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DTSTART:20261015T160000
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UID:CiviCRM_EventID_209_eb0a7271be48ae642faad4579b5161fe@secure.quakerearthcare.org
SUMMARY:QEW Fall Gathering 2026 (In Person)
X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC
  "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"><html><body><p><img al
 t="" src="https://secure.quakerearthcare.org/civic
 rm/mosaico/img?src=https%3A%2F%2Fsecure.quakereart
 hcare.org%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fcivicrm%2Fpe
 rsist%2Fcontribute%2Fimages%2Fuploads%2FEvent_Imag
 e_c448489439355da4fecd4a355cc9766d.png&method=resi
 ze&params=570%2Cnull" style="width:950px\;height:5
 35px\;" /></p>\n \n <p>This Fall\, our community w
 ill gather around the theme <b>"The Fires that Ren
 ew."</b> The world we face in 2026 is too often co
 nsumed by destructive forces. Both literal and met
 aphorical\, we face renewed firestorms in the natu
 ral world from decades of mismanagement to the gro
 wing heat waves of climate change. Yet we also fac
 e a great firestorm in our global political confli
 cts and the reckless race for global dominance in 
 technology\, economy\, and power. <em>Yet this is 
 not the only kind of fire.</em></p>\n \n <p><stron
 g>The <em>landscape of Iowa</em> and the <em>lands
 capes of our souls and history</em> are the same.<
 /strong> The same fires that move through us and d
 esolate what once was can bare the Earth for the s
 eeds of renewal. The prairie was an ecosystem buil
 t not just to survive fire\, but built by it. With
 out fire\, the great plains would turn to woodland
 s – it is only through fire that a prairie can be 
 maintained. <strong>We are called to fill the seed
 bank with hope. </strong>Beyond those fires that d
 estroy by consuming their own fuel\, there is an i
 nward fire a fire of the Spirit\, that burns and c
 reates without consuming. Like Moses recognizing t
 he Sacred Presence in a burning bush\, or the autu
 mn trees glowing with light from an October Sun\, 
 we will gather to remember that <i>all</i> ground 
 is holy\, and that the fires we face are not just 
 an ending but a beginning. Come to tend this inwar
 d fire within yourself as we awaken to one another
  and the calling within.</p>\n \n <h3><strong>An U
 nforgettable Experience - Check out our Advanced A
 genda Highlights below!</strong></h3>\n \n <p>Whet
 her you are looking to get your hands in the soil\
 , deepen your spiritual practice\, or forge lastin
 g connections with fellow Friends\, this weekend o
 ffers a space for both learning and renewal. Below
  are the key experiences awaiting you on our <u><s
 trong><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/
 1Kdwtllr-s2vzu8_HFBWYOAI4COMLOJGt52_fLrec1Sk/edit?
 tab=t.vx1rahilpxo4">In-Person Agenda</a></strong><
 /u>:</p>\n \n <ol>\n 	<li>\n 	<p><strong>A Guided 
 Journey Through Pre-Columbian Iowa</strong> <em>(T
 hursday Evening)</em> Kick off the weekend with a 
 rare opportunity to hear the true\, pre-colonial h
 istory of the Great Plains. Led by habitat restora
 tion expert Jim Kessler alongside Prairiewoods sta
 ff\, we will step out of the standard conference m
 indset to explore native flora\, habitat restorati
 on\, and contrast Indigenous perspectives of the E
 arth with colonial narratives. It’s a unique chanc
 e to envision a rewilded Iowa with the people who 
 know it best.</p>\n 	</li>\n 	<li><strong>Hands-On
  Prairie Restoration with Local Experts</strong> <
 em>(Friday Morning)</em> Instead of just talking a
 bout earthcare\, we are putting it into practice. 
