"Through monthly letters filled with brilliant photos of the natural world,

poetry prompts and wise reflections on the cycles and seasons

of the earth we were invited to explore our deeply personal relationships

to nature and to what we stand to lose."

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Merna Ann Hecht, Poetry of Nature participant and IPM Poetry Partner

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About this Program

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NanLeah and Geoff facilitate

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The Peace of Wild Things

 

When despair for the world grows in me

and I wake in the night at the least sound

in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,

I go and lie down where the wood drake

rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things

who do not tax their lives with forethought

of grief. I come into the presence of still water.

And I feel above me the day-blind stars

waiting for their light. For a time

I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

 

~ Wendell Berry

Listen to Wendell Berry read his poem.

  

What happens when we turn our energy and attention—our greetings, our gratitude—to the peace of wild things?

 

Since early September 2025 I’ve held this question the way we hold any invitation from Earth: with open palms, an open heart, and a willingness to listen. This is led me to create two dedicated sit spots, one outdoors and one indoors, in my backyard on the Olympic Peninsula, where our many teachers—feathered, rooted, furred, and flowing—wait patiently for us to notice.

 

In Wendell Berry’s beloved poem, The Peace of Wild Things, the speaker goes into the presence of wildness when “despair for the world grows” within him. He finds rest among creatures who “do not tax their lives with forethought of grief.”

 

It is a remembering—of rhythm, belonging, and original peace.

What happens when we, too, offer our gifts of presence and attention, to the peace of wild things?

 

For Poetry of Nature 2026, we invite you to explore these living questions:

● How can our peace of wild things practice shape our healing?

● How does it appear uniquely for each of us, and how does it reveal our connectedness?

● What do we receive—spiritually, emotionally, creatively—when we open ourselves to the quiet, steadying medicine Berry describes?

 

As we move through the seasons, we will hold these questions with open palms, hearts, and minds, letting Earth guide us. The birds and animals, the trees and plants, sun and moon, elements and cosmos—will become part of our circle of learning. Like the wood duck, resting in his beauty on the water, like the deer that come to rest here, these Beings remind us how to rest in presence, not worry.

 

Albert Einstein wrote, “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” Berry’s poem echoes the same wisdom: when we enter the presence of wildness, we discover clarity, grounding, and a more truthful way of being.

 

Let’s find our own place in the peace of wild things.

This 10-month program is for anyone who wants to look deeper into Nature—anyone who is open, curious, and yearning to practice peace on earth through presence.

 

On the first Sunday of each month, you’ll receive a letter from NanLeah—backyard naturalist, poet, and photographer. Her letters offer reflections inspired by Berry’s theme: how wild things, simply by being themselves, invite us into spaciousness and stillness. Through poems, nature notes, photography, quotations, and healing poem making prompts, you’ll experience how the peace of wild things asks nothing from us—yet gives so generously. 

 

If this calls to you, please consider joining us. Our monthly Poetry of Nature Circle is facilitated by NanLeah and Geoff Oelsner, who has co-led the Poetry of Nature group with NanLeah going on 7 years. He’s been a faculty member, and Board member of IPM for 13 years. The monthly Poetry of Nature Circle is open to 12 participants and meets on the second Monday of each month from 1–3 p.m. Pacific Time.  

 

Registration for the monthly Poetry Circle is open now through January 31st.

 

Letters Circle subscriptions are available throughout the year through either a one-time donation using the Letters option on this page or by a monthly subscription to the Letters Circle of Membership.

 

Experience with poetry or poem making is not required. Only your openness, curiosity, receptivity, and the willingness to listen with your heart-ears.

 

If you know individuals or organizations who would be nourished

by Poetry of Nature, please share our invitation.

 

What’s New for Year Seven of Poetry of Nature?

For the seventh year of Poetry of Nature (PON), we are excited to deepen our connection with each other and with the Earth, while welcoming more ways for you to engage, share, and grow together.

 

This year, we are creating a PON Commons, a private community space for all Poetry of Nature members. In this gathering place, we hope to create a more vibrant, interactive space to share poems, reflections, insights, and creative offerings. It will be a platform yet to be determined, and we welcome your suggestions for where this community might best thrive. Your input is invaluable, as we seek to build a space that is as open, receptive, and restorative as the wild things we celebrate.

 

We’re adding three special public Poetry Circles in alignment with the turning of the seasons:

• Spring Equinox

• Summer Solstice

• Autumn Equinox

   

These seasonal gatherings will be a time to pause, reflect, and celebrate the peace of wild things within Nature’s cycles. All Poetry of Nature members are invited to contribute to these circles. For each one, we’ll invite four PON members to share a poem they’ve written in response to the peace of wild things—whether it be through their personal connection with nature or their creative process. We’ll also dedicate time for aesthetic responses to the poetry shared and learn from each poet about their inspiration and poem-making journey.

 

For the final half hour, we’ll open up the circle to the community through a virtual Open Mic. Whether it’s a Nature poem you’ve written or a beloved piece by another poet, we encourage you to raise your hand and share. These seasonal circles will be open to the public, creating a chance for the wider community to join in the healing work of IPM and Poetry of Nature.

 

In these times when Nature’s wisdom is more essential than ever, we feel that Poetry of Nature can offer a powerful healing balm to our hearts, minds, and spirits. We are so grateful to continue this work with like-hearted souls and contribute to IPM’s mission of awakening the soulfulness of the human voice.

 

If you feel called to join us for Poetry of Nature 2026, we look forward to walking this journey with you, deeply connected to the peace of wild things.

 

May we all find our grace, as Berry did, in the peace of the wild things.

 

"When the natural world reawakens in every fiber of our

being the primal knowledge of connection and graces us

with a few moments of sheer awe, it can shatter hubris and

isolation so necessary to narcissistic defenses. Once this

has happened, ongoing contact with nature can keep these

insights alive and provide the motivation necessary for

continued change."

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~ Allen D. Kanner and Mary E. Gomes

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An example letter is available here.

 

“As I walk with you through your surrounds and feel your appreciation of Earth and her children- the trees, the birds, the rain, I feel more than healed- I feel emboldened to protect this inestimable gift, and I feel grateful to people like NanLeah and Geoff who are using their gifts to enlist us all in the most urgent call.” 

Cathey Capers, IPM Poetry Partner - Poetry as A Tool for Wellness ​