January 2025 Fuels Blog

THE CHANGING NATURE OF FIRE IN SONOMA COUNTY

In 2017, Sonoma County started showing up in the news often due to wildfires. 2017’s fire season was the first where we noticed fire behavior began to change significantly in Northern California. Winds similar to the Santa Ana’s in southern California started to dramatically change how fires behave. These winds are called “Diablo Winds” in Sonoma County- they are offshore, dry and have the ability to make a fire “explode.”

The Nunns, Pocket, and Tubbs fires in 2017 burned over 110,000 acres and destroyed more than 6,000 structures in Sonoma and Napa counties. We know that fire has been an important part of California’s historical ecology so, how did we get to this point?

Over the last 10,000 years our forests have adapted alongside humans and the primary tool for managing forests has been fire. The forest that Westminster Woods is home to likely burned on a 15-20 year cycle, resulting in low intensity fires that maintained, among other things; a healthy plant density, proper biodiversity, manageable fuel load amounts, new growth from increased sunlight on the forest floor and a rich soil-nutrient composition from ‘recycled’ ash.

That all changed with the extractive logging of the 1800’s and early 1900s. After the logging industry harvested what they could, there were large tracts of land without a canopy and with disturbed soils as well as an imbalance in resources. Trees that normally would not have a chance to grow due to canopy and competition had access to more sunlight than they ever had before. These young forests grew fast.

So, for the last 150 years we’ve used a passive forest management approach which has essentially been almost no management. The idea was to leave forests alone to heal themselves after. All fires were snubbed immediately and there wasn’t any active forest management- i.e. sustainable planning, harvesting and/or planting. The forest grew to what it is today…..an overcrowded woodland with moderately healthy trees and a uniquely massive fuel load.

The newly overcrowded nature of the forest, combined with Strong Diablo winds created the conditions for mega fires. 2017 was the first year of that the fires touched Sonoma County. The single largest fire in Sonoma County history, the Kincade Fire, occurred in 2019 and burned almost 80,000 acres.

HOW WE TAKE CARE OF THE WOODS

Westminster Woods has been very lucky and we’ve escaped the large wildfires. However, this means that all the fuels in the forest that would burn up in a large fire are still sitting out in the forest waiting to burn. While there isn’t a way for us to address climate change and the changing winds in a way that would directly affect our forests, we can address the fuel load.

Foresters measure fuel load is measured in BTU’s. That is, how much heat the wood burning in our forests would theoretically produce. Much of the wood in Westminster Woods’ forest is dead tan oak which is a wood that holds a significantly high amount of BTU. Meaning a fire here would burn extremely hot. So hot, in fact, that all the living organisms in the soil would be cooked. Similar to the Rim and Ferguson fires in Yosemite which burned so intensely that scientists predict a “moonscape” like appearance for at least 20 years.

As a proactive force, the “Buildings and Grounds” team at Westminster Woods has been focusing tremendous efforts and resources on minimizing the fuel load in our forest. During the summer months work is focused on maintaining the areas around our Main Campus structures (like Vernon Hall, the Boxcar, Main Office, the Shop and our cabin areas). Fuels, such as dead trees, fallen branches and brush, are cut up with chainsaws and stacked into piles or chipped in a wood chipper.

During the winter season, when the county permits burning, our B&G team collects and burns the fuel at strategic locations around camp. This rainy season, our efforts are focused on Loop Road (at the very top of our property), with the hope of reopening the top of the ridge for camping and programming.

By reducing the fuel load we are limiting how many BTU’s are in the forest. We don’t want it to burn so hot that we have a moonscape for the next 20 years.

Thank you so much for your donations that helped make this work possible!

Cherish the Past, Invest in the Future

A message from our Executive Director, Chris Rhodes

Dear Friends of the Woods,

As we come to the end of 2024, I am filled with gratitude for the countless lives touched by our programs. Since 1946, our camp has been a beacon of hope, joy and spiritual growth and, from those historic roots, the wonderful programs at Westminster Woods continue to impact all who visit in powerful, transformative ways. As we prepare to close this year and look to the next, I’m excited to share with you our end-of-the-year theme: Cherish the Past, Invest in the Future.

Cherishing the past

For nearly eight decades, Westminster Woods has been a place where memories are made, lives are transformed and belief is deepened. Whether through the laughter, wonder, and discovery during a school field trip, the life-changing encounters with Christ and community during summer camp, or the peaceful retreats experienced by guest groups, every moment here is an extension of the vision that began in 1946.

This summer, the heart and soul of our summer camp – Camp Heartwood and Camp Soulspring – reached a new level of excitement and engagement. In an effort to reach more campers, our summer camp leadership has gone to great lengths to reimagine programming that draws in, engages, and supports campers while maintaining the spirit of Westminster Woods summer camp. Thanks to a dedicated and enthusiastic summer staff, as well as generous donations to our Campership Fund, we welcomed a wide group of campers from all over Northern California for incredible, unforgettable weeks of summer camp.

Meanwhile, our School Programs continue to shape young minds in a different but equally meaningful way. Through environmental education and character development, we’re planting seeds of curiosity, empathy, and care in the hearts of students. This year, our fantastic School Programs team worked with nearly 6,000 students of all different backgrounds. Whether guiding them on rain-filled hikes through the redwood canyons, or encouraging students to reach new heights on the Challenge Course; we’re proud to have such excellent educators stewarding the next generation.

Lastly, our Guest Groups - churches, ministries, and various organizations - find sanctuary here, using our facilities to renew their spirits and strengthen their communities. Each group adds their unique thread to the tapestry of this wonderful camp.

Investing in the future

As we honor the past, we are equally excited about the future. In addition to continuing the terrific work that our programs are doing with guests, our vision for the coming year involves seriously enhancing our infrastructure. In order to do so we need the help of our incredible community.

We lovingly refer to our campus as ‘rustic’ and if you’ve visited in the past few years you might’ve noticed that there are big projects that we need to tackle in order to ensure that rustic doesn’t become ‘disrepaired.’ Some of the projects that we intend to tackle include:

• The Homestead Roof: Our beloved Homestead, which has been home to many of the most special moments of camp for decades, is in need of a brand new roof. We are raising funds to make those repairs this year.

• Bathrooms in More Cabins: Three of the twenty-nine cabins on campus have been renovated to include bathrooms (along with fresh paint, new bunk beds and other repairs). We aim to continue upgrading until each of our cabins has its own ‘facility.’

• Small But Mighty Repairs: Beyond those major projects, there are countless small repairs, from our gaga ball pit that has a permanent tilt to our cobb bench that needs resurfacing, that we have on our list to tackle in the upcoming year. Many of these projects are on hold only because of the material cost. Your donation will go directly toward helping us provide a safe, welcoming environment for each guest!

Visit our donation page to learn more about these projects!

