Our work in the world and on this site is to apprentice to the metaphors of nature, the stories of humans in our lives, and the experiences we open ourselves to as we ask these questions:

How are we called to care for ourselves and grow into our full maturity?

How can we consciously create healing, nurturing spaces for and communities for rearing children and adolescents, not just our own, but all of them?

What are stories and myths that can guide us towards an expansive Mothering archetype, one that cares for her children by caring for all of Earth in a connected and reflective way?

The Ponderosa is a tree that grows in the margins, between the basins and the beginning of the ascent into the mountains. They signal a change in geography, much as the time we live in is signaling a need for us to shift how we are showing up collectively.

Ponderosa comes from the Latin root “ponderosus,” which means large, heavy or weighty. 

The Ponderosa is a drought tolerant tree, she knows how to stretch down and manifest sturdy taproots to help her find water in harsh conditions. This taproot sustains her and helps her hold firmly to the ground throughout the furling winds of life’s storms.

The Ponderosa lives in harmony with her ecosystem, providing food and shelter for squirrels, birds, and insects. As these animals feed on her it changes her chemistry, making her more resistant to threats. Fungi grow underneath her canopy and extend the reach of the tree’s roots, helping her get more nutrients while the Ponderosa provides the fungi with carbohydrates.

The Ponderosa, a tree that was first discovered near the place we both grew up, emerged as we were searching for an umbrella word for our work. We hope to apprentice to her in this space, to explore difficult, weighty things with a sense of rootedness. Ponderosa-ings are our offers to the world; our attempts to create spaces for interconnected communities and ecosystems where we can work together for the well-being of the whole. We hope our work and writing provides an invitation into the in-between spaces, as our planet finds itself in a time Francis Weller refers to as the “the long dark.” Just as the Ponderosa puts down her taproots and grows firmly, seeking the water deep underground in times of dwindling resources, we hope to gather wisdom, write “ponderings,” and offer workshops here that help us all do the same.

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Natalia Parker & Rae Swenson