Next Event, Job Opening, and Progress!

Reflection Park is dedicated to restoring our natural relationship
with the cycle of life, death, and renewal
so that we may live more conscious and purposeful lives.

There is a saying that when the student is ready, the teacher appears. This maxim particularly holds when we look to nature as our guide. While many will celebrate Earth Day next month on April 22, we encourage you to take a moment this month to appreciate the lessons of Earth’s lunar sister, whose cyclical phases represent the cycle of life, death, and renewal that Reflection Park honors as part of its mission. This symbolism is particularly apparent in the total lunar eclipse this week, a poignant reminder of the continual life cycles of transformation, renewal, and letting go. As we move into spring, just as the wood snake sheds its skin, and we humans cast off our winter coats, nature teaches us that there is always an opportunity for a new beginning.

Next Community Event!

Registration is free but required.

Space is limited to the first 75 registrants; do not delay in registering!

Please join us at Busboys and Poets in Takoma Park on April 17th for our next community event: a screening of the movie The Last Ecstatic Days. Featured on PBS, this thought-provoking documentary explores the profound significance and transformative power of embracing death as a community.

Following the film, Reflection Park team members will host an interactive community discussion with Dr. Aditi Sethi, Executive Director of the Center for Conscious Living and Dying, based in Asheville, NC.

Dr. Sethi plays a significant role in the film, and her founding of the Center for Conscious Living and Dying was inspired in part by her experiences in the film.

This event aims to foster meaningful conversations around the end-of-life journey and the possibilities that arise when individuals and communities come together to support one another through one man’s journey of dying.

This film and live music to start the program are shared with us by the CCLD community as part of their We Are Remembering tour.

REGISTER HERE

We’re Hiring!

As we prepare to open, Reflection Park seeks its first full-time staff member!

This special unicorn of a person would be able to fulfill the job requirements listed here in alignment with the organization’s ethos which prioritizes people over profits and centers harmony, care, and equity of humans and the world we live in.

Reflection Park seeks someone who approaches this work with an open heart, curiosity, humor, humility, flexibility, and compassion. This special person should also be an eager and skilled networker who enjoys getting out into the community and attending events, as well as a strong team leader who can bring together internal staff and volunteers.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone to help shape the organization, direct cemetery services, develop and implement an outreach and education campaign, oversee occasional programming, and work closely with its Board of Directors in a key strategic and operational leadership role.

Please review and share the full Job Description and note that we hope to fill this role quickly, so interested applicants should not delay!

Progress Report

Construction continues to bring our vision to reality, and the construction sequence has progressed largely as planned. Nearly all sediment control measures are complete as required by the County to ensure that our neighboring areas are protected environmentally. Two under-road culverts, critical components of the stormwater management infrastructure, have been installed. The next phase of work involves grading the land for the road and initial burial areas.

The areas that will serve as the internal roadway have been prepared for grading and paving. The initial burial sections have also been prepared for grading and replanting. Before construction is completed, hundreds of new native trees will have been planted. The grindings from cleared trees will remain locally to support new hiking trails (see below) and provide bedding to adjacent areas. We also plan to use these grindings to line the bottoms of future graves to provide a soft bed for our loved ones' bodies and a natural catalyst to return them to the earth.

A master trailmaker has spent many days on site mapping trails through the woods (see image below), part of the nearly one-mile trail loop that winds along the beautiful creek. Located far from the traffic of New Hampshire Avenue, this trail offers a sanctuary in the heart of the forest conservation area. We hope it will serve as an ideal place for contemplation and healing, allowing visitors to reconnect with nature and find tranquility. The initial trails will be completed and ready for use upon Reflection Park's opening, which is still expected by the end of the summer.

Did you know…

that a single young poplar tree can produce 40,000 seeds in its shedding season from October until May (the season we are in right now). The seeds are contained in wing-like fruit called “samaras” that are winged for wind dispersal and ripe for foraging squirrels who then recycle them throughout the area thereby creating new life. So right now, as you read these words, new tulip poplars are emerging at Reflection Park, awaiting your visit. Thank you to the poplar trees for helping us keep Reflection Park verdant and natural!

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 can be found on our donation page.

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