Your donations matter

We are deeply grateful for your continued prayers, volunteer efforts, and financial support. Because of donors like you, we can continue to provide a space where people of all ages can find rest, connection, and spiritual renewal.

This year, as you consider your end-of-year giving, we invite you to reflect on the legacy we’ve built together and dream with us about what the future holds. By donating today, you are helping us preserve the cherished memories of our past while planting seeds for an even brighter future.

Thank you for being a vital part of this ministry. Your gift, no matter the size, will make a crucial impact. Together, let’s cherish the past and invest in the future.

In Gratitude,

Chris Rhodes
Executive Director

Threads of Connection

How Westminster Woods Shaped My Journey and Why I Give Back

By Amanda Wallace

A few months ago I pondered the path I’ve taken in life, cataloging the ideologies, experiences, milestones, and relationships that shaped me. I wondered at and gave thanks to God for each piece. I quickly realized that if my life were a web — almost all good things, the things I am most thankful for, the things that most shaped me — trace back to Westminster Woods.  

Knitting My Family

Amanda Wallace and Family

On the surface, there are some obvious connections from Westminster Woods to major aspects of my life: 

I met my husband through The Woods. So, my marriage and my children are a web leading back to camp. My husband decided to go into the fire service after being exposed to it by a camp friend. Consequently, my husband’s career and the relationships attached to our fire community wind back to The Woods. 

The duct tape incident – Summer Staff 2005

My car’s Westminster Woods bumper sticker led to a few fellow preschool moms asking about camp and Christianity. Unexpectedly, we connected over wanting to raise our kids in a church community and we agreed to start looking for a church together. Soon, we found a church that aligns with our values AND has an active children’s ministry program. 

And twenty years later, the people I met at camp - those I binge read Harry Potter with, the person I once duct taped to a tree, even a couple of summer crushes - are the people I consider my chosen family. This family has supported, suffered, and loved together. These are the people my kids call “Auntie” and “Uncle.” The relationships I built at The Woods are by far the most lasting and defining of all.

Building My Faith: When It Clicked

Looking deeper, I trace the very foundation of who I am and how I live my life to Westminster Woods. 

STEP 2003

In the 1990’s  I remember sitting at a Sherwood Forest campfire and hearing the speaker explain that God wants to be in a relationship with us. Something clicked in my young mind. God was no longer this distant omnipotent figure, but a friend, a mentor, a parent. God became relatable. Because God sent Jesus into the world, our loving Creator knows:

What it is like to be human.

What it is like to be a child, a teenager. 

What it was like to try to find your place in this world. 

Practices built into the camp schedule, such as quiet time, guided prayer, lectio divina, and Taize singing, helped me explore how I can communicate with and listen for God. The Service, Leadership, Equipping and Training Program (STEP) and counseling Friendship Camp (a camp for adults with developmental disabilities) taught me what it is to serve God by serving others. 

During my early adult years, friends from Westminster Woods recruited me to work for a church youth group where the leaders presented Jesus in a radical way: as an intentional disruptor. I learned Jesus came to redefine the Church, break down institutional barriers, call out hypocrisy, and welcome those that the Church would otherwise reject. This new way of viewing Jesus was revolutionary for me and changed how I see what it means to live in Jesus’ image.

Becoming a Professional Disrupter

During my first year on Summer Staff, I befriended Jess, a South African working at Westminster Woods through an exchange program. When I decided to spend a year studying abroad, I chose South Africa as my destination as it blended my interests in history, colonialism, and the US Civil Rights movement.. As a bonus, I would get to spend time with Jess. While studying in South Africa, I started taking Urban Planning classes and began to understand how structures and investments in communities directly impact the opportunities people have or are denied. 

Amanda and Jess – Summer Staff 2005

I experienced another light bulb moment: A career exists where I can be a disruptor, too? I can be part of dismantling harmful institutional structures and helping communities that are often disregarded? Yes. After gaining experience in different aspects of the urban planning field, working for various cities throughout northern California, and finding my feet in my career, I now have a job that I love managing impactful community investment projects in traditionally underinvested and disadvantaged neighborhoods. 

I am in no way likening my experience or my chosen career path to the radicalness of Jesus. Rather, as I trace the trajectory of what I believe, the issues I am passionate about, and the direction God led me…it all leads back to Westminster Woods. The web keeps expanding.  

And I know I am not alone in this experience; Westminster Woods has shaped many people’s lives. So often I hear:  

Westminster Woods helped draw someone closer to Jesus; or,

Westminster Woods School Programs inspired someone’s passion for environmental conservation; or, 

Westminster Woods community and associated relationships are the genuine, unique, and lasting relationships in a person’s life. I hear this most often.

Weaving the Future

The kids’ first time at camp – Family Camp 2024

My heart was full this past summer as I brought my kids to Family Camp for their first camp experience. Watching them walk down Nazarian Way, sing silly camp songs, make new friends, and fall in love with a place that means so much to me really brought everything full circle. The ways in which Westminster Woods will impact their lives may be very different from mine, but I believe in the transformative experience of Westminster Woods. And I can’t wait to see what it holds for them.  

This is why I give to Westminster Woods. My family, friends, faith, and profession continue to grow, strengthen, and intertwine because of Westminster Woods. I give my time as a member of the Board of Directors and I am a regular financial donor because I am so grateful for how it has impacted my life. Also, I believe in the positive impact it will have on future generations.

The Camp Gang Friendsgiving – 2024

I invite you to join me. This Giving Tuesday, I encourage you to reflect on the role that Westminster Woods plays in your life, to share the power of that impact with others, and to consider joining me in becoming a regular financial donor. You can help Westminster Woods reach their fundraising goal of $5,000 on December 3rd by making a donation. With your generous gift, we can continue weaving the legacy of Westminster Woods.  

Solar Schoolhouse Project

Empowering Bay Area Students to Find Climate Solutions

On a sunny morning in mid-August, our Outdoor Education staff gathered on the Big Green Field, engaged in a hands-on imaginative activity to utilize the power of the sun in order to access water. Tor and Dena Allen from the Solar Schoolhouse Project asked staff to imagine they were in a remote location without any clean water. If they only had a solar panel, a pump, and a deep well of water, what would they do? A few minutes and several splashed naturalists later, they had four working water pumps. But why were our naturalists doing this?

This lesson is part of a year-long partnership with the Solar Schoolhouse Project to bring solar education to outdoor schools. 

WESTMINSTER WOODS PART OF PILOT PROGRAM TO INCORPORATE MORE LESSONS ON CLIMATE SOLUTIONS

Tor Allen from the Solar Schoolhouse Project.

The Solar Schoolhouse Project is a program of The Rahus Institute, which works with schools and teachers to create solar lesson plans and provide teaching materials to classrooms centered on clean energy and the environment. Their lessons clearly explain how to use energy from the sun and empower students to find their own solutions for a climate-friendly future. 

