proved out of reach. Ah, well.  But, unexpectedly on the way home a stop in Carbondale, IL, near Southern Illinois University we found a charming labyrinth next to a funky coffee shop/breakfast eatery.

 

Home

Naturally, the Phoenix Harmony Labyrinth gets a nod – spring, summer, fall, winter, wind, rain, snow, heat, cold. People walk, turkeys trot, deer browse, vultures swoop over, kids romp, adults help burn, and plants grow.  And, that wraps Labyrinth Travels 2023.

Greenest Church In Iowa

by | Aug 17, 2023 | (Sub)Urban Homesteading, Energy Efficiency, Labyrinths, Nature

Coralville’s Unitarian Universalist Society Members
Live What They Profess

In the middle of a worldwide heat wave that scientists declared resulted, in part, from human-caused climate change, we entered the campus of the Greenest Church in Iowa, the Unitarian Universalist Society in Coralville, Iowa. Feeling depressed by climate change news, the visit buoyed our spirits and gave us a glimmer of hope for the future of our planet.

One of the Unitarian Universalists’ principles is respect for the independent web of all existence of which we are a part of.  The members of the Coralville church live the principle and others that form their core beliefs.

The Greenest Church in Iowa

As we turned into the Church campus, everything was softer and quieter. We drove past rows of photovoltaic solar cells.  Just past them was a world of green. Nestled within native vegetation was a lovely contemplative labyrinth.  A vegetated detention basin is both the home for pollinating insects and a place to catch stormwater, preventing it from scouring its way downhill.

We walked a delightful path circling the organization’s eight acres. Native flowers were alive with pollinators, and a children’s play area was meshed into nature. It’s almost as if this location were meant to be.

On entering the building, the Church’s low ceiling entry opens into expansive spaces, an echo of Frank Lloyd Wright’s style. An immediate sense of calm and comfort enveloped us. Just beyond the cozy foyer, our eyes were drawn upward. East-facing windows framed an Iowa summer sky dotted with puffy clouds. Outside, deep green pines swayed in a gentle breeze. Members greeted us and Sally Hartman, chair of the Social Justice team, hosted us during the service. Worship leaders were engaging, the acoustics excellent, and the presence of the outdoors through the windows soothed us.

How Did This Come to Be?

Depending on one’s perspective, this church and location have been in the making since the 1990s.  More recently since 2013.  Sally, also a member of the Iowa UU Witness Advocacy Network, and Kirk Witzberger, who served on leadership teams that developed and implemented the plans, explained. Over many decades, the Society recognized that even with renovations, the former Gilbert St. site in downtown Iowa City could not meet 21st Century needs. Different teams looked for new property. After an almost certain deal for another property fell through, a member happened to chat with a realtor who mentioned the current site.  The Congregation voted overwhelmingly to buy and the couple who owned the land, former Peace Corps volunteers, were delighted to sell to an organization that respected the land.

Multiple meetings and myriad decisions followed. The result is a beautiful net zero building that the congregation shares with the community. The building burns no fossil fuel. Solar energy produces all its energy needs, including lighting, heating, and cooling.

Efficient and Flexible

The building includes a sanctuary, gathering spaces, offices, classrooms, and food service areas.  Tucked into the property, it fits well. As attractive as its outdoor vegetation is, the building was well thought out. Just a few examples include:

  • Efficient glass walls boost energy efficiency while allowing people inside to feel like they’re sitting in nature. We enjoyed watching clouds drift by during the service we attended.
  • Flexible space can accommodate large groups of up to 600 or be compartmentalized into smaller, more intimate gathering places.
  • All areas are easily accessible for folks with walking challenges. Even carpets are precisely flush with adjoining harder floors.

When we asked Kirk Witzberger, who was instrumental in the transition to this location, what the utility bill is he said, “We don’t have one. This is a zero net energy building…..it produces all its energy needs.” For members of an organization to live as lightly on the land as possible is impressive!

Living Other Principles

The Coralville Unitarian Universalist Society members live their commitments in other ways, too. Members take turns recycling compostable materials. When outside groups rent the space, they agree to a contract of sustainability – i.e. use only recyclable materials. The church is investigating how to be a “cool” refuge in summer and a “warm” refuge in winter. Further, members are researching ways they can offer a safe learning space for marginalized youth with activities like art and music. Members have held summer Nature Camps and environmentally-themed Trunk and Treats, and sponsored an environmental fair designed to raise awareness and action in caring for our world.

Inspiring Model

After touring the building and grounds we wondered why the model of the Unitarian Universalist Society isn’t more common in society. It should be. If people associated with all buildings everywhere did what they could to produce their energy needs through renewable sources the threat of climate change would be muted and our children could look forward to a cleaner and safer world.

Want to visit?  The Church welcomes you.  Details are on their website.