What Retreat Participants Say
“My experience at the Center was a true gift. During my retreat there, I engaged in a week-long dialogue with a group of very diverse leaders — there were among us many different missions, many different cultures, and many different histories. While we found that the professional, and often personal, challenges we all face were also often different, we also found we shared a great number of the same challenges. The dialogue led me, and others, to think differently about our lives and our work. Each of us left the retreat with a commitment to use what we learned to help grow community in our ongoing efforts to effect change. There is no question that Center for Whole Communities’ work is unique, inspirational, and critical to our future ability to achieve social transformation, from better water quality in our rivers to less hunger in our cities.”
“There are scant opportunities in the social and environmental fields of work to come together under one roof and share our dreams. This is a condition of our society that must be reversed, and at Whole Communities there are leaders who are taking up the hard and worthwhile work of creating a forum where individuals, representing diverse backgrounds and communities, meet one another and engage in serious conversation about the way we are living on Earth. These dialogues are absolutely essential to gaining, not only deepened familiarity with the ills, but also challenge participants to move to deeper connection with commitment to the the Earth, human communities, and our selves. My life is far richer for this experience at Whole Communities.”
“The first step towards reuniting our society with the land is to reunite the conservationists themselves — to the land and to each other. That is the essential service uniquely provided by the retreats at the Center for Whole Communities. My week at Knoll Farm provided me with time to reflect on my personal motivations while scanning the broader horizons from the shoulders of colleagues. Both the personal and longer view lead to the same perspective: that land without people is not sustainable, and neither are people without land. The retreat provided an internal reunification as well — a recollection that my identity is with my community and my community’s is with its land. The retreat was a place I could go away to, to more fully return home. I know of no other place that could have brought my roles as conservationist and citizen closer together.”
“As a privileged white male working in a privileged community, the retreat was a powerful wake-up call for me.”
“As I look back on the past year, most of what I’ve felt was meaningful or deep in my personal and work life has been connected, in some way, to that week at Knoll Farm… I have found myself operating, at my best moments, from a different place that our dialogue and in particular, our contemplative and daily-task practices, helped me to identify as a deep source of both compassion and courage — I am a more loving spouse, a better member of the community, and a braver peace worker because of my time with you."
“The retreat gave me a chance to put my work at the Nature Conservancy in a new context — a context that was at the time and still is deeply inspiring to me. It gave me a chance to consider how the work of the Conservancy — protecting biological diversity — can have a profound impact on people: on their lives, their communities, their sense of hope and their vision for the future.”
“The week exceeded my wildest expectations. The environment at Knoll Farm — physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual — was highly conducive to deep personal reflection and open sharing. The food was superb, the facilities were comfortable, and the leadership was inspiring. These ingredients enabled each participant to really test their own limits, and build relationships I never would have thought possible in one week’s time.”
“I can now really envision white men as allies, because I experienced them as such at Knoll Farm.”
“ The geographical, professional, cultural, religious and ethnical diversity really helped me see the blind spots and margins of my work . . . where I can grow and meet others.”
“I absolutely see the retreat making a difference in the way I do my work in the future. The retreat gave me the opportunity to pause — to take a little time to reflect on my work and challenge myself to crystallize my visions for my life both personally and professionally.”
“Day by day, I sensed a deepening in our emerging conversation that is in great part due to the “staging” of probing questions guiding the dialogues. I recall especially the sincere wave of gratitude I felt when Peter asked for us to think through our visions for our work. To have the time to think this through, the open ears and hearts of the circle to hold the vision once expressed, and the other’s contributions that enriched my vision —all were invaluable.”
“For the first time in my twenty-year career in land conservation I found myself engaged in a difficult, honest, far-reaching dialogue about our purpose and about our successes and failures as a movement. At [Knoll Farm], we spoke about what matters most and it was completely inspiring. Without this sort of dialogue and learning, we’re drifting and not making the difference we need to make…”
“A truly transformational experience.”
“I came away with a pretty clear image of how our success has made us focus on products as opposed to values. As a result, it is harder for us to talk about shared values. We can solve really complicated technical, financial, legal problems but can’t put out a shared vision. This retreat was the first time that I’ve ever felt that shared vision.”
“The ‘whole thinking’ approach made me much more aware of the connection between environmental justice and land conservation. It gave me a greater awareness of who is not at the table when thinking about master planning for a community or a parcel of land. It continues to suggest what questions to ask, and challenges me to ask them. Where I had anticipated being challenged to change direction or focus in work, instead I find myself open to understand projects in a new light. And open to new opportunities that may present themselves.”
“The retreat and the life you lead at Knoll Farm catalyzed a reflection for me about the role of creativity in our lives and in our work. I found Knoll Farm bursting with creative energy and I loved being surrounded by it. It made me want to be more intentional about bringing creativity, beauty, stillness, and reflection into my everyday work and personal life.”
“I learned how I can be a better leader. I learned a great deal about being a better listener, being more inclusive. I see my role much more differently now, much less traditionally.”
“How many times have we met in conference centers and resorts to talk about the land? This was completely different. This is where we walked our talk, if even for just a week. We all saw a different view of how the world can be.”
“The week was a revelation for me. It was difficult and I came to see the degree to which we are still a movement of the affluent and elite. Until that changes, there will always be more people who love the land than who love conservationists. I want us to become much more inclusive, much more open to the claims of others.”
“What I enjoyed most was the commitment to talking about the big picture and putting our work in a larger context. We talked about how it’s becoming a gated world where every choice we make is a choice between fear or love. I want conservation to represent the choice about love.”
“We didn’t resolve the issue of ‘wilderness versus working forest’ but we deepened understandings and personal relationships, so we should be able to work much better together.”
“I learned that I need to be less fearful about exploring collaborations, and be more creative about them.”
“The retreat offered an opportunity for renewal during a busy and hectic stage in my work…showing me that life balance is critical…reinforced my belief in integration … intensified and connected things I’d already been thinking about … gave me more stamina for my work … caused me to reflect upon my long-term goals … made me want to build wider visions of what conservation can be.”