SDI Educational Events

Join Spiritual Directors International for a field trip that focuses on spiritual companionship in garden spaces. This hands-on experience will be held both on Saturday (coincides with Saturday afternoon workshops) and Sunday afternoon after the conclusion of the conference. 

Field Trip: “Come Walk in the Garden”
Location: Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (MLA), 3675 Arboretum Drive, Chaska, Minnesota, USA
Leader: Kevin Michael Laughlin, PhD

Saturday April 13, 2013
1:00 p.m.—6:00 p.m. (coincides with Saturday Afternoon Workshops)
Cost: USD$80.00 (includes snack)—Non-Conference Participant Rate
         USD$40.00 (includes snack)—Conference Participant Rate

Sunday, April 14, 2013
Noon—5:00 p.m.
Cost: USD$80.00 (includes boxed midday meal)

Each of us has a picture of what a garden is. For many of us a garden is the park, the wilderness, the beach, or the mountains. Walking along trails, meandering through fields, and watching wildlife builds the soul—there is something about the spirit found in nature! We gather strength and balance from these garden spaces.

Kevin Laughlin, working with Kathy Allen, Librarian, Andersen Horticultural Library,  MLA, and local spiritual directors, Sr. Carolyn Law, OSF, (Saturday) and Sr. Ruth Lentner, OSF, (Sunday) will facilitate the field trip, focused on honing skills in individual and group spiritual direction in the garden. Bring a coat, walking shoes, gardening garb, and an “outside” attitude for this rain or shine, hands-on experience! 

Field Trip Objectives:

1. Gain skills and methods in spiritual direction while gardening and using natural spaces.

2. Increase awareness of stewardship, sustainability, and gardening spirituality.

3. Increase awareness of the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, its resources, and Minnesota’s Premier Public Garden and Horticultural Research Center.

4. Gain insights to feeding soil and soul in the garden, an introduction to Happy Dirt.

5. Discuss and understand intensive community gardening and sustainable vegetable gardening practices and techniques in light of spiritual direction.

6. Overview of metaphor, structure, and theme gardening ideas, helpful for spiritual direction. 

7. Explore, have fun and learn experiential gardening methods!

Program cost includes:
· Transportation by school bus to and from the Crowne Plaza Saint Paul Riverfront Hotel
· Arboretum entry fee
· Workshop supplies
· Snack (Saturday only)
· Boxed midday meal (Sunday only)

Capacity is limited, so please register early if you would like to participate.

Kevin Michael Laughlin, PhD is an Idaho Master Naturalist, returned Peace Corps Volunteer, and retired University of Idaho Extension Professor & Educator. He is a mentor and ecumenical spiritual director out of Boise, Idaho. He also consults in education and agriculture. His career has been focused in mentoring, teaching, organizing, developing, and facilitating lifelong learning with educators, farmers, ranchers, and gardeners in North and Central America. He serves as Idaho’s Senior Director on the board of the Mountain Plains Adult Education Association. Kevin uses gardening, botanical gardens, wilderness, and natural spaces to accomplish Spiritual direction. He is certified in Ecumenical Spiritual Direction by Mount Carmel Spiritual Centre/Haden Institute, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

Kathy Allen is head of the Andersen Horticultural Library (located at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum) where her passion for plants and books is happily satisfied. Originally from the Catskill Mountains of New York, Allen spent several years in Washington, DC as a cataloger; in Malawi as an agricultural librarian; and in St. Paul as Plant Sciences Librarian for the University of Minnesota. She will welcome you to MLA and host your library visit with suggested books for Spiritual Direction and gardening integration, resources for spiritual directors, and a rare book display for gardeners.

Sr. Carolyn Law, OSF, has been a Franciscan Sister of Little Falls, MN, for thirty-two years. She will share insights from the Franciscan Intellectual Tradition and the Universe Story and invite participants to contemplate God’s Beauty in the beauty of Creation. Raised on a farm in South Dakota, being in and with nature has always been an important element of prayer for her. She has been a teacher, pastoral minister, and missionary. She has a BA degree in Humanities and Theology from the College of Saint Benedict, Saint Joseph, MN and a MA in counseling psychology from Loyola University Chicago. She ministers as a licensed professional counselor and energy healer. (SATURDAY)

Sister Ruth Lentner, OSF, is a member of the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls Minnesota for over thirty years. She graduated from North Dakota State University with a BS in horticulture and worked with interior and exterior plantscaping after graduating. She spent two years doing missionary work in Nicaragua and upon returning to the United States took over the vegetable garden and orchard at the motherhouse of her community in Little Falls. Soon she converted the garden and orchard into organic production. For the past five years she’s worked with young women in group spiritual direction at the college of St. Benedict in St. Joseph Minn. She also is an active member, and has been the past president of the sustainable farming association and is presently the president of Minnesota Coact, a citizen action committee. (SUNDAY)

Register now

Cultivating Compassion on the River
April 11:        Leadership Institute
April 11:        Spirituality and Health Care Institute
April 11:        Free Community Event
April 12-14:   Conference
April 13, 14:  Field Trip
April 15:        Pilgrimage
April 16-18:   Contemplative Retreat