They recently received a grant from the All Points North Foundation so that they can provide similar teaching sets to Outdoor Schools at no cost, and Westminster Woods is proud to be a pilot school for this project. 

Our School Programs Manager, Casey Stachelski and our former Curriculum Coordinator, Rebekah Jones, met with founders Tor and Dena Allen over the summer to adapt their classroom lessons for environmental and outdoor education programs–like those offered by Westminster Woods.  From this collaborative session, five lessons specifically designed to challenge students to observe nature and think critically about harnessing the power of the sun were adapted.

ENCOURAGING STUDENT’S CURIOSITY IS A KEY COMPONENT OF OUR PEDAGOGY – AND ALIGNS WELL WITH THESE CLIMATE LESSONS

At Westminster Woods, we invite students into the natural classroom of the redwood forest and encourage them to use one of the most powerful teaching tools we have: their curiosity. We believe that looking at the natural world around us, asking critical questions, and engaging in hands-on activities can lead to deep insights and powerful lessons. 

Redwoods, for example, share an intricate root system, and offer lessons on mutual, community support. Redwoods can also teach us – and students – about engineering principles. Our experiential learning model encourages students to answer their own questions through intentional observation and critical thinking. Students are also guided by experienced Naturalists who offer helpful resources and learning tools. The Solar Sets provided by Solar Schoolhouse provides one new, and exciting framework for students to explore their curiosity.

As part of this partnership, Tor and Dena, came out to Westminster Woods to teach our naturalists how to use each set. These sets include:

The Solvann Solar Fountain Challenge

This lesson encourages students to work together and create a working water filtration system powered by the sun. 

Think-Like-A-Tree

An activity that asks students to observe leaves and tree structures and then build a solar powered fan that works in the shade. 

Spin Art

A fun and engaging way to make art with the sun. 

These are just a few of the lessons available! 

TEACHER NATURALISTS IMPLEMENTING NEW LESSONS THROUGHOUT THE FALL

Over the course of the fall semester, our Teacher Naturalists will continue using these lessons in the field with students. When the semester is over, they will provide feedback to the Solar Schoolhouse Project that highlights student experiences and the efficacy of the lesson sets. 

It’s an exciting partnership for both parties that are dedicated to creating educational, empowering learning environments for the next generation of leaders and climate stewards. We’re grateful for the opportunity to work with the Solar Schoolhouse Project to develop top-notch teaching tools for outdoor education, and we look forward to sharing more about the impact soon.

Written by Lillian Karl

Ben Evenbeck Earns Water T2D1 Certification

Ben Evenbeck, Westminster Woods Building and Grounds Manager

Please join us in congratulating our Buildings and Grounds Manager, Ben Evenbeck, on receiving his Water Treatment 2 Operator and Water Distribution 1 Operator Certification from the California State Water Control Resource Board!

At Westminster Woods, our water is collected from 14 artesian springs on our property. If you’ve ever hiked up Spring Road and spotted white pipes with water coming out of them - you’ve seen part of our groundwater influenced spring system! This water travels all the way from the springs to our waterhouse to all of the water spigots at Westminster Woods. The water is filtered through a slow sand filter to remove contaminants and is treated with just the right amount of sodium hypochlorite for disinfecting. 

Since we collect our own water and treat it ourselves, it needs to be held to certain California State Standards. In the past we’ve had outside contractors routinely check our water treatment procedures to ensure that it’s meeting treatment standards. Now that Ben has this certification, we can do it entirely in house! This is the highest water certification that anyone on our staff has had in over 20 years and we’re so proud of Ben for completing the certification process. To receive this certification, Ben took a 34-hour course from the American Water College and studied for several months to pass the exam. 

Ben’s new certification gives him the credentials to run an entire municipal water system. While Westminster Woods water system is much smaller, it’s held to the same high standard as a municipal system. This means that when you drink water at Westminster Woods, it’s actually received a higher standard of treatment than most bottled water has, and it shows in the clarity, taste, and quality of our water. Next time you're at Westminster Woods, make sure to bring your reusable water bottle and fill it up at any of our faucets or water spigots. And next time you see Ben, make sure to congratulate him on this accomplishment!!

Youth Climate Summit

Exploring Connections: From California Redwoods to Garrison, New York

By Casey Stachelski, Head of School Programs

Last May, while making my way through security at SFO, I was stopped by TSA when the x-ray scan of my carry-on stumped the folks behind the machine. My cheeks blushed as the woman on the other side of the TSA conveyor belt asked me to step off to the side and dug through my bright-blue travel backpack. She gave me a curious look as she pulled six, foot-long redwood logs out of my bag. I was filled with equal parts discomposure, playfulness and enthusiasm, “Oh right that… I’m heading to New York to teach students about nature!”.

Thus, my journey began. Redwood needles, logs and cones in tow, I set out to join a mosaic of other naturalists, environmental educators, climate scientists and students at the Garrison Youth Climate Summit (YCS).

THE SUMMIT

Casey talking to participants at the YCS in Garrison, New York

The YCS is an event that brings together professionals in the environmental field as well as students from across New York and Connecticut with the aim of empowering young people to turn their climate anxiety into climate action. Throughout the summit, I was offered both the chance to share knowledge that I brought with me from the redwood forest and the opportunity to soak up inspiration and wisdom from fellow leaders in climate education, especially the students, who went above and beyond to bring sustainable environmental change to their home communities.

The morning started off with the keynote address, given by 11 students whose yearlong climate action projects each made a significant, positive impact on their wider community. Each of these students gave an incredible effort to their project, skipping free time, eating lunch in their science classroom, taking on additional homework, volunteering their time on the weekends. These initiatives, rooted in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, local environmental issues and civic action cover such topics as providing free consultations for renewable home-energy, providing templates for community members to contact local legislators to address point-source pollution in the Hudson River & founding a soft-plastic recycling program in local schools. The hopefulness and impact of these students genuinely brought tears to my eyes. It was a powerful reminder of the potential that we have when we let ourselves care enough to be moved into action. As well as a poignant example of just how capable young people are of making positive change in the world.

After hearing directly from the students, we dispersed into workshops and then it was my time to shine (actually, truthfully, the redwood samples I brought along we’re the real stars of show)! My role at the summit was primarily to facilitate a workshop on redwood forest ecology. By comparing the costal redwoods to the trees that we could see around us in Garrison we gained a deeper understanding of each of those entities.

CASEY’S WORKSHOP: COMPARATIVE BOTANY

Casey’s booth at the YCS including the redwood logs that traveled all the way from california!

