| Meditation garden to ‘speak to heart’ at Springbrook |
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| Wednesday, 01 July 2009 | ||
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Staff writer A cursory glimpse into Springbrook Nature Center as early as 5:30 in the morning finds Siah St. Clair, compass in hand, trying to figure out where shadows fall at sunrise. For the last few weeks, St. Clair has repeated this ritual every day in preparing for the newest addition to Springbrook: a solstice meditation garden.
“This is a perfect spot for it,” said St. Clair, director of Springbrook, standing in the middle of newly plowed earth in preparation for the garden on the west side of the center’s parking lot.
Thanks to a donation by Fridley resident Bill Beery, 93, the public will be able to quietly contemplate in the Eden-like spot by sometime in late July. Beery, who requested the amount of the donation remain undisclosed, is having the garden created as a memorial to his wife Lawraine who died last year. The garden will feature three eight-foot-tall concrete columns that will cast the sun’s shadow making it possible for visitors to identify when the solstices are. The correct angle The task of figuring out shadow angles has fallen to St. Clair. It hasn’t been easy. To mark where the columns should be installed, he has had to conjure up his college trigonometry skills. Sines, cosines and tangents. They all come into play to ensure the sun’s shadow correctly falls on the opposing columns positioned in the right location marking the solstices. For added expertise, St. Clair is in touch with the University of Minnesota astronomy department. One would be hard- pressed to find a more inviting setting for a meditation garden. Winds blow through the quaking aspens and cedar waxwings call to their mates. Hues of green leaves from towering trees veil the grounds. “People can feel part of the rhythm of nature and the world,” St. Clair said about the spot on a hill at one of Springbrook’s highest points. A place of discovery Work on the mostly circular garden with a jutting peninsula, about 100 feet in diameter (at the circular part), began three weeks ago. “The main thing is it celebrates the spirituality of the space already there,” said Betty Ann Addison, president of Gardens of Rice Creek, who designed and is landscaping the meditation garden. “I’m just providing a place for people to discover nature, people, themselves or whatever. It’s supposed to be what speaks to people from their own heart,” she said. St. Clair stops to point out nests of birds in vibrant, green-leafy trees cloaking the meditation area. Red-eyed vireos. Cedar waxwings. Catbirds. Water thrushes. They’re all there, perched above the garden and warbling a placid symphonic tune in the lush sanctuary setting. Thanks to the gifts of Mother Nature, the garden will be furnished with imported sitting stones made from native glacial boulders. “The stones are supposed to resemble toadstools at the edge of a glade,” Addison said. Flowing water will trickle from three large glacial boulders in centerpiece fashion. Directional stones will be placed appropriately and dozens of azalea bushes and hundreds of flowers will be planted around the perimeter of the haven. Later this fall, a few trees will be taken down to create a vista to a nearby wooded area and pond, according to St. Clair. A place of peace The garden will offer an awareness of changing seasons. Timelessness of the universe. Peace, St. Clair says. “Visitors will be aware of how the world has these rhythms that go on outside of the problems of everyday life that seem to loom very large at times,” he said. The solstice meditation garden is slated to open in late July. A dedication is planned, but a date has yet to be announced. Check back later in the month for an update at the center’s Web site at www.springbrooknaturecenter.com . Springbrook Nature Center is located at 100 85th Ave. N.E. in Fridley. Elyse Kaner is at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it |
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