It has been an amazing five months since the last newsle er. Our first full retreat season was successful beyond our dreams – in fact we couldn’t have imagined some of the things that happened. A cougar who was paralyzed star ng to walk again; a wolf that never let himself be handled at all, nervously but willingly entering a yurt full of people. Tears and tears of powerful emo ons as people connected with animals in ways and at levels none of us could have expected. Each retreat brought deep insights to us and par cipants and profoundly transforma onal experiences to many. No one le without seeing the animals as full bodied beings with their own personali es. No one le without understanding that loving animals is not enough without taking ac on to preserve a place for them to live. This is Andrew Harvey’s concept of “sacred ac vism”… coming from a deep place of love and turning it into passionate and though ul ac on. We refined the concept of the visits and retreats. In order to a end, par cipants must submit an applica on form, do some readings prior to coming, and understand that they will be asked to make a commitment to take some ac on towards helping wild animals. Thus, people are prepared to take the visit seriously; prepared to hear the animal’s voices as clearly as possible, and help take their voices out to the world.

The retreats also have started us on the road towards financial independence. For the first me, a por on of our annual budget is coming from earned income, rather than exclusively from dona ons. We were able to hold workshops in three of our five selected program areas of interest including conserva on, wildlife art as advocacy, and wellness and spirituality. We are looking to expand the workshops to our other two major areas of interest next summer—business leaders and educa on. We welcome sugges ons for cu ng edge thinkers to lead workshops. A Walk on the Wild Side leader, Rose De Dan said, “I consider giving a workshop at Earthfire a privilege. There is nothing like it in the world. The experience is priceless.” We are reaching an ever larger audience. The retreats had par cipants from Canada, Central and South America, the Middle East, Europe and the Far East. I gave my first webinar by invita on to an interna onal audience; have been invited to write an ar cle for the Ins tute of Noe c Sciences; and am leaving shortly for a trip to England to meet with sponsors for a speaking tour there next year. Several members of the Environmental Grantmakers Associa on came to visit and I expect we will be hearing from them again. No one leaves here unmoved. Financially, we have been able to keep our heads above water. This is a good direc on in bad economic mes. The Tin Cup Challenge was good to us. Thank you!!! With your help, we are following our mission with passion and success: Awakening ecological advocacy through in mate connec ons with the animals of Earthfire. And in the process of giving excellent mul ‐dimensional care to the animals here we seem to be discovering things about healing and the animals’ nature will hopefully contribute to a major shi in how we understand and treat these wonderful beings that share the earth with us. If you can help in any way, through funding, in‐kind dona ons, or as a volunteer coordinator, please consider joining our endeavor and family. In any case, we wish you a joyous and healthy holiday and new year. Sincerely,

Founder & Execu ve Director

Letter from the Director

“The animals of the planet are in desperate peril and they are fully aware of this. No less than human beings are doing in all parts of the world, they are seeking sanctuary.” – Alice Walker, Selected Writings

Front cover art by Philbin de Got, this is part of a series of pain ngs that will soon grace the entrance of Earthfire.

“Finally Jean went in, and he went

up to Windwalker and Windwalker

reached out his paw and touched

Jean’s face. The love and

reverence in that touch, I mean I

just lost it, I just started crying. The

beauty of his spirit, of Windwalk‐

er’s spirit, was just … I don’t even

have words for it! It was like this

profound, energe c emo onal

connec on that I had with Wind‐

walker, I mean it wasn’t about

words it was about something

much different than that. I realized

in that moment that it was Wind‐

walker that had called me to be at

Earthfire.” ‐ Diane Stringfellow

“Our retreat at Earthfire was magical

and transforma ve. Spending me

with the animals at Earthfire is like

going on a sacred journey. They are

my teachers, camouflaged in

fur. Windwalker is a master

teacher, a mountain lion with a

vision. He showed me his depth of

character, pride, strength and

dignity without an ounce of self

pity. It is so amazing to see the

heart connec on between Susan,

Jean and the animals. They opened

their hearts to us so that we, too,

could feel that connec on. I am

grateful to everyone at Earthfire and

I am leaving with a clearer sense of

who I am. It makes me wonder,

‘What can I do to share

this connec on to the animals with

others?’“ ‐ Debbie Noyes

“A Walk on the Wild Side was created so people and animals could meet in ceremony with the inten on of rebuilding the

bridge between species. Personal change has a ripple affect; what we heal in ourselves helps create shi s worldwide. During

this year’s event all of the animals (and Windwalker in par cular) took us on a powerful journey of personal transforma on.