As someone who has only ever formally taught about the redwoods under the canopy of the redwood forest, I was skeptical about the efficacy of teaching redwood forest ecology without a literal redwood forest nearby. Especially in this world, where students have immediate access to all of the information that exists and can visit just about any place they can think of virtually, I felt that there was a high chance that many wouldn’t care about an imagination trip to the coast of California.

And so, I went into the first workshop of the day with both hopeful optimism that the subject would connect to students and a quiet yet persistent idea that the they would be much more fascinated by other things.

All of that in mind, we began by discussing two simple questions; does it matter to learn about the trees in California when we’re here in New York? Why? These questions invited students to share in their own words the connections that they already felt between those two worlds. And those connections were more thoughtful, deep and expansive than my considerably hopeful optimism (seriously, ask anyone who knows me about the immense power of my rose-colored glasses), could’ve predicted. Students said things like,

“The redwood trees are sequestering carbon from the air”

“I want to go with my family to visit the redwoods”

“Redwoods make oxygen”

“They’re beautiful”

“They’re the tallest trees on earth and we need to protect them because otherwise they’ll disappear”

“Everything is connected”

I was pleasantly surprised that these students already seemed to be masters of interconnection. I was also shocked that the second graders in attendance had such a firm grasp of the concept of carbon sequestering (I was later informed that their class had been conducting a year-long experiment, measuring the growth rate and thereby the sequestering rate of various trees in the area). With these self-defined ideas about why it matters to learn about trees that are more than 1,000 miles away, we embarked. 

Our botany lesson had us comparing the heights of the students’ local maple trees to the heights of our redwoods by walking the distance of both. I have to say, even for a person who lives under the redwoods, walking 350 ft and considering the towering nature of the tallest trees on earth was astounding. We also had a chance to squeeze the bark of the redwood samples and compare that to the texture nearby barks. Redwood trees, if you haven’t had the joy of feeling them, have quite spongy, thick bark which helps protect them from fire. Each comparison that we made between different tree species, whether bark, height, color, texture, leaf/needle shape or seed dispersal method was dutifully recorded in the students’ journals.

Over the course of the day, I led five workshops, each with a different grade level. A shared thread across different groups of students was that they absolutely marveled at the redwood logs placed in their hands. And they treated the redwood cones that were given to them as preciously as they might if they were made out of gold. Across the day, my worries about whether students would care melted into appreciation for the obvious depth of care and intrinsic reverence that lives strong in the youth.

LESSON’S LEARNED AND THE PATH FORWARD

Once the workshops wrapped up for the day, the YCS transitioned into an evening of laughter, bonding and resource-sharing with an event that showcased a collective art project as well as dozens of booths hosted by students and environmental organizations alike. At those booths, we shared our resources, projects, initiatives, enthusiasm, questions and hopes with anybody who stopped by. Several members of the New York state government, such as Stare Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg wandered through the crowd. Upbeat, happy, music played in the background. A food truck served up gigantic, rainbow-sprinkled and marshmallowed ice-cream cones. In the midst of this delight, it hit me that this event is literally centered around global tragedy.

We understand that climate change is devastating our planet. Students have grown up in a world where that conversation around human impact, climate, plastic pollution and beyond is ever-present. I see it each week with the young people that come to Westminster Woods. It can manifest as both anxiety and apathy but in either case, there seems to be a growing hopelessness.

So then, what happened at the Youth Climate Summit? At an event where students literally spent the entire day discussing climate catastrophe, we ended the day by dancing to pop music and playing tag? How did such lightness and pure joy permeate such a devastating event? 

My two cents? This is the power of understanding what we’re up against and believing that our actions DO make a difference. Instead of focusing on just the tragedy, we were pragmatic with that reality and celebrating the real potential for change. We celebrated the literal strides forward that these students worked hard for over the course of the school year. We were giddy with possibility! Oh what a gift to experience!

I left the YCS with a renewed sense of belief in the power of environmental education. It’s my hope that every student who leaves Westminster Woods has a deeper understanding of the profound impact that they make on the world. A deeper understanding of how their actions DO make a difference and that through this understanding students are driven to affect positive change in their communities.

Even closer to home, being steeped in the world of the YCS reminded me of my own impact. In addition to all of the shared responsibilities that most of us adults have (interacting with other humans, remembering to turn off the lights when I leave home, keeping myself from littering, etc.) I also find myself in an incredible position to help shape the experience of hundreds of students annually in our School Programs Department. This work is hard. We’re up against a mountain and we’ve got teaspoons to move the soil with. On my worst days, I find caring impractical. Vulnerable. Exhausting. Risky. My biggest personal takeaway from the YCS is that the only way forward is with the inspiration brought by caring deeply, profoundly and bravely.

It's hard. Yes. But, I’m ready to care. I hope you join me.  

You can learn more about our School Programs Department here and read more about the Garrison Youth Summit here.

Introducing our Summer 2024 Programs

A Letter from our board president, Janine Valine

Dear Friends of the Woods,

I wish you all a Happy New Year! As many of you begin registering your children for camp this summer, you may notice that the programming at Westminster Woods this year looks a little different than many of us are used to. And for some, this change may be surprising and even a little bit uncomfortable.

As I sit down to write this letter to you, I sit amongst the happy chaos that is winter break at home with two young boys. Our Christmas tree is still up and, despite my best efforts, toys old and new are littered everywhere.

I’ve spent the last couple days talking to my five-year-old about the necessity of choosing some of his old toys to give away so that we can make room for all the new toys he just got. You can maybe imagine that this has led to some push back and even some tears. There have been a lot of reassurances that it is just toys you don’t play with anymore and “no we are not giving away Bear.” While he is super excited about all the new toys he got, he is still really attached to some of the things he has outgrown. I can’t lie, it’s not easy for me either. Why am I emotionally attached to that pull string rabbit he got for his first birthday!? This can be a hard concept that we as adults also grapple with. And it's where I believe we are as the Westminster Woods community.

I am so excited to introduce this new iteration of summer programming to this community! I am excited about the new growth and fresh energy I see coming out of the Woods and its Leadership Team. I am excited for our children to get to experience a version of Westminster Woods that is tailored to and relevant to them in this new day and age. However, to embrace that we need to come to terms with the fact that there are some things that the Woods has outgrown. That even though there are big changes being made, it doesn’t mean we are giving up our beloved teddy bear or our fond memories of Sherwood Forest.

The core of Westminster Woods will always be there. It has always been here. It is us, it is our community, our love for one another and our love for Christ.

If you would like to learn more about some of these changes, I encourage you to explore Westminster Woods newly updated Summer Camp page and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok to experience the incredible impact Westminster Woods is having on the lives of the youth and community we serve.

I know I’m looking forward to what this summer, and the many to come, have in store for our children, our families, and our community.

With Christ,

Janine Valine

Westminster Woods Board President

Reigniting the Embers Within

A Message from our Executive Director, Chris Rhodes

Dear Friends of the Woods

As we approach the end of the year, I want to share a reflection on the Woods from one of our summer staffers:

“The staff here are like family and the campers are able to sense that. The Woods provides a safe haven for the broken-hearted and the lost, allowing them to feel like they belong somewhere. This place is filled with so much love, and is a place where we can look past our own brokenness and that of others, which in turn allows us to openly receive healing with God. I am so grateful to be a part of this family and work side by side with them to love on the kids.”

Every year we receive similar reflections from our community. Whether they’re entering our forest for the first time or have called it home for years, our participants share that they experience positive growth and authentic belonging guided by the love that flows through our programs.

While Jesus’ message of love remains our guiding light, the programs and services that Westminster Woods offers have been revised many times since our founding in 1946. Times change, people’s needs evolve, and the Church itself has reformed. Over the years, we have adapted and expanded our programs and facilities to meet those shifting needs and through it all, Westminster Woods has remained a second home for our community.

In the past three years, we have hired a new Program Director, Ryan McKenzie; a new School Programs Manager, Casey Stachelski; a new Ministries Manager, Charlotte Trotter; and a new Challenge Course Manager, Jesse Posehn. When they joined our leadership team, we asked each of these dynamic and deeply considerate individuals to review our programs to see if they are still meeting the needs of the campers, churches, schools, and groups we serve - and how we can help extend and expand our guiding light and our Woods community.

After thoughtful and careful review, we realized that some of our programs needed only a few updates, but others a deeper rekindling. The embers in our programs were still glowing; they just needed new breath to blow upon them, and that breath is guiding us as we look toward the next year of the Woods’ life. That is what we always strive to do at Westminster Woods – to reignite the burning ember in each of us.

I hope you will be a part of what’s happening at the Woods in 2024 and ask that you consider including Westminster Woods in your year-end giving. Together, we can enjoy and share the experience of transformation with new breath flowing through our lives and our beloved community.

Just as the embers within some of our programs need a rekindling, our facilities and grounds are in need of their own consistent tending. In addition to the everyday upkeep of our site, this year the homestead is in need of a new roof, our pool needs a new lining, and we hope to renovate two cabins to include interior bathrooms. Financial contributions or donations of tools, supplies, and time help us complete much needed repairs to our site and help improve our guest experience

Visit our donation page to learn more about our planned projects for 2024. As always, we are grateful for your presence in our community.

Blessings,

Chris Rhodes Executive Director

Meet Janine Valine, Board President

Meet our new Board President, Janine Valine

We are excited to introduce our new Board President, Janine Valine! Janine joined the Westminster Woods Board of Directors in April 2022 and moved into the role of Board President in October 2023. At Westminster Woods, we strive to create opportunities for transformation, connection, and reflection through Outdoor Education, Ministries Programming, and Guest Experiences. As a former summer staffer and summer camp alumni, Janine has experienced the transformative power of our programming first hand and will bring this lived experience into her role as Board President. 

Janine first came to Westminster Woods in 1993 as a camper in Sherwood Forest and attended camp every year through High School Camp. She went on to serve on summer staff for 5 years working as a counselor, in the kitchen, and on the First Aid Team until she eventually became the First Aid Coordinator. Janine credits her summers working at the Woods for igniting her passion for healthcare and helping her find a career as a Nurse. Janine is a Certified Nurse Practitioner with a BS in Animal Science from Cal Poly Pomona, a BSN-RN from San Francisco State, and a MSN NP from University of Southern California. 

Janine participating in building our beloved playground.

Janine while on Summer Staff

As a lifelong member of the Bethany Presbyterian Church in San Bruno, Janine has strengthened her connection to Christ and community while maintaining a strong bond with us here at the Woods. In addition to her time at Summer Camp, Janine has enjoyed attending Westminster Woods Adult Ministries Programming including Women's Weekend, Alumni Weekend, and she even participated in the construction of our beloved playground. Her years of service at the Woods have brought others closer together and closer to Christ.

Janine will be bringing her rich personal history at the Woods into her work on the Board of Directors. As president, Janine says, “I am looking forward to guiding the Woods through the post-Covid era where many of us still haven’t felt fully comfortable returning to our communities from our self-made silos. I am excited to help re-cultivate the culture of Westminster Woods, reconnect alumni and supporters to the Woods, and embrace new connections. I am looking forward to exploring new perspectives of what camp can be to this new generation of campers while still longing for my children to get to know and experience the amazingness of the camp I grew up in.” As a Summer Camp Alumni, Nurse Practitioner, practicing Presbyterian, and mother, Janine is uniquely qualified to understand and meet the current needs of our community while maintaining the deep roots of love, transformation, and community that make Westminster Woods so special.

As we welcome Janine into her new position, we’d also like to appreciate our former Co-Presidents, Corinne Dedini and Brian Gidney for their service and all that they have done to support Westminster Woods over the years. We bid Brian Gidney a fond farewell as he moves off of the Board of Directors and are fortunate to be able to welcome Corinne Dedini into her new role as Board Secretary. To learn more about Janine and the rest of our Board Members, visit our Board of Directors page!

School Programs Manager Update

Introducing Casey “Popcorn” Stachelski as School Programs Manager

We are delighted to announce that we’ve hired Casey Stachelski as our School Programs Manager! During the school year, our School Programs Department provides multi-day environmental and science education in addition to character development programs for students primarily in grades five through eight. Our School Programs mission is to foster the development of character, community, and science literacy in students through experiential outdoor education. Our program serves more than 6,000 students annually from across California, providing many participants new opportunities for growth and discovery. We are proud to employ some of the best youth development professionals and educators in the industry and are thrilled to have them led by Casey.

Casey has served as the School Programs Interim Manager for the past two years. During this time, Casey shepherded the department through a difficult time brought on by the Covid-19 Pandemic. Casey has met each challenge with compassion, thoughtfulness, and care for the program, staff, and schools that we serve. Under Casey's guidance, our School Programs Department has adapted our programming and been able to reopen our forest to students both during the school year and during the Summer with our brand new summer camp, Camp Heartwood. Casey is a phenomenal leader who knows our program inside and out, has a deep respect for our program and its staff, and pours integrity into everything that she does. We are so happy that the School Programs Department is in Casey’s capable hands. Read below to learn more about Casey and her role at The Woods.

CASEY “Popcorn” STACHELSKI (SHE/HER), SCHOOL PROGRAMS MANAGER

A series of happy accidents, well-timed decisions and serendipities have led me to Westminster Woods and my role as the School Programs Manager and I couldn’t be happier here!

As the head of School Programs, my task is to guide the vision and direction of our beloved program. In practice, my work centers on balancing deep care for our staff with careful tending of our program. Every day I work to build authentic relationships as well as to make School Programs accessible, equitable and environmentally –conscious.

