News Archives » La Vista Ecological Learning Center
La Vista Hosts Autumnal Equinox Event October 2nd, 2024
At La Vista Ecological Learning Center’s September 21 Autumnal Equinox event, there was buzz around a special champion tree recently discovered on the property at the Missionary Oblates Novitiate.
Engaged Eco-Elders at The Sarah Community June 5th, 2024
Contributed by Sr. Maxine Pohlman, SSND, Director, Lavista Ecological Learning Center
In September 2023, I represented La Vista Ecological Learning Center at The Sarah Community, a retirement residence in Bridgeton, Missouri. Leadership listened to residents desiring to become environmentally active, and so I was invited to share some of the activities of La Vista and how these might be carried out at their facility.
This residence is the home of several Congregations of “retired” religious women. With a little encouragement, they organized themselves into three groups and started meeting regularly. They established a recycling program, prayer opportunities, and educational programs. In May, just eight months later, I revisited them and learned of their accomplishments which are amazing. I am sharing the outstanding work of the education group which impacted the entire facility.
These five sisters from four different Congregations showed monthly films for the entire house, and often up to 40 people participated. They shared with the Activities Director that they preferred educational documentaries over entertainment videos, and they gave her well-researched suggestions. They followed each film with discussion and plans for action. Here is a sampling of their offerings.
After viewing the Eating Our Way to Extinction about plastics in our food, and Plastic People about the threat of microplastics on human health, they met with representatives from Food Service. They shared an infographic from the American Heart Association on plant-based protein sources, asking that these options be offered in the dining room, saying that they also prefer roasted food to “cremated “! They reported that they have seen more of these options since then on the menu. They also discouraged use of styrofoam and other plastics in the dining room. Food Service has also begun to listen to these requests.
The group’s next goal is to meet with representatives from Republic, the waste disposal company, to request a way to recycle the abundant cardboard that they see being used at their facility. There is no grass growing under the feet of these engaged eco-elders.
Reflecting on the accomplishments of this team, one Sister commented, “This has been a fantastic contribution to the entire residence, changing our bodies and our souls!” Amen, Sisters!!!
Nature’s Soul April 8th, 2024
By Sr. Maxine Pohlman, SSND, Director, La Vista Ecological Learning Center
A few weeks ago, OMI Novices and I took a field trip to Treehouse Wildlife Center where the “intrinsic value” of creatures is honored, “independent of their usefulness” as Laudato Si’ states in paragraph 140. One of the permanent residents is a turkey vulture named Einstein, later discovered to be female. She was found as a chick and raised by a family. Since Einstein was human imprinted, she coud not be released back into the wild because, seeing herself more human than vulture, she would have trouble surviving. She is a resident for life, living in a glass enclosure inside the TreeHouse Center.
This is a photo of a painting which hangs near her enclosure. It shows Einstein looking in a mirror and seeing herself human-like. The artist poignantly captured Einstein’s perspective, and the human face is haunting, so much so that I was disturbed by the image.
Upon reflection, I find the painting holds implications for us humans who also seem to have an issue with self-identity. We, too, often live in a self-constructed world and fai to see reality, having been disconnected from the natural world for so long. We feel fundamentally unrelated to sun and moon, wind, rain, birds and all the many living beings we often don’t even notice as we live our daily lives.
Richard Rohr describes our situation as having “lost our souls”, and so we cannot see soul anywhere else. He writes, “Without a visceral connection to the soul of nature, we will not know how to love or respect our own soul…While everything has a soul, in many people it seems to be dormant, disconnected, and ungrounded. They are not aware of the inherent truth, goodness, and beauty shining through everything.” Rohr believes “…we can’t access our full intelligence and wisdom without some real connection to nature.”
Maybe that is one reason our wonderful world is suffering so much at our hands and why we are suffering too. We are like the vulture whose life is limited, enclosed, and out-of-touch with the magnificence of the natural world that is now beyond her reach; however, we have a choice! We can re-claim our soul within the Great Soul that is the Mystical Body holding all.
It seems that fitting conclusion to this reflection would be to listen to Heather Houston’s “Re-Wild My Soul”.
All-surrounding Grace March 14th, 2024
By Sr. Maxine Pohlman, SSND, Director, La Vista Ecological Learning Ctr
Especially on a sunny day one can stand atop the bluffs at La Vista and feel linked to eagles, hawks, or
vultures riding thermals rising from those bluffs. When birds find these warm currents of air, they are literally lifted up by them. It seems that there is enough lift from the rising air that birds can stop flapping their wings, holding them still, extended sideways, as in this photo taken from the lodge.
I often think how much fun they are having, being birds on the wing in this gorgeous place! What must it be like to be so supported that flying effortlessly is the way to go? Visitors to La Vista never tire of the sight, nor do I. We are mesmerized. In her poignant, brief poem The Avowal, Denise Levertov artfully offers two images from nature which help me explore this allurement: swimmers lying back while “water bears them”; hawks resting while “air sustains them”.
In a final revealing metaphor, she shares her deeply human wish:
“to attain freefall, and float into Creator Spirit’s deep embrace, knowing no effort earns that all-surrounding grace”.
Maybe that is the draw when we witness or experience this kind of support. We identify the images with our own effortless experiences of the Spirit’s gratuitous embrace. When have you rested in this awareness?
May March provide you with ample opportunities to be present to Spirit in such an alluring way!
(Image by Yinan Chen from Pixabay) (Image by Veronika Andrews from Pixabay)
World Wide Technology Employees Engage in Corporate Volunteering at La Vista November 27th, 2023
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By Sr. Maxine Pohlman, SSND
La Vista Ecological Learning Center’s usual monthly workday in the Missionary Oblates Woods Nature Preserve became unusual when seven young people from World Wide Technology joined our efforts. This company grants employees one day a year to do service, and this group, wanting to do something ecological, chose La Vista.
For the hours we were together in our important pursuit of restoring health to the forest by removing invasive bush honeysuckle, we felt a wonderful sense of belonging. We belonged to a group of volunteers, for sure, but in a broader sense we felt our belonging to the larger Earth community so in need of healing.
We extend our gratitude to World Wide Technology for supporting outreach in the broader community!
