When Ellen Peterson died in October of 2011, she left thousands of mourners and seven environmentally-oriented non-profit organizations.  Ellen had the unique ability to make every person feel like her best friend. We fortunate ones cherish our times with her and imagine her advice.  Indeed, hundreds of us believe that we know exactly what Ellen wanted us to do and how she wanted us to do it!

In 2006, Ellen and four of her “best friends” created the Happehatchee Center, Inc., a private non-profit corporation, to preserve forever these four lush acres of riverfront, bamboo, and oaks.  Since then Ellen’s private residence has been open to the public.  The trickle of visitors and friends has become a mighty river. Classes bring in people from 8:30AM to 8:30PM.  Staffing, programming, cleaning, and security requirements are overwhelming.

Recently,  after a glowing article about Happe in a local Sunday paper, almost two hundred people a day, for several days, drove into and walked the Happehatchee land.  It was a tsunami of explorers!  Now a parade of new visitors and old friends has been coming daily to experience the healing magic of this emerald forest.

While Ellen wanted Happehatchee to be “a place that will be known for truly catering to all in our community” (she wanted to save and help everyone!), her intention for founding the Center was to preserve the land.  The Board of Directors is dedicated to maintaining the natural vibrancy of this tiny, sacred sliver of paradise.  Our long-term vision is to create a sustainable educational and environmental conference center, with financial support and ecologically sound practices that will ensure Happehatchee’s healthy existence and availability for the next 100 years.

Those of us on the Board of Directors have known Ellen since the mid-1990s. Since last September, some of us volunteered 50 hours a week to keep Happe running.   No one on the Board will ever be party to selling this property.  We honor Ellen and our Bylaws which require us to “preserve the land located at 8791 Corkscrew Road, Estero, Florida.”

When a park vibrates with peace and natural treasure, it attracts multitudes of people.  When the land is healthy, she heals those who walk upon her. Today, many need connection to and healing from Nature.  Happe radiates that medicine.  The challenge we have now is to achieve the balance between public access and land preservation, to have the wisdom to prevent a “love it to death” situation, where the fragile environment is trampled and its living power is extinguished.

Happehatchee is closed to the public until July.  We are reorganizing and reconstructing.  With the new Advisory Committee, we will design business and facility “greening” plans, to preserve the land, serve the community, and nurture our spirits.  We will also join efforts on Volunteer Tuesdays.  If you want to help, please come with gloves, sneakers, water, a vegetarian pot-luck lunch item, and your own eating utensils (carry in, carry out, no-trash policy).  We will be there from 9:00AM to 3:00PM.  You are welcome.

We will reopen in July with summer hours, to resume some classes and offer environmental and youth programs.  A new internship project has begun, the Maya Spirit Youth Group is creating music on Happe bamboo drums, the Girl Scouts continue their 50-year traditions with us, Project Nature Connect is planted, we’re solarizing the aquaponics system, and much more.  Stay tuned!

For those of us who love Bella, Ellen’s gentle, beautiful dog, we are comforted to know that she is peaceful and content with the family and back on the land where she was born and lived her first six years.  While almost 20 of us offered to take care of Bella during this transition time, the Board followed Ellen’s written will as to where she felt Bella would be happiest.

We want to express our sincere appreciation to the people who called and sent letters of support.  Many of you wondered why we waited six months to pause, collect ourselves, and plan.  Well, here we are, now.

Finally, a million thank-you’s to all of Ellen’s and Happehatchee’s Best Friends, supporters, donors, employees, teachers, volunteers, and co-activists.  With your continuing involvement, we are on the path to a bright Happe future!

Thank you,

The Board of Directors of Happehatchee Center, Inc.

Genelle G. Grant, Ed.D., President

Ann Smith, Vice-president

Ruth Fotovat, Secretary

Heidi LaQuadra, Acting Treasurer

The Importance of Women’s Circles

by Chelsea Wakefield

Painting by Molly Roberts

Over the past ten years, I have drawn great strength, courage and wisdom from being in women’s circles. In these circles of trust, I have been upheld, encouraged, challenged and given a port in the storm. I have clarified my passions, my purpose and defined my pathway. I have loved the egalitarian understanding that none of us have all the answers, but together we can share our light and find our way. In listening to many experiences and perspectives, I have learned new ways of being and seeing.