I believe in integrity and authenticity. I believe that strong leadership comes through listening and learning. I believe that what our team builds together is so much more beautiful than what one person can do on their own. The strength of School Programs is in our people and Westminster Woods is home to the finest educators and youth development professionals that California has to offer. I feel incredibly blessed to work, play, sing, dance and learn alongside my dearest friends.

To learn more about School Programs and booking a program with us, visit our our School Programs Page.

Thanks and Giving

Dear Friends of the Woods,

As 2020 comes to a close, I am struck by how much we have to be grateful for.  This has been a challenging year for the Woods; we have missed the milestones of Summer Camp and the rhythm of the school year and returning guest groups, but there have been many blessings and moments of joy along the way. 

Innovative teaching.  When schools closed in March, our School Programs team immediately began working on distance learning lessons for schools that would miss their scheduled field trip.  Several of our videos (many of which are available for free on our website) have been shared by leading environmental education experts as exceptional examples of how to teach online.  One teacher wrote, “My team and I thank you with all our hearts for these online experiences… Lessons are so well thought out and easy for us to complete in a day.”  When we are able to welcome students back to the Woods, these projects will enrich the program we have already been delivering for years.

The Woods family.  Another blessing of 2020 has been connecting with individuals.  Our Ministries team continues to reach out to pastors to deepen our partnerships and relationships with each other and Christ.  We have also been able to welcome families and small groups to stay in our guest houses, which are normally reserved for schools and larger guest groups.  What joy it has brought us to see members of our community retreating to the Woods to find peace and connection in the beauty of this place.

Community.  All of these things could not have been possible without you, our community members, who have stepped up and donated, many for the first time, rented our houses, prayed for us, and sent messages of thanks and love.  THANK  YOU!  We truly could not be where we are today without your care and financial support.

As we look forward to 2021 with hope and purpose, we ask again for your support.  Your gift, of any amount, will provide critical funds to help us be ready to welcome back schools, campers, and larger guest groups whenever it is safe to do so. 

If you have already made a year-end gift, thank you!

Wishing you and yours peace this holiday season.

With gratitude,

Chris Rhodes

Executive Director

Virtual Field Trips at Westminster Woods

By Redwood and Popcorn

Online, outdoor education is underway at Westminster Woods! This fall, students from Learning House (of Santa Rosa City Schools) logged on to our very first Virtual Field Trip. Are you curious about how online, experiential education works? Take a look at the highlights from our partnership with Santa Rosa City Schools.

A Program Like No Other

From an initial inquiry to planning meetings to the first months of the program, Westminster Woods and Learning House have collaborated every step of the way. Our time-tested curriculum, supported by the Learning House teacher’s knowledge and deep care for their students, have produced a series of Virtual Field Trips designed to deepen students’ understanding of their home watershed and foster a meaningful relationship with nature.

A Typical Program Day

Starting in September and wrapping up in December, each K-6th student meets with our Teacher Naturalists one day a month. The format of each Virtual Field Trip includes short Zoom meetings, hosted by our Teacher Naturalist, alternating with thoughtful activities from our online curriculum. This structure offers students time for “in-person” instruction, facilitated community discussions, and self-guided learning. 

Experiential education is the core of our curriculum at Westminster Woods. We believe that creating meaningful connections to each other and the natural world helps students become responsible humans. Online learning is no exception. With a focus on watershed ecology and sense of place, students leave each trip with a deeper appreciation for their close-to-home natural world. 

Deep Diving into Content

Our first meeting with students in September started with Zoom introductions and sharing observations about the parts of nature we could see around us. From a wooden chess board to spiders to plants and pets, it was clear that we’re never far from nature. After the introductory Zoom meeting, students watched a short video from our online curriculum, then they went outside to make their own nature treasure maps. We met back in a Zoom meeting to share our maps and share appreciations with each other. As the day went on, nature exploration continued with more activities and meetings. Students learned about scientific adventures, took part in ‘zoom in, zoom out’ nature journaling and played nature activities bingo! 

In October, we focused on exploring creeks and streams. After a morning Zoom meeting and a video about how to catch freshwater invertebrates, many students headed off with an adult and a plan to investigate local creeks. The other students studied Dutch Bill Creek virtually, alongside our Teacher Naturalists, through facilitated observations of the creek and its inhabitants. The groups met back on Zoom after lunch to share about what they had found at different creeks, the creatures they found in them and how healthy they thought the creeks were. It was neat to compare the findings from creeks all over Santa Rosa and our Dutch Bill Creek. 

We’re excited to see what adventures and learning the next few months of Learning House trips bring! 

Summer Fundraiser

Dear Friends of the Woods,

Have you ever stood on the big green field and looked west towards the ridge of trees? There are a multitude of colors and layers that interweave, creating an ever-changing tapestry that can never be replicated. As the winds blow and the trees sway, our resident ravens fly by speaking to one another while they ride out the wind currents. The creek moving behind you, the crickets chirping, and the birds singing create one of the most beautiful and memorable soundtracks you will ever hear. The smells of the redwood forest fill your nasal passages as you breathe deeply and take it all in.

As you know, Westminster Woods is a place of connection, relationships, and growth. It is a place where children of all ages come to experience the life-changing gifts of school programs, summer camp or a trip with their church or group. Have you heard the laughter (or screams) of an eleven-year-old or an 80-year-old after they have left the upper platform of the zipline? Have you read one of the rocks painted by a summer camper reminding you that you are never alone? Have you eaten one of the amazing meals prepared by kitchen staff? Have you heard the joyful singing on a Sunday morning echoing down the challenge course canyon? Have you walked the labyrinth or one of our many hiking paths? Have you experienced one of the amazing stream ecology classes with your school? What did you discover? What did you wonder? What did you feel? Close your eyes and imagine one of your life-changing experiences at Westminster Woods.

As you might already know, we have not been able to host schools or guest groups since March, and our summer camp program was cancelled due to Covid-19. We have always relied on these programs to support the financial health and mission of the Woods.

We are uncertain of what the future will bring, but we are working diligently to welcome you, your schools, and your groups back to the Woods. Our team continues to create innovative solutions to keep our community connected. The Ministries team is working on videos and activities for a free virtual summer camp. Our Teacher Naturalists have created nature activities and resources which are designed to limit screen time and help children to engage outside. Our Guest Services team is about to announce new opportunities for groups to visit this summer and fall. 

However, we can’t do all of this without the support and generous donations of our community. We have already received over $52,000 in donations, bringing us closer to our goal of raising $175,000 by the end of the summer.

We hope that you will consider a one-time gift or commit to a monthly donation to help Westminster Woods continue to fulfill our mission and prepare to host groups in the future. Will you help us reach our goal today?

