A Home for a
New Wind Phone

Reflection Park is honored to welcome a wind phone as its newest feature, installed this past weekend. If you haven’t heard of a wind phone, the concept is deceptively simple and powerful: it is a disconnected phone “booth” thoughtfully designed and often placed in natural settings to facilitate reflection and connection with lost loved ones. Created by a Japanese artist in 2010 to work through his grief over his deceased cousin, the wind phone movement accelerated after the 2011 Japan tsunami, when many sought ways to work through the grief of sudden loss. Since then, wind phones have been installed across the globe, each one unique in its design and specific to its community.

Our wind phone comes to us from The Little Wind Phone Project, a recently established nonprofit that seeks to bring wind phones to public spaces across the country. The Project envisions that “each Wind Phone installation serves as an invitation to pause, speak freely, and find moments of peace in nature. By building and supporting these spaces, The Little Wind Phone Project fosters healing not just for individuals but for communities as a whole. Through collective care and shared presence, we believe even the quietest conversations can lead to powerful restoration.”

The Little Wind Phone Project’s vision aligns well with Reflection Park’s mission of restoring our relationship with the natural cycle of life, death, and renewal to promote a more conscious and purposeful way of living. The new wind phone is easy to find at Reflection Park: it’s feature 13 on this map. Whether you are grieving a loss or are just curious, we hope you will visit the wind phone to experience a unique way of connection.

We Welcome Your Visit!

Since opening this past November, we have enjoyed meeting many of you at open houses and tours. Our next open houses are scheduled for March 28 & 29 and April 18 & 19. We welcome you to attend by registering below.

If you have an anticipated need in the very near future, please contact us directly to discuss an earlier visit by emailing info@reflectionpark.org.

In addition to attending an open house, you can also visit Reflection Park any day of the week during our open hours (8:30 a.m. to sunset) to explore the Park and enjoy a self-guided tour. While here, we encourage you to explore the one-mile hiking trail that winds along streams and through nearly 15 acres of forest conservation area.

At the Circle’s Center

One of the ways Reflection Park fosters environmental sustainability is through recurring tree planting. Later this spring, visitors may notice a meaningful addition. Through a generous donation, a new memorial tree has been reserved for planting in the center of the roundabout at the end of our internal roadway. The chosen tree for this heartfelt project is the striking Yellowwood Perkins Pink, standing majestically over 20 feet tall (pictured above).

The Perkins Pink variety is admired for its fragrant, delicate pink blossoms that emerge in clusters during late spring. After planting, our new tree will be acclimating to its new environment and may not flower immediately, but its future holds much promise. Images below show the Perkins Pink throughout the seasons.

If you would like to contribute toward planting a memorial tree in someone’s honor at Reflection Park, please reach out to us at info@reflectionpark.org. If we receive your request by the first week of April, the tree can be planted during this spring’s planting season. Click on the button below to learn more on our website.

Reflection Park's dedication to planting native trees is vital for maintaining ecological balance. Native trees, well-adapted to the local climate and soil, provide essential habitats and food sources for local wildlife, fostering biodiversity.

Working with Nature-Focused Organizations

As Spring arrives at Reflection Park, we are seeing signs of life returning to the land. Lush green mosses, blooming flowers, indications of wildlife, and more are heralding that the new season is on its way. At Reflection Park, we strive to care for nature as nature cares for us. We are building relationships with nature-focused organizations in our area and developing ways for our community to take part in caring for the land. Be on the lookout in the near future for opportunities to get involved, like native plantings and removal of invasive vegetation.

Do you have suggestions for organizations we should contact? Please let us know!

Reflection Park
in the Community

We will be present and sharing information about Reflection Park at the following community events. If you’re in the area, please stop by our tent. We would love to see you!

• Montgomery County Greenfest, April 25

• Olney Party in the Park, May 2

• Viva Vienna, May 24-25

We welcome the opportunity to attend community gatherings and events to spread awareness about natural burial and Reflection Park. If you are part of a community that may be interested in a presentation or exhibit, please let us know at info@reflectionpark.org.

What We’re Reading

• We’re reading Memento Mori by Joanna Ebenstein, which invites us to consider the many ways that grappling with death and mortality may allow us to live more fully.

• Similarly, we enjoyed reading this Washington Post article about a group of women who convene regularly to talk about mortality as a way to promote a happier life.

• And we just purchased Carol Tyler’s The Ephemerata, a beautifully illustrated graphic book recently reviewed by the New York Times.

Ways to Connect

We welcome you reaching out. Here are several ways to connect with Reflection Park:

• Schedule a virtual pre-need meeting with Reflection Park staff or start the process online on your own

• Volunteer your time or talent

• Read our burial planning guide

• Donate to one of Reflection Park’s charitable funds

• Submit an idea for an article or blog post for consideration in our Community Pen series, in which we share perspectives from community members on themes relevant to Reflection Park’s mission

Reflection Park is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity and all donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. We are grateful for every dollar contributed in support of our mission to create a sacred place that celebrates the cycle of life, death, and renewal.

More information about specific giving opportunities can be found on our donation page.

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