The Work that Reconnects (WTR)
WTR was created in the 1970's by the Buddhist teacher Joanna Macy & colleagues. They realized environmentalists were getting demoralized and overwhelmed. They designed a process to move through despair and hopelessness into constructive, collaborative environmental action.
Nowadays, most of us (especially children!) are feeling the fear or stress about the polycrisis - habitat loss, species decline, overpopulation, water pollution, air pollution, plastic pollution, ocean acidification, ocean heating, sea level rise, global temperature rise, CO2 increase, ocean reef decline, increasing storms, worsening storms, melting glaciers, PFAS (forever chemicals), heat injuries and deaths, increasing war, increasing migration, droughts and floods, political challenges, economic challenges, food systems collapse, increase in homelessness, landslides, wildfires, etc. etc.
The Work that Reconnects gives us a space to turn towards the sadness, fear, anger and overwhelm and process them together. Through guided, interactive group activities, we will build deep trust and affinity together as we explore our feelings and ideas around the current state of the world. We will ground ourselves with gratitude before delving into our mourning. The process will leave us seeing the world with new eyes as we venture forth in community with active hope.
There is an online, self-guided course to get a feel for the work. If it inspires you, I encourage you to consider doing the work in an in-person setting where you can connect with others in your grief.
Contact me to design a gathering for you.
I am grateful to my first WTR teachers, Molly Brown and Jolie Elan; the teachers of grief, Francis Weller, Martin Prechtel and Stephen Jenkinson; as well as Jem Bendell & Deep Adaptation.
Grief is not a feeling. Grief is a skill.
And the twin of grief, as a skill of life,
is the skill of being able to praise
or live life.
Which means wherever you find
one authentically done,
the other is very close at hand.
Grief and the praise of life, side by side.
- Stephen Jenkinson
Anonymous Participant
"It was so helpful to share feelings about climate change, rather than just talking about the facts! I am inspired to find ways to take action. The class helped me realize we have the power to act, despite the challenges presented by climate change."
David Neiss, NPS Archeology Technician
"The most useful part was understanding the difference between an inner and outer response to climate change. I realized the value of grieving - feeling sad, upset and powerless - and talking about that can be meaningful when done intentionally. "
Elizabeth Neudeck, NPS Physical Science Technician
“The facilitator was incredible, she had great takes on things and generally very well worded when it comes to expressing abstract concepts on this topic.”
Danielle Buttke, NPS Epidemiologist
“I got so much out of the course, I just wanted it to last longer. Kara did an AMAZING job of making this a very safe, trusted space, even given the uniqueness of the group composition and the remote setting. I appreciated the collective owning of the reality of the climate situation and collectively honoring our group. I found it useful to get a framework for dealing with and even celebrating the grief and anxiety and that process is healing. I learned I can choose joy despite the circumstances."
Anonymous Interpretive NPS Ranger
" This was one of the best and most useful NPS trainings I have had in my NPS career. Emotionally processing climate change and mass extinction was not something I had training in. This class changed me. It lighted my stress burden. I feel distinctly lighter as I face this fire season. Kara gave us a road map and prescriptions for how to go through this, together. I heard other people give voice their emotions, I found emotions I hadn't put into words in myself. The activities were incredibly effective in helping me identify and process my fears, sadness, emptiness and anger."
Anonymous NPS Ranger
"I found the sharing to be deeply healing, not just in sympathy and being heard, but in becoming re-energized and motivated in a fresh way. It is novel to feel whole and held - at work! Kara is a wonderful facilitator and practitioner of group discussion. Thank you!!
Anonymous Interpretive Naturalist
"I appreciated the bonding with others similarly concerned. I appreciated being able to express our sorrow openly. I really see the value in getting our personal emotions addressed in order to have the strength to tackle climate change solutions with real passion.
Anonymous NPS Ranger
" I liked learning categories to understand my ongoing experience. Its helpful to get words to describe the dissonance of living today. I had been helpless, cynical and hopeless. I needed to move through my numbness and nihlism. I now know that grief and love are twins and that grief is an ongoing experience to embrace and tend to - it is a sign that I love. Love is what keeps me caring and acting. I now know I need to connect with others to process grief!
Anonymous Participant
"I learned I can act out of love, regardless of the outcome. I learned I can show up and be present through this. I see I have to grieve the old hopes I used to have that are no longer realistic and supplement them with new hopes, goals and action steps - new definitions of success and progress!"
Anonymous NPS Ranger
" I loved learning and practicing skills to process, grieve and look at the world differently. This pulled me out of the day to day and allowed me to really experience my feelings...at work! I think this is very important to be able to acknowledge our emotions and express vulnerability with coworkers - especially those we work with and think about climate change a lot. Thank you so much!"
Anonymous Interpretive Naturalist
"This was a space to feel safe and heard. I learned new says to connect with my emotions, especially when I was with others. It connected numbers and data with our experience of the facts! This was so valuable bringing emotional and self awareness to the work place."
Anonymous Participant
"Kara gave space, energy and intimacy to really focus and share our experience. This gave me permission to grieve what is happening. The pace and format were perfect. Kara absolutely made us all feel safe and shared by example. The connections we made with each other was also meaningful!