Until we meet again across the bridge,

Kori Donley, School Programs Director, kori@westminsterwoods.org
Aimee Studer, Co-Director of Ministries, aimee@westminsterwoods.org

Get outside with these fun activities!

You don’t need a mountain, a forest, or a state park to get outside and explore the natural world—once you start looking, you will see nature on your city block, in your neighborhood, or in your backyard! Some of our Teacher Naturalists have been hard at work coming up with activities for our community to try at home. These include scavenger hunts, drawing activities, and even a video about searching for treasures with a pirate! Check out these five activities for some outdoor inspiration.

1) Make a treasure map

Watch this example of how to make a map of nature's treasures with Nautilus and Feather. Then go out and make your own treasure map!

Based on an activity from Opening the World Through Nature Journaling (2nd ed.) by John Muir Laws, Emily Breunig, Emilie Lygren, and Celeste Lopez (https://johnmuirlaws.com/journaling-curriculum/).

2) Go on a Nature Scavenger Hunt

Take a walk down your street or search around your yard to see if you can find something that fits into each category of this scavenger hunt:

“Something beautiful that is catching the energy from the sun”

“Something that is decomposing”

“Evidence of an animal or an insect”

3) Find the rainbow

Go on a walk or hike and see how many colors you can find in nature. You could try to find all the colors of the rainbow.

It is also fun to give each person a paint chip card (or piece of colored paper or crayon or marker) and see how many objects they can find that match that color.

After a little while of walking and finding matches, have everyone switch cards. You can make this more challenging by seeing who can find the closest exact match to their color.

4) Draw a sound map

You can map the sounds from your backyard, your front steps, or even inside your own home!

5) Create a nature journal

A nature journal can include notes, drawings, and observations about the world around you. All you need is a piece of paper and something to write with. Below are two of our Teacher Naturalists’ favorite nature journaling activities. For more, download a free nature journaling curriculum from https://johnmuirlaws.com/journaling-curriculum/.

• “zoom in, zoom out”

• i notice, i wonder, it reminds me

Update on Summer Camp 2020

Dear Westminster Woods Friends and Family,

It is with great sadness that our leadership team has made the difficult decision to cancel our summer camp programs for 2020.  The health and safety of our campers, staff and volunteers are our first priority.  We know this is a disappointment for so many of our families, campers and staff who look forward to spending the summer under the redwoods.  This decision was not easy to make: we had many conversations within our own community and sought advice from other summer camp ministries and organizations including the CDC, the American Camping Association, and the Sonoma County Health Department.

Our registered campers, families and summer staffers were notified earlier this week.  We will miss the laughter, joy, games and song that have filled our summer camp for the last 48 years.  However, we do have some good news!  We will be hosting online activities during the summer. Even though we cannot be together in person we can still remain connected virtually. Follow us on Facebook for upcoming activities during the summer months.

Please pray with us.  Pray for our Friendship Campers who save their money each year to come to camp.  Pray for our campers who have been joining us for years and for the campers who would have experienced the Woods for the first time this summer.  Pray for our summer staffers who devote their summers to intentional Christian community and camping ministry.  Pray for the financial health and future of Westminster Woods.

Westminster Woods is resilient, but we need your help!  If you are able to make a monetary donation, it will help the future of summer camp and the other programs we offer.

We know that we are not alone in this pandemic.  God is with us and will continue to work with us through these uncharted waters.  Thank you for your continued support of the ministry at Westminster Woods.

Grace and Peace,

Chris Rhodes
Executive Director

Westminster Woods Update - COVID-19

Dear Friends of the Woods,

As I write this, most of you are sheltering in place. I am also at home working, and not at the Woods. My prayers are with you and your loved ones during this challenging time in all of our lives.

As you can imagine, the Covid-19 virus has had a huge impact on Westminster Woods. Just three weeks ago, we welcomed 175 6th grade students, from Dewey School in Fair Oaks, Bel Aire Park School in Napa, and Brandeis School in San Francisco, taking advantage of the incredible outdoor education and character development programs that we offer to schools. That all changed on March 20th, when we had to close the camp. We had over 2,500 more students scheduled to stay at the Woods this spring with their schools, but now those excited, eager kids will miss out on the highlight of their school year. We also had a number of churches and other guest groups that were anticipating their weekend retreats this spring, all of which have had to be cancelled or postponed.

With no schools or guest groups visiting this spring, Westminster Woods will not be receiving any income for the foreseeable future. Our staff of 45 people has had to be furloughed until we can start generating revenue. In the short term, we have reached out to the Presbyterian Synod of the Pacific about a loan, and we have also applied for a Small Business Administration non-profit loan. The plan is to use this borrowed money to rehire some of our staff and get us through the early summer, when we anticipate the revenue to start coming back in more steadily.

At this point, we are still planning on holding our annual Summer Camp, which hundreds of kids and teens anticipate every year, and we encourage parents to join the many others who have registered their campers through our website. We will make a final decision about Summer Camp during May, once we have a better understanding of how long the Covid-19 virus will be a major concern. The safety and well-being of our campers is always our first priority.

In 2021, Westminster Woods will celebrate its 75th year as a camp. Westminster Woods has provided a place to connect with God and nature for generations. It has been a place to retreat from the routine of life and experience transformation. The camp started as a place for adults, children and teenagers to grow in their faith, have an opportunity to connect with nature, make new friends, and have life-long relationships with people they meet at camp.

During our almost 75 years as a camp, we have gone through some very good times and some extremely challenging ones. When I look back historically over those 75 years, the Woods and the world have seen incredible change.

Some years ago, one of the members of my church told me she had first come to Westminster Woods in 1947 as a young girl. The camp had been opened just one year earlier and there were no buildings on the property. Her church came to the Woods on a retreat and she camped with her family on the big green field in the center of camp and prepared their own meals. She would jokingly say, “Westminster Woods was such a beautiful place, until they started constructing all of those buildings.” This woman is in her 90’s now, and so often has commented to me that she is so grateful that the Woods was such a foundational part of her life.

Realizing that she had been at the Woods from its very early years helped me to better understand the impact this camp has had on so many lives. She and a multitude of others have continued to retreat to the Woods throughout their lives. For so many of us, this is our sanctuary, and every time we cross the bridge over Dutch Bill Creek we are welcomed back home.

In the last few weeks, we have phoned many of you, and you have responded with some very generous donations. Your commitment to the Woods is evident, not only in the checks you have written but in the notes that have come with them. To date, we have received around $20,000, and we – our staff and board – could not be more thankful.

For those of you who have not yet taken the opportunity to make a contribution, we could use it now more than ever. You can mail a check to Westminster Woods or make an online donation here on our website. Either way, know that your gift will aid us in continuing the legacy of the Woods.