When I returned home my heart felt like it had been cracked wide open.“ ‐ Rose De Dan, Walk on the Wild Side Retreat Leader

Rebuilding the Bridge: Listening to the Animals

Windwalker the cougar had much to communicate during this year’s retreats.

Retreat par cipants assist Windwalker into his wheelchair. “I got lost in his eyes.” ‐ Mia Schiff

“It was definitely a very personal

interac on, a very individual

interac on. The whole me that

we were there he was looking at

each of us individually in the eye.”

‐ Charole e Anderson

“Earthfire demonstrates a unique model of harmonious coexistence with love, compassion and commitment.”

‐ Ben Shimizu, Call of the Wild

“My experience at Earthfire was one of the most profound andemo onal experiences of my life.” ‐ Diane Fuller, Call of the W

“Earthfire is a special place on this earth to learn, listen, be one with nature &

experience the power of thought to ac on.” ‐ Joni Friedman, Wildlife Communica on

Cucumber receiving healing from the Call of the Wild .

Patrick Hager Jr. mee ng Feather

the fox in the Small Animal

Garden during Heart to Heart.

Heart to Heart retreat par cipants watch as mber wolves Cucumber

& Wamaka play together in the Wildlife Garden.

CalArts students Johnnie, Jxel & Manuel review footage for their residency project.

Rebuilding the Bridge: Earth

“It was a powerful once‐in‐a‐life me experience for‐ Bob Wins

“We struggled to ar culate what it was exactly that had moved us all.

At Earthfire, it is immediately apparent: the animals are completely there.

And they are completely taking you in. They see you, they are seen.”

‐ Caitlin Sullivan, Call of the Wild

Bramble

“I feel the animals are loved deeply and they have joy. Because so, they give back to everyone who comes here.” ‐ Terri Haaga,

Call of the Wild

ild

“This is a life‐changing place. The harmony and love and dedica on to caring for the animals is beyond anywhere else I have been. “

‐ Sheryl Williams, Wildlife Communica on

“Globally, the moment is so huge that our survival has to come through people working together and the animals will help us do that. It’s when humans listen that the connec on is made with the animals, but now we need to walk with them.”

‐ Mia Schiff, Walk on the Wild Side

Soundscapes retreat par cipant Volker Widmann (l) and retreat leader Dr. Bernie Krause (r) discuss the intricacies of bioacous cs.

“Earthfire opens its doors to educate we humans about who the wild animals truly are. You will leave a different person than you are now.”

‐ Janet Dobbs, Wildlife Communica on

Mr. Pinkerton, the lynx, in the Wildlife Garden.

hfire Retreats 2011

r the par cipants.” slow, Road Scholars Retreat Leader

Rebuilding the Bridge: Animal Needs Bear Gardens The bears are pining for their gardens so they can go out daily. It breaks our heart that they can’t. Due to the generous efforts of one caring donor we have $3000 towards this. We need $25,000 more. Infirmary and Hospice Building We have no place to house and care for sick, old or dying animals in our long and bi er winters. It is from the sick and dying that we have received some of our most profound insights and we want to give the opportunity for them to be heard; to share their gi s before they leave the earth. In general, our philosophy is not to cut an animal’s life short but to let it go in its own

