Experience the “Geography of Grace” in Yellowstone Park. The park’s summertime abundance will serve as jumping off point for spiritual deepening through Nature’s geography.
This program is being independently organized and led by a Courage & Renewal Facilitator(s) prepared by the Center for Courage & Renewal. While we support our facilitators in various ways, CCR has no direct responsibility for the planning or facilitation of this event. Please direct any questions to the facilitators using the contact form below.
The Center for Courage & Renewal and its facilitators do not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, height, weight, physical or mental ability, veteran status, military obligations, and marital status.
Humans have long found spiritual inspiration through Nature. John Muir explained Nature as places to “heal and give strength to body and soul.” Connections with Nature’s abundant life forms and geography deepen human responses to the interconnectedness of all life. Nature’s abundance is especially evident in Yellowstone in summer. This Circle of Trust® program is a great newcomer introduction to Yellowstone Park, and for return visitors, an invitation to experience known locations through new spiritual lenses.
This retreat, a Yellowstone Forever Summer Field Seminar, explores the Center for Courage & Renewal curriculum entitled “Geography of Grace.” The experience integrates Yellowstone’s summertime abundance as jumping off points for spiritual deepening. In “Circles of Trust” led participants will reflect on some of the park’s natural locations — thermals, lakes and waterfalls, wildlife and plants, geology, and more — as sources of spiritual exploration. Expanding the “Geography of Grace” format of second-hand relationships through pictures and written accounts of Nature’s beauty, participants will enjoy first-hand exploration of parallel locations in the Park, informed by Yellowstone Lead Field Educator, Sam Archibald. During the high summer season, the program’s limit of fourteen participants offers personal experiences of the Park away from maddening crowds. Site-visits in the Park include time for individual journaling, artistic expression, photography, and more. For on-site exploration a Fitness Level of 2 is recommended. (See Gardiner-Based Field Seminars | General Information)
Sam Archibald is a Lead Field Educator for Yellowstone Forever. Sam first started with outdoor education as a US Peace Corps volunteer, working with an Ecuadorian nonprofit organization to develop outdoor leadership programs for youth. Sam began National Park Service as a Crew Leader for the Yellowstone Youth Conservation Corps. He joined Yellowstone Forever’s team as a winter seasonal educator and has been a permeant instructor since 2022. Sam is grateful for every day he gets to spend out in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and looks forward to the continual discoveries offered by this wild and wonderful landscape.
More details of the “Geography of Grace” schedule: Additional activities and visits around the Park such as early-morning wildlife watching may be arranged on request of participants:
A tentative schedule of “Geography of Grace” is as follows:
Registrants for this retreat are responsible for booking their own lodging. One option is the Yellowstone Overlook Field Campus in Gardiner, MT, set on a hill overlooking the northern entrance to the Park. See Yellowstone Overlook Kendeda Field Campus – Yellowstone Forever Accommodations there are private rooms in shared cabins. For four nights, with check-in on Tuesday August 19 and check-out on Friday August 23, the cost is $399.86, a bargain rate for the Park during high tourist season. The cabins have shared common space: living room, kitchen, and bathrooms. The kitchens are fully equipped. Participants bring their own food and prepare their own meals (a grocery store is available in nearby downtown Gardiner).
There are also many more private accommodations in the town of Gardiner, a short distance from the Overlook Field Campus. Sources to consult include the Gardiner Chamber of Commerce directory: Lodging – Gardiner, Montana. Yellowstone River Motel offers a 10% discount to participants in the Yellowstone Summer Field Seminars: Yellowstone River Motel
General information about logistics and other features of the Summer Seminars can be found in Yellowstone Forever’s general information document: Gardiner-Based Field Seminars | General Information
By August 1 you will receive updates from Barbara Coeyman about this retreat and any change of venues in the Park to be visited.
As part of both the Yellowstone Forever Summer Field Seminars and the Center for Courage & Renewal programming, the cost of this retreat offers participants both experienced Circle of Trust facilitation and exploration of sites in the Park under the leadership of a professional Field Educator.
The fee for the three-day workshop is $750.
Housing is a separate fee, with several options available. See above for more details. Some limited scholarship support is available. Contact Barbara Coeyman directly, at revbarbarac@comcast.net.
This program is being independently organized and led by a Courage & Renewal Facilitator(s) prepared by the Center for Courage & Renewal. While we support our facilitators in various ways, CCR has no direct responsibility for the planning or facilitation of this event. Please direct any questions to the facilitators using the contact form below.
The Center for Courage & Renewal and its facilitators do not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, height, weight, physical or mental ability, veteran status, military obligations, and marital status.
Find more highlighted programs here or dive deeper and explore our full slate of programs by visiting our program calendar.
There was a problem reporting this post.
Please confirm you want to block this member.
You will no longer be able to:
Please note: This action will also remove this member from your connections and send a report to the site admin. Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete.