Every Sacred Place has a portal, a threshold that invites you in.

Each of the spaces below is its own.

Step through: The Network in 2025

Through the Firesoul Network, comprised of 260+ community leaders, Nature Sacred nurtures active relationships with and between Sacred Places. In addition to capacity-building opportunities for the Firesouls, Sacred Places are eligible for Enrichment & Enhancement grant funding to support their care and activation over time.

THE NETWORK AT A GLANCE IN 2025

 

 

 

Donors
& Champions

This intergenerational work does not happen without the generosity of champions near and far.

DONOR HONOR ROLL

Where it all began

Thirty years after a chance visit to a London garden planted the seed for Nature Sacred, we returned to Mount Street Gardens, inaugurating three benches, three yellow journals, and our first Sacred Place outside the United States.

The story has come full circle.

TO LONDON

Sacred Places on hospital campuses

From rooftop gardens to labyrinths, Sacred Places on hospital campuses offer something essential, a place to pause in the middle of one of life’s most demanding moments. Doctors, nurses, patients, and visitors across the country find their way to these spaces every day. See what’s waiting for them.

BEGIN HERE

Case study: A Sacred Places for a campus community

After a tornado stripped the campus of its tree canopy in 2019, Jacksonville State University saw an opportunity, not just to rebuild, but to create something intentional. The result is a student-shaped Sacred Place designed for reflection, community, and mental health support. It’s now woven into the fabric of campus life.

READ THE CASE STUDY

A threshold moment — Alden Stoner at TEDx Walden Pond

Science explains how nature affects the body and mind. The little yellow journals capture what it does to the soul — real experiences, in people’s own words. Those words became the heart of Alden’s TEDx talk, “The connection you are missing in a hyper-connected world.”

WATCH THE TALK

Life Cycle of a Sacred Place

From first spark to enduring partnership — this is how a Sacred Place comes to life.

1. The Spark

Sometimes they come to us, sometimes we find them, but Sacred Places begin when we encounter like-minded and like-hearted partners and leaders who want to create nearby, contemplative nature spaces in their community. The catalyst for these projects is the Firesoul™.

2. Community Engaged-Design

We guide our partners through a multi-step design process that has been informed by 30 years of research and expertise. The process begins with a Steering Committee, moves through two design charrettes, and ends with a completed Sacred Place design that reflects what communities want and need or in other words, what they consider sacred.

3. Construction

Our partners steward their Sacred Place through the construction process. Upon completion, our Design Advisor provides a touchpoint to ensure the Nature Sacred design elements – portal, path, destination, and sense of surround – are present in the completed project.

4. The Bench Arrives

With the help of a talented team of woodworkers, the signature Nature Sacred Bench makes its way to the Sacred Place. Each Bench is installed with care and a generous supply of Little Yellow Journals.

5. The Grand Opening

Often our partners host a celebration to open their Sacred Place. Nature Sacred provides grant and programming support for these events. But long before the ribbon is cut, we engage in a trust-based model to support not only the creation of these Sacred Places but their long-term use.

6. Enduring Partnerships
+ Joy 

Through the Firesoul Network, comprised of 260+ community leaders, Nature Sacred nurtures active relationships with and between Sacred Places. In addition to capacity-building opportunities for the Firesouls, Sacred Places are eligible for Enrichment & Enhancement grant funding to support their care and activation over time.

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