Healing with the Land

Experiencing compassion and healing through play and unique encounters with nature.

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Medicine for the heart and body.

Martin de Porres Field

Acting in right relationship with Earth and one another. This is the basis of all play in the Martin de Porres Field, a living meadow for migratory species of birds and insects which rely of pollinator plants. Since St. Martin, a Domincan brother from Peru, was a doctor-healer who relied significantly on the wisdom he cultivated through natural remedies, the area around the ball field is maintained with a variety of native medicinal plants. Every year, Benincasa hosts regular nature walks and workshops, watershed conservation seminars, and an annual fall harvest festival and softball tournament in this area.

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Encountering Mutually Enhancing Relationships

Natural Diversity

A pond, a river, a hillside, bountiful woodlands, meadows, trails, and countless species of birds, turtles, frogs, insects, rabbits, deer, and groundhogs all adorn the modest 6.5 acre landscape at Fisher’s Nook. Through healing encounters with this natural world, members of the human species are encouraged to contemplate each individual’s innate holiness, the necessity of diversity for a thriving community, and our deep interdependence upon one another for survival. Activists, groups, and individuals with limited access to nature are ensured special priority for visits. Humans are a part of the whole Earth community, not apart from it, and her wisdom can guide us in the struggle to achieve racial, gender, environmental, and economic justice.