When hiking on difficult or obscure trails, I often find myself guided by cairns. Cairns are delicately stacked piles of stone that often start out with a large base and come to a point. They are built by hikers to mark a new trail, or to show the way through dangerous passes, and are used on trails in the U.S. and across the globe. With their presence, they guide hikers in the right direction.     I like to think that we are guided by many cairns during our lifetime, and that these cairns…See More

Growing up in a Catholic family, I was forced to attend church, go to catechism and eventually go through the process of being confirmed when I was 16 years old. As a child, I never really felt like I belonged in the Church, but believed in the basics of what the Bible was saying: to be a good, kind, and compassionate human being and to take care of "God's" creations.From a young age, I felt like I never really had a choice. I resented that, and the fact that I did not get that feeling of awe…See More

     As I visit schools, I’m always amazed at the creative ways that plantings are being utilized. School gardens come in all types of sizes and shapes, but generally fall into three categories. Sometimes even small school sites have incorporated all three. Gardens that create a habitat for wildlife            Although often not resembling traditional gardens, the planting of trees and shrubs on the school grounds provides cover and food sources for wildlife. Schools often plant formal…See More