me unless it is clearly suffering. Thus we would deeply appreciate funding towards a barn/infirmary building. John Towner, board member and professional surveyor, donated his services and did a complete detailed survey of the property. This will serve as the physical basis for a master plan, and gives a physical size and placement for the bear gardens and barn/office/infirmary. This means the minute we receive funding we can begin construc on. Dona ons of $30,000 will enable us to complete the first phase of construc on, which would give us a func onal unit that can be added on to later. Staffing to Take the Animals Voices Out to the World We are receiving a good deal of worldwide interest, but because of staff limita ons we find ourselves in the posi on of being unable to follow up on opportuni es this has generated for programs, funding or animal care. Currently, there are two part‐

me office staff whose hours don’t add up to one full‐ me posi on. We are seeking one year of funding for an Assistant Director so Dr. Eirich can go out to speak, teach and fundraise. Once we get the ini al financial support for the posi on we will be able to raise the money ourselves to have it con nue. Es mated costs $36,000. Generator & Used Four‐Wheel Drive Vehicle In the event of an electric outage, we have no way to clean and water the animals, as our well runs on electricity. We also need a used four‐wheel drive vehicle for winter.

For those of you who read about Uintah the wolf in our last e‐newsle er, here is a first person account of another witness. For those of you who have not received our monthly e‐newsle er with its Animal Tales; Uintah had never let us near him in six years. Late one evening he had to be rushed to vet in crisis, near‐death from a type of colic, and something in him changed then. He began to accept humans as meaning him well. Three days later, Jill (the energy healer who had worked with Apricot) came to work with him. She thought there might be a disrup on in the vagus nerve that connects the brain to the heart and ennervates the muscles of the stomach. She also felt there was an emo onal component to the problem. Below is another first‐person account of what happened.

Arriving at the Earthfire Ins tute late morning on a sparkling October day this year began an adventure in healing that is etched in memory. Hens and their brood scu led about under the watchful eyes of Cucumber the gentlest of wolves; geese stretched their necks and stru ed their presence; Firefly the fox watched from the safety of her home under the eaves of the house; people greeted each other quietly against the magnificent Grand Teton mountains as a backdrop. Golden aspens added their shimmer to the day as we prepared to meet a distressed Uintah, obviously uncomfortable but carefully monitored by Jean and Susan. Jill, preparing to work with Uintah, watched quietly and gradually moved closer to the pen so that the he would get used to her presence. Cucumber, who had been in comfor ng contact with Uintah, was taken out of the pen to watch, and Boychuck the German Shepherd was brought in in an intui vely genius move to calm the situa on for the wolf and set the scene for Jill's entrance. Jean quietly sat with Boychuck and Uintah and Jill carefully opened the door and walked inside. Her presence was quiet and I was able to discern her calm heart as she approached Uintah. It was as if, in her white clothing, she was suspending her presence in order to be in his un l he got used to the scent and sight of

Rebuilding the Bridge: Seeing Through New Eyes

Jill, Uintah and Boychuck.

her. Gradually she eased into the situa on, placing her hands on him un l she was in contact with his heart and vagus nerve which she had already discerned as the focus of her healing. Jill worked for 45‐minutes, placing her hands where needed and in that me Uintah se led into a quiet rhythm that matched the quiet that Jill, Boychuck and Jean exuded. Boychuck dozed, Jean focused and Jill tuned in and connected. That was 45 minutes of a ski sh wolf allowing himself to be touched. Forty five minutes of accep ng healing from a human in a wolf who had never allowed himself to be touched. All of life on earth and beyond is connected in the great electromagne c web that we inhabit. Our hearts, human and animal, emit a very large electromagne c field so that when we are in the wild places that are undisturbed by human caused electronic interference, we constantly sense each other in ways that are far beyond the five senses. Jill connected her field with Uintah but not before she moved into a calm alert state that was fine‐tuned to his distress and at the same me reached inside it to allay it. Uintah se led, relaxed and soon began to doze in her presence, a far cry from the distressed wolf who a li le while earlier paced his home nervously. From where I stood I sensed that he carried a species fear of humans that impacted him, a memory of disrupted rela ons that made him nervous and interfered with his diges on. Cucumber stood nearby content in the mixed‐species company she found herself. A wolf with a very different experience and memory trace. Jill's intui on about the vagus nerve and its affect upon Uintah’s diges on is well founded. The "gut mind" has millions of neurons and develops early in an animal's embryonic life and it records experiences, receives impulses and responds to emo ons. The brain sends

