Honouring the Land

The Othona Community's origins at Bradwell connected us to the Celtic Christian past, long before today's revival of interest in all things Celtic. So a 'creation spirituality', honouring nature and all of the cosmos as the Celts did, is written into Othona's DNA.

Our grounds here in Dorset are a little paradise, for people and wildlife. We manage them with a deliberately light touch, leaving much of the land 'to nature'. This is great habitat for everything from glow-worms to slow-worms, from dormice to birds of prey, from butterflies to the occasional passing deer.

We're designated a Site of Nature Conservation Interest for our grasslands, with various wildflower rarities including four species of orchid. In our wooded areas there are secluded paths and magical places to sit and soak in the atmosphere.

We grow lovely fresh salads in a polytunnel and plenty of fruit in our orchard. We recently added a large soft fruit cage to protect the berries from the birds and many rabbits who share the grounds.

In 2008/9 we plan to replace one of our outlying cottages. We'll be taking the opportunity to build in a seriously sustainable way. Using wood and stone collected on-site, harvesting rainwater for toilets, generating heat and power from sunlight.

Within our programme you'll find activities that reflect the insights of creation spirituality. By walking the countryside, paying close attention to birds or plants or rocks, responding with our own creativity, we may reconnect our own story with that of the universe in all its complexity and wonder.

"Learning to pray, as I understand it, is learning to listen with the mind and heart – making oneself attentive to each exquisite detail of the world." (Thomas Merton)