Participant Testimonials
“Peter’s work at this workshop was simply outstanding. I do not have the words to articulate well the impact he had on my colleagues. Peter captured the hearts and minds of the staff, challenging their established ways of thinking, stirring (and reviving) the root of their commitment to positive change, advancing new thought and new dialogue on story and values and partnering...Numerous members of [our] staff told me that this was the best retreat they had ever experienced.” - Roy Hoagland, Vice President, Environmental Protection and Restoration, Chesapeake Bay Foundation
"For the past year and a half I have been involved in a regional planning initiative in Blaine County [ Idaho] and have worked closely with many of the people who now refer to themselves as being part of the Whole Communities group. This group was formed as a result of your organization. I have been really impressed with how the Center for Whole Communities’ retreat and [Whole Thinking] Workshop caused this group of individuals (many holding different points of view about growth and planning) to coalesce and to become very effective. I believe that a lot of the good work going on in Blaine County can be attributed, in part, to these folks and what they learned through the Center’s work. I have been so impressed that I encouraged people from another one of my projects to consider attending a Vision and Values Workshop."
"[The workshop was] excellent – beyond expectations! Extremely useful – challenges our thinking but also gives me a road map and tools for change. Tying our work to needed social change and how to go about contributing to that change – these are the components of big change. It’s not that I haven't thought about these things before – but you framed the discussion and provided the big picture that was necessary." - Mark Ackelson, President, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
"This workshop actually changed my view of land trust work! That’s a pretty big deal for someone drifting into middle age having worked in the field of conservation since college graduation. The next step I realize will be to actually change how I do my work. In any event the workshop was very empowering and energizing. " - Betsy Ham, Maine Coast Heritage Trust
"[The workshop was] terrific. We have been discussing what 'community' means for the past three years – as it pertains to our work. This retreat helped us to achieve full organizational alignment with the idea of our work being about relationships first. It also allowed us to speak “with” the community in earnest for the first time."
“[The workshop] was excellent—great dialogue and vision forming.”
“Excellent … This process is relevant to functioning as a better human and in all aspects of communicating with others, both work-related and personal.”
“Excellent. This workshop provided me with a renewed sense of inspiration…Peter is very articulate in his speaking and the Center for Whole Communities has done a great job with Measures of Health [Whole Measures]…[The workshop] made me think more clearly in terms of the big picture value of coalition work, and the give and take in building a unified and strong coalition.”
“I thought it [the workshop] was exceptional. I wish more of my fellow staffers could have been here. That will be my mission, to do it justice in return.”
“Provocative and profound.”
“I now feel even more that it’s imperative that the people/organizations working to improve the livability of this community must work more closely together.”
“Best rating I could give is utterly worthwhile, which it was!”
“Excellent. It made me think and empowered me to pursue my vision.”
“Your workshop at LTA was so life giving to me. I grew up on a dairy farm in an Amish community in Iowa. I had a tremendous respect for the land but my spirit seemed to rebel against the rules of my upbringing. So I left the lifestyle and became an artist. I have worked in the arts for over 15 years of my life and just a year ago took a huge step and joined [a major land trust] as their Director of Philanthropy. I have such a passion for the land and its spiritual attributes, I figured I am one lucky person to be able to live in such an inspirational place and work in it too.
Your seminar brought my worlds together and I experienced new self awareness. My love of the culture I grew up in is centered around land bringing community together in a most beautiful way. Your words of inspiration of how land can change our communities gave me such hope.
Thank you for telling your stories. They are so meaningful and powerful. I have used the ‘storytelling’ mantra in several year-end fundraising calls and have witnessed donors opening up to us in a most meaningful way. The empowerment your course has given us has already produced wonderful results. Our donors already believe in what we do … they are just waiting for us to convey our work to them in a new language – the language of people, community and land all being connected.”
“The [Whole Thinking] workshops in which I participated have proven to be useful in helping me gain some professional and philosophical traction in my position with the Wood River Land Trust. The uphill battle the conservation movement faces seems to require that we become immersed and focused, and we often find ourselves operating in a things-as-usual world. I appreciate what happens when we try different approaches and open up to new or, in some cases, refreshed points of view.
After our workshop here in May of this year, the Land Trust staff and I discussed what had been gained. A couple of issues predominated. The first was that forming relationships with other groups and individuals to broaden our coalition and avoid insularity is critical. This staff came back eager to maintain and expand contact with the other groups, organizations, and governments represented by the individuals who attended, so that now there is a heightened sense of partnership and cooperation, even if there is disagreement. One of our staff set up a list serve that hopefully will grow to be an avenue of valley-wide communication not only with the people who attended the workshop, but others as well.
The second issue staff took to heart was that reaching our communities would require us to learn to describe the why of land conservation (stories), and get into the habit of talking in that language. In that way, the workshop provided structure to our outreach. Connection to the Land is our new brand, you might say, and we are conscious of the power of telling stories that reflect why land and community are valued. We recently completed an FRPP transaction with a family who has lived on and worked an organic farm for 25 years before they had the chance to purchase it. Our entire staff was fully engaged with this family and their story, which we all wanted to share with others—and that was easily done.
Thanks again for your hospitality to me at Knoll Farm and your work on behalf of the conservation community.
Sincerely,
Scott Boettger, Executive Director, Wood River Land Trust”“Thank you. The time was transformational. It strikes me how difficult it is to make the transformation, however. I laughed at myself as I heard, grasped and agreed with what you were saying, but would slip so easily back to the old way of thinking and speaking in our regular conversations. I guess the important thing is that before the workshop I couldn’t “slip” because there was nothing to slip into. Thanks for providing the emotional alternative -- and so much food for thought.”