Winter greetings from Achor Earth Ways!
Each of you reading this appeal has supported our mission: by donating funds, by purchasing our book, or by subscribing to our founder Wendy Weiger’s blog. We are very grateful for your contributions. You are a vital part of our work.
Our mission is to guide people into deeper, more joyful connection with nature. This healing relationship will benefit both us and the Earth. It will enrich our well-being on all levels—physical, emotional, and spiritual. And it will inspire us to work toward healing the wounds we’re inflicting on the planet that sustains us.
We believe our mission is vital. It addresses the existential threat we as humans face and offers a chance at a solution. Our actions will not change until our hearts change, and our hearts change through loving connections. For humans to save the Earth—and ultimately ourselves—we must feel a real connection with nature.
This past year, we published our first book, Living Every Season: A Mindful Year in the Maine Woods. Photos draw attention to small details casual observers might miss: the delicacy of maple blossoms scattered on spring snow; the grace of a shadow cast by small leaves onto a trailside stone. We hope this book will enhance readers’ sense of wonder and will open their eyes and their hearts to the natural world around them, wherever they may live.
Through her blog, readers accompanied Wendy as she experienced the joys and challenges of living alone, in an off-the-grid cabin far from the nearest plowed road, through the rigors of a Maine Woods winter. Her adventures were chronicled in an article in the Portland Press Herald; where it was the most-read story the week of its publication. We hope you will continue to follow Wendy’s blog as she returns to the woods for a second winter. This year, she will be offering Facebook Live sessions that will allow you to join her in real time at her cabin!
In September, we resumed in-person events, which had been on hold due to the pandemic. Wendy has offered multimedia presentations—incorporating a reading from her next book, her nature photography, and a nature-centered mindfulness exercise—at several locations in Maine: Monson Arts, Shaw Public Library in Greenville, and as part of the Waterford Congregational Church’s “Climate Conversations” series. In Waterford, many attendees also joined Wendy for a mindful nature walk. Participants ranged in age from three to ninety-three! We look forward to offering more events in 2022.
And during this often-hectic holiday season, we invite you to claim the gifts that nature offers, wherever you may be. Set aside your to-do list and step outside: into a nearby park, a local patch of woods, or even your own backyard. Find a quiet spot and pause for what Wendy calls a “mindful minute.” Close your eyes. Focus on the warmth of sun or coldness of breeze on your face. Take a few deep breaths. Maybe you can smell a whiff of woodsmoke? What sounds do you hear? The sighing of wind, the calls of winter birds? Open your eyes and look slowly around you. Take time to savor the beauty of clouds scudding across the sky or the starkness of bare tree branches. In the midst of busy days, this practice serves as a mini-retreat that renews our minds and spirits.
Your financial contribution of any amount will help to manifest the work of Achor Earth Ways in the world. You may donate by check (our address is PO Box 333, Greenville ME 04441) or via PayPal at wendyweiger.com/achor-earth-ways. We are a 501(c)(3) organization, so your donations are tax-deductible.
May you be blessed by the wonders of nature now and throughout the New Year,
George Wiese, Board President, on behalf of Achor Earth Ways’ Board:
Grace Bardsley, James Christensen, Marcia Christensen, Patricia Moore, Wendy Weiger