messages to the gut via "command neurons" and the vagus nerve turns the volume up or down depending on the levels of danger and stress that is felt by the animal. Jill was able to sense the upset Uintah felt and her heart through her hands sent signals that calmed everything down in Uintah's brain, heart and gut. A new memory trace of calming interac on with humans was strengthened in his system and his gut se led. At one point in the healing, as he se led his brothers and sisters howled their approval and support. In the days following his health improved and he became livelier and more content. We moved on to meet Windwalker the cougar who raised his head as Jean opened the door. His beau ful lively face belied the paralysis of his back legs which he had difficulty moving and could definitely not stand on. His gentle touch of large paw on Jean's face and head was a gesture of pure affec on. Jill, in another moment of genius asked for "Eddie's Wheels" the wonderful animal wheel‐chair inven on that had helped other animals at Earthfire who had difficulty using their hind legs. A er the arrival of "Eddie's Wheels," Wind‐walker was eased into them and for the first

me since his paralysis was up on all four legs. Amazingly he accepted the wheel chair with rela ve ease, obviously enjoying standing again, and with help used his front legs to pull himself towards his water bucket where he had a lovely long drink.

A visit to Earthfire always ignites many moments of pure pleasure in the company of the animals. In this case, it is the ongoing respect and amazement at the possibili es when human beings take the me to truly tune in and find the true nature of being of the animal they are privileged to visit. Who is healed in the interac on is the ques on. The dynamics of the heart are mysterious in their a unements and resonances and when we have the opportunity to join hearts with the animals at Earthfire there is always magic moving in all direc ons. As we le Earthfire on that sparkling October day, Jill and I were filled with the "peace of wild things" and our hope was that we le behind us as much as we received.

by Maired O’Connor

Rebuilding the Bridge: Seeing Through New Eyes

Windwalker responding to Jill’s healing energy.

P.O. Box 368 Driggs, ID 83422 www.earthfireinstitute.org

There is a magical place in the Grand Tetons that beckons me to visit. I have been there before but not in the same context of what mo vates me now. My role at Earthfire over the last two years has been retreat caterer; you can think of me as the meals on wheels. In order to deliver the prepared goodies to retreat par cipants, I must drive by the wolf dens, coyotes, fox, chickens, geese, burros, buffalo and horses. Through my visits I know the animals by glance. As I drive in, their so looks seep into my skin and I feel a warm ngle; it’s an invi ng feeling. Is there more to these looks than I can see? What poise and prac cality can I reap from these four‐legged teachers? Susan has invited me to wear a different hat at Earthfire, one of administrator. I arrive at the office cabin for my first day of work. There is lots to be done. I am just excited to be in this

impressive place. As I head to the cabin to turn the doorknob, Jean alerts me to the fact that Uintah, the most wild of wolves, is sick and is recupera ng in the only warm place available, the office cabin. He will be with me; we will share personal space. Uintah moves slowly

around the cabin. Despite his feeble‐ness, due to a near‐death experience, he is curious and warm. He seems to have accepted my presence and we share silence together face to face, heart to heart, soul to soul. This glorious wolf

has been given a miraculous second chance at life and is relishing his new way of being. I am engaged in a deeply profound mee ng of man and wild species that has changed me inside. Many of us pass through our day‐to‐day existence wai ng or perhaps yearning for an intensely warm emo onal response to kick start our lives. We o en indulge in shallow pleasures and pursuits to avoid the real work. We o en put off childhood dreams because we consider them too lo y or una ainable. Perhaps we second guess the paths we have chosen for ourselves because we do not conform with other’s wishes or even our own dreams. Could an encounter with a wild species change all of that? Uintah, my wise adviser is born again and through his teaching I am too. I look forward to future mee ngs with him. Thank you, Uintah, for opening my eyes!

by Marie Tzannetakis

Rebuilding the Bridge: Seeing Thru New Eyes

“I feel like Alice in Wonderland; a whole new world has opened up for me.”