Take care, stay healthy, and come stay with us (as soon as possible),

Chris Rhodes
Executive Director

A Fond Farewell to Tony Fry

from Chris Rhodes, Executive Director

No doubt when you have visited Westminster Woods you will have seen or met Tony Fry.  Tony’s first day working here at the Woods was March 3, 1993. That was 27 years ago.  Tony’s last day working at Westminster Woods is Thursday, March 12, 2020.  So if you do the math Tony has worked at the Woods for more than half of his life.  That is impressive.  His commitment to the Woods over all of these years is simply amazing. 

I am sure when he first started working here at the Woods he never anticipated being here this long.  He first started working in the kitchen as a cook and then moved onto being a maintenance assistant in the Building and Grounds department.  He has been the manager of the Building and Grounds department for the last 19 years. 

Tony in front of the playground he helped build

Tony has put his heart and soul into his work here.  He knows this place better than anyone: he knows where every plumbing pipe is, where all of the electrical circuit breakers are, where every septic tank and leach field is located.  And he can tell you everything you would ever want to know about our Westminster Woods water system.  He knows it all, and his knowledge and expertise (and his laugh) will be missed.  But he has a great new job awaiting him working for the City of Santa Rosa, and it is an exciting new chapter in his life.   

So we bid a sad, but very fond farewell to Tony Fry.  We wish him all the best in his new job. 

Thank You, Tony!

Tony with his wife, Teresa

Will you share your story?

Dear Woods Community,

The Westminster Woods family has grown so much over the years. We literally have family members across the globe. We want to reconnect with our family, hear from you about why you love the Woods, and share your stories—OUR story—with our community.

Will you help us?

Send us a one minute video finishing the sentence, “I love the Woods because…” A few options to think about when coming up with your answer include:

a.      What is  your favorite Westminster Woods memory?

b.     How has Westminster Woods influenced your life?

c.     Why would you encourage someone to go to the Woods?

Just film your video on your smartphone—vertically—and keep it under a minute! Then send it to info@westminsterwoods.org or send it to us via Facebook message.  The deadline for submissions is Friday, March 20th.

We are so grateful for you! If you send us a video, we may use it to connect with our community and to promote fundraising.

Thank you!

What’s all the hype about fungi?

BY AMY SHMANIA, PHOTOS BY DAVID SALOMON

Going out into a coastal forest in the damp northern California winter can be an exciting adventure—you might spot a banana slug on the path, a newt swimming in a pool of water, even adult salmon swimming upstream to spawn, and, once you start looking, you might find a rainbow of fascinating mushrooms all around you. Here at the Woods, we have seemingly endless species of mushrooms—all colors, shapes, sizes, and textures.  And we think that’s pretty exciting.  So what’s the scoop on the Kingdom of Fungi and why it is important?  Read on for a few of my favorite fungi facts.

1.      While mushrooms are often the most obvious parts of the fungi that we see, they are in fact only the fruiting body—think apple or orange—of the larger organism.  Mushrooms produce spores that allow the fungi to reproduce, similar to how fruits contain seeds.  Not all fungi even produce mushrooms! 

2.      Have you ever noticed a white substance under leaves or deep in the forest soil?  You were probably looking at mycelium. According to Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast, mycelium is made up of “tubelike structures called hyphae…strung together in long chains and branching networks that form a sort of carpet” (3). You might be tempted to think of mycelium as the roots of the mushroom, but in fact this mat of white material is the main body of the organism.

3.      Nom nom nom.  Like animals, fungi are heterotrophs—they must consume other organisms to survive.  But with body structures very different from animals, fungi have a unique tactic for consuming nutrients. In Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast, authors Christian Schwartz and Noah Siegel explain that the mycelia exude enzymes that break down the organic matter around them: once the material is broken down, the fungi can absorb it (2).

4.      Mushrooms don’t live in a vacuum—they are an essential part of the forest ecosystem.  Many fungi form mutualistic relationships with specific species of trees and other plants, called mycorrhizal relationships, where the mycelium and the roots of the plant share water, nutrients, and sugar (Swartz and Siegel 3).  As we just learned, fungi can absorb nutrients (and water) from the soil, while plants can produce their own sugar. 

5.      Scientists have even discovered that these mycorrhizal relationships allow trees in a forest to communicate with each other!  According to Peter Wohlleben, scientist and author of The Secret Life of Trees, “Trees share water and nutrients through the networks, and also use them to communicate…about drought and disease, for example, or insect attacks, and other trees alter their behavior when they receive these messages.”

6.      Micorrhiza and Climate Change. According to a 2019 study, globally “Ecosystems encompassing mycorrhizal vegetation store on the order of 350 gigatons of carbon globally, compared to just 29 gigatons stored in non-mycorrhizal vegetation.”   The study explains that human impact on natural ecosystems has reduced the areas where these relationships exist and suggests that restoring native plants with micorrhiza might be a way to increase the absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

7.      There’s so much more to learn about fungi, and, in this relatively untapped field of study, there’s plenty scientists don’t even know yet!  So get out there, pay attention, and see what you can find! 

Sources:

Grant, Richard, and Diana Markosian. “Do Trees Talk to Each Other?” Smithsonian Magazine, March 2018, www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-whispering-trees-180968084/.

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis. "Plants and fungi together could slow climate change." ScienceDaily, 7 November 2019, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191107084034.htm.

Schwarz, Christian, and Noah Siegel. Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast: a Comprehensive Guide to the Fungi of Coastal Northern California. Ten Speed Press, 2016.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Heterotroph.” Encyclopaedia Brittanica, 13 November 2019, www.britannica.com/science/heterotroph.

Giving Back to the Woods

Dear Friends of the Woods,

First of all, I want to thank you for your participation in our programs and your support of our community.  Westminster Woods is able to remain viable and vibrant because of people like you who keep our programs strong. 

As a religious nonprofit, we work to keep costs down not only for retreats and summer camp, but also for the thousands of students that experience the Woods on class field trips each year and the guest groups that rent our facility on the weekends.  Because of this, we rely on donations from members of our community to help with staff salaries, operation costs, facility maintenance, and more. 

As we look to the future, we see possibilities for continued growth as well as new challenges.  As you know, the risk of wildfires in California has increased.  As we look forward, we are driven to make changes that will reduce the risks of fire on our property.  This includes meeting with neighboring organizations and working with a state licensed forester to create a forest management plant.  With the help of donors, in 2019 we have been able to remove over 20 dead and dying trees to reduce our fuel load as well as a handful of trees that were a danger to infrastructure.  With over 200 acres, we have a lot of work left!

This holiday season, please consider putting your faith into our mission and our future by making a tax deductible donation to Westminster Woods.  Donations can be made online or by mailing a check made out to Westminster Woods to:

Westminster Woods
6510 Bohemian Hwy.
Occidental, CA 95465.

With gratitude,

Chris Rhodes

Executive Director