A GOOD WOMEN’S CIRCLE

A good women’s circle is a place where a woman can sort herself out, and speak her truth without having to justify it. She can bring possibilities not yet formed or speech ripe, things she is gestating. It is a place where she can be safe from questions like “Why would you want to do that?” or “How are you going to make that happen?” or “Who do you think you are?” These are questions people ask that women don’t always have answers for. Questions like these shut women down and short circuit their dreams. A good circle provides a womb for a woman’s fledging ideas. Because we often sacrifice our own potential to nurture and promote others, we need this protected space. Women often talk about what a good idea it is to take quiet time for ourselves. The world is constantly pressing in on us and the collective message is that accomplishing things is more important than finding a quiet center and listening to your own deep rhythms. When I am in a women’s circle, it insures that I honor my deep stirrings.

THE MILLIONTH CIRCLE- Jean Shinoda Bolen

My favorite book on women’s circles and how to form one is Jean Shinoda Bolen’sThe Millionth Circle. It is a small treasure. You can read it in an afternoon. It will inspire you for a lifetime. The Millionth Circle provides many good ideas for how to start a circle, outlines important ground rules for how to make it successful, provides suggestions for content, and advice on what to do when a circle gets into trouble.

THE MORPHIC FIELD PHENOMENON

The grass roots movement of women’s circles is a quiet revolution. Bolen proposes that with each new circle, we move towards a critical mass where a paradigm shifts will occur, rippling out through the greater culture. This is based on the Morphic Field theory put forth by biologist Rupert Sheldrake. According to this theory, there is a tipping point that occurs when a critical number of members in a species change an attitude or behavior. Somehow it triggers a collective change in the larger culture. It seems the scientists are “proving” what Jung said a long time ago. We are impacted by both the personal and the collective unconscious in more ways than we can logically understand.

THE HUNDREDTH MONKEY

The Hundredth Monkey is a popular tale that illustrates this principle. In this story, a monkey on a tropical island begins to wash her sandy sweet potato in the sea before eating it and discovers she can enjoy a grit free meal. She shows this to her mother and playmates and they begin to do the same. The idea spreads and then suddenly, one day, every monkey on the island begins to wash their sweet potatoes in the sea. What fascinated the scientists observing this was that at the same time, on a nearby island that had no contact with the first, the monkeys also began to wash their sweet potatoes in the same way. This mysterious dynamic has been observed elsewhere and has come to be called the Morphic Field phenomenon.

FORMS

Women’s circles can take many forms. A “girl’s night out”, where a woman can relax and cut loose is good for any woman, but we are talking about something different here. The more intentional a circle, the greater its power. Sometimes these groups consist of old friends, who reunite every few months or years to maintain the continuity and depth that comes from having known one another over long passages of time. In my Luminous Woman circles, many of the women have never met before the initial group. They become fast friends over the course of a weekend and reunite joyfully at reunions. Circles like book study or craft groups can become havens of support. When a group has a spiritual or growth focus, good ground rules for how to be together are important. These include things like a commitment to confidentiality, defining how you want to share, respond and support each other, what boundaries you want honored, and being conscious of the compulsive need to “fix” others. Time to reflect in silence is powerful and important after someone shares something that is deeply moving. Listening and speaking from the heart instead of the head are important to creating a profound experience.

JOIN ONE- START ONE

Join a women’s circle. If you can’t find one, start one. Begin to talk about what really matters to you and watch what happens. Teach other women to do the same. The momentum is powerful. The mystery is life changing. You never know who will be forming that final circle that becomes the tipping point for everyone. It could be you.

Just to bring to your attention some new Happehatchee updates:

Kundaflow/Gong Bath – Damade class on Saturday, April 21 at 2-4pm has been cancelled due to the weather conditions.

Please note: Everyone from Happehatchee will be joining the festival at Koreshan so the grounds of Happehatchee will be closed on Sunday, April 22.

Eric cancelled Empower Yoga class at Happehatchee on Sunday, April 22, and will be waiting for you all day to join him for meditation at Koreshan. You can find him at Meditation Den. Please contact 398-9123

Qi Gong class with Natalie will be held at 4:30pm on Sunday, April 22, at Koreshan instead of Happehatchee. Please contact 560-8892

Sorry for inconveniences and thanks for your understanding!