001OEC’s First Edition

001OEC’s First Edition
Have you heard about the Olympia Ecology Center?

The OEC is relatively new so not knowing is expected!

That’s what this email is about!

The OEC is currently located at Olympia Free School

—-> 808 Jackson (next door to the downtown Post Office)
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OEC is not your ordinary everyday ecology center. Our volunteers are fed up with meetings and campaigns that drag us down and drain our enthusiasm. That’s why we’ve adopted a new kind of activism known as: Strategic Ecology!

Initially, Strategic Ecology’s focus is on developing a strong environmental and social justice infrastructure in Olympia. Then by mid-Summer we’ll be shifting gears and moving forward into many new and needed environmental campaigns.

Strategic Ecology is community affirming, self-propagating, self-motivating and inspirational. When you come to a Strategic Ecology event / meeting the goal is to not only organize and campaign in defense of mama earth, but also to create an atmosphere of support, being helpful and concerned about each other. In other words: We focus on benefiting each other just as much as we focus on benefiting the Earth.

This means that when you head home from an OEC event / meeting you’ll feel uplifted and inspired rather than drained and tired. That’s because our events rely on creating a high-quality atmosphere through visual art, potted plants, spontaneous artistic expression, yoga, music, meditation, a subtle kind of cognitive therapy. Much reading, writing and reflection has been done on this new theory called: Strategic Ecology. It’s not a structured or regimental theory either! It’s free flowing and natural. You’ll learn more about it in future emails!
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For now we’re letting you know that we exist and also we’re announcing our ‘Strategic Ecology’ Fundraising effort:

The idea is to not only raise money but also to make the Earth that surrounds your home a more beautiful diverse place:

This means that to raise money we are offering Professional all volunteer Gardening services at $35-$15 per hour sliding scale. 100% of the money you pay for this landscaping service will go to support the Oly Ecology Center. The volunteer coordinating this service has 15 years experience in tree pruning, invasive removal, gardening and landscape design.

Call: 360-789-7843 for a free 1/2 hour consultation.

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Why is having a garden around your home so important?

From: http://www.balancedlivingmag.com

The essence of a garden holds the power of transformation within it. Bringing beauty to barrenness, it can turn ordinary into oasis. Yet it is about much more than just terrain; a true garden reaches deep inside to touch your soul. Offering nourishment, tranquility and beauty, gardens transform lives.

A garden can help relieve the pain in your life, as well as enlighten you to the beauty around you. Through a garden, you can gain a sense of touching something deeper and greater than yourself, and you can become more acutely aware of a Higher Power. Just as nature unimpeded will heal itself, you may be healed and transformed through nature – not only in the physical sense but in the spiritual as well.

You need not have an estate or even an acre to create a personal garden haven for your soul. With creativity and planning, paradise can be achieved in any space. It can be as simple as a beautiful potted plant on a balcony or a lovely scented herb collection in an old whiskey barrel, or as elaborate as your wildest imagination. By recognizing the importance of establishing that living link between yourself and nature, you have taken the first step.

The next step is to build your garden, either on your own or with the assistance of someone you trust. Begin with a foundation based in science and art, and then reach for the spiritual. As you embark on the creation of your personal garden experience, the following principles may help guide you:

Inviting A garden should be welcoming and inspirational. Whether enjoyed from a bench, from a window of your home or while walking to the front door, the experience of the garden should touch something deep within you and enfold you like a warm embrace. Creating a Place of Transformation in Your Garden

Ecological To truly connect with the spiritual power of nature, create a garden that is in harmony with the science of nature. Begin with careful selection and placement of plants for their long-term health. Know each plant’s requirements for soil, water and light, and place them where they will thrive. Use native plants liberally. They are well suited to our region and often provide food and shelter for native wildlife. Avoid chemicals. Instead, take measures that work with nature, such as building the soil with organic material and providing water for beneficial insects and birds. Attune yourself with the spirits of the plant and animal life in your garden spot. Create a sanctuary, not only for you, but for all the creatures of the earth, and live in harmony with them.

Personal & Meaningful

What is most meaningful to you in your life? What makes your spirit sing? Include favorite colors and flowers in your garden, but also consider those flowers dear to your childhood, plants that attract your favorite butterflies or objects that remind you of places you love. Choices abound. Construct an imaginative play area for children, build a fire pit for family gatherings, grow fragrant flowers for cutting or create a secret garden for a little seclusion. When working with a professional, look for someone who seems most attuned to you and your family.

Beautiful & Artistic

Art is essentially an imitation of the beauty and majesty of nature. Incorporate all of the basic elements of art into planning your garden: balance, harmony, contrast, movement and rhythm. Create magical and beautiful spaces where you can meditate, celebrate or simply embrace life. Think of your favorite works of art and the feelings and impressions they evoke. One delightful example is the Toronto Music Garden. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma worked with garden designer Julie Moir Messervy to create a garden based on Bach’s Cello Suite in G Major. The design integrates structure, color, shape and line to create garden experiences that parallel each of the suite’s six movements. Throughout the season, the garden is bustling with life as people of all ages enjoy it solitarily and as a community.

Energy & Line

Eastern civilizations have long recognized the importance of the flow of energy through space. Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese concept that imparts a conscious understanding of this energy (also referred to as chi, ki or prana) and how to guide it. The mysteries of your garden will be revealed as you become aware of the energy of space, line and motion in your own garden. Recognize how a particular curve will surge with energy while another may obstruct it. Understand how disparate angles or wriggling lines can disturb the flow of energy and disrupt the spiritual depth of a space. Seek to create positive vibrations, utilizing the four elements with intention. Esoteric experiences are abundant in the garden when you develop a sensitivity to the more subtle areas of life.

Nurturing

When you, as a gardener, tend the earth, nature in turn nurtures you. Observe the details on the dragonfly wing or contemplate the gargantuan oak emerging from a tiny acorn. Meditate on the single-mindedness of the bumblebee. Connect with the nature spirits that are in every living thing. Breathe deeply and allow the experience to unfold in the present.

From the Garden of Eden to your own garden today, these living sanctuaries have provided an important spiritual connection to the earth. A garden can help you return to your innermost self and rediscover what is really important in your life. Petal by petal, dewdrop by dewdrop, the mysteries of the universe will unfold. Through observation, contemplation and meditation, you come to a deeper understanding of yourself. Breathe deeply, be in the present moment and allow your garden experience to unfold.