Shauna Walch

I dream of visiting Yellowstone, our country’s oldest, most iconic National Park. I have been blessed to visit a number of national parks but have yet to experience Yellowstone’s lush forests, expansive grasslands, amazing geysers and wealth of wildlife. Yellowstone speaks to our need for wide open natural spaces that make us feel greeted by, grounded in, and grown by nature. Yellowstone, and a visit to Old Faithful would be an awe-filled restorative experience.

Among my favorite adventures was planting toy dinosaurs along a Bryce Canyon trail to keep our boys interested in exploring when they were young. However, my favorite adventure was road biking and hiking in Italy and Switzerland. It was my first trip abroad and the air, sky, and countrysides felt otherworldly (softer). Going abroad also made me appreciate how much nature I could, and had yet to, explore in America. Many of my favorite adventures involve waterfalls and deep green forests.

I would, if the National Park service agreed, create plans for - or participate in actively building a Compass Point nature-based healing site (see thecompassrocks.org). I would (along with camping, exploring, and relaxing in the park), use or donate the monies to have Compass Rocks etched and placed to provide a place of hope and healing that recognizes how nature heals us and how we, in turn, are called to show compassion for the natural world. I would make the trip with family and friends.