 Join experts from the Indian Creek Nature Center a
 nd Prairiewoods for an exclusive\, hands-on practi
 cum in prairie restoration. You will get the uniqu
 e experience of learning native ecosystem manageme
 nt and invasive species removal directly from loca
 l professionals while actively restoring the lands
 cape together.</li>\n 	<li><strong>Keynote: Indige
 nous Leader\, Sikowis Nobiss\, speaks on Rematriat
 ion </strong><em>(Friday Afternoon)</em><br />\n 	
 We are thrilled to welcome Sikowis Nobiss (Plains 
 Cree/Saulteaux)\, founder of the Great Plains Acti
 on Society. Drawing from her frontline experience 
 fighting the Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Ro
 ck\, her Friday afternoon address will center on r
 adical Truth-Telling\, dismantling the colonial my
 ths of westward expansion to face the real history
  of the land. Ultimately\, she will guide us towar
 d ReMatriation: a profound shift in stewardship th
 at treats the Earth not as property to be consumed
 \, but as a living relative to be fiercely protect
 ed and restored.</li>\n 	<li><strong>Worship for t
 he Land </strong><em>(Each Morning and Evening)</e
 m><br />\n 	We will gather together outside each d
 ay to engage in Quaker Worship\, Holding in the Li
 ght the land and all its inhabitants. Friends will
  be invited on Friday morning\, before our service
  action\, to pray outloud for the land and share b
 oth our deepest hopes for this land and our accomp
 animent with the wounds it carries – past and pres
 ent.</li>\n 	<li><strong>Self-Exploration of our O
 wn Part on this Sojourn Together</strong> <em>(Hom
 e Groups Each Day)</em> All participants will jour
 ney through the weekend alongside a small group of
  Friends known as a "home group." This is a unique
  opportunity for shared prayer\, self-exploration\
 , and deep vulnerability forging unforgettable rel
 ationships that can last lifetimes. Each group wil
 l take a sojourn from our own stories of trauma an
 d loss <em>(the fires in our own lives)</em> towar
 ds the fires within ourselves that can lead us bac
 k to our true self and leading in this world.</li>
 \n </ol>\n \n <h3>Gathering Details:</h3>\n \n <ul
 >\n 	<li>\n 	<p><b>Arrival:</b> Participants can b
 egin arriving on Thursday\, October 15th at 3:00 P
 M.</p>\n 	</li>\n 	<li>\n 	<p><b>Programming:</b> 
 Begins Thursday at 4:00 PM and concludes after lun
 ch on Saturday\, October 17th.</p>\n 	</li>\n 	<li
 >\n 	<p><b>Who is Invited:</b> All are welcome to 
 this retreat to build community\, get to know QEW\
 , deepen our connection with Earth and self\, and 
 strengthen our collective witness for the communit
 y of Life.</p>\n 	</li>\n </ul>\n \n <blockquote>\
 n <p><b>Registration Deadline:</b> Please <b>regis
 ter by October 3rd</b> at the latest.</p>\n \n <p>
 <i>If you are registering after that date</i>\, yo
 u will need to receive a double confirmation. The 
 automatic reply email does not guarantee space\, b
 ut confirms we received your request. You will rec
 eive a personal follow-up email if a room is avail
 able for you.</p>\n </blockquote>\n \n <p>If you a
 re in need of transportaton to Prairiewoods for th
 e event\, or if you are able to drive others and p
 ick them up from local transportation sites\, plea
 se take a minute to fill out the <u><strong><a hre
 f="https://forms.gle/dBu9rNpeJiENAG8k6">Fall Gathe
 ring Carpool Survey</a></strong></u>.<br />\n <br 
 />\n We have a really exciting agenda - click here
  to check it out! (<strong><a href="https://docs.g
 oogle.com/document/d/1Kdwtllr-s2vzu8_HFBWYOAI4COML
 OJGt52_fLrec1Sk/edit?usp=sharing"><u>Check Out Our
  Agenda Here</u>)</a></strong></p>\n \n <h3>This i
 s the registration form for the in-person meeting.
  <strong>If you plan to attend virtually\, <u><a h
 ref="https://secure.quakerearthcare.org/civicrm/ev
 ent/info?reset=1&id=212">please click here</a>.</u
 ></strong></h3></body></html>
DESCRIPTION:\n \n \n \n This Fall\, our community will gather 
 around the theme "The Fires that Renew." The world
  we face in 2026 is too often consumed by destruct
 ive forces. Both literal and metaphorical\, we fac
 e renewed firestorms in the natural world from dec
 ades of mismanagement to the growing heat waves of
  climate change. Yet we also face a great firestor
 m in our global political conflicts and the reckle
 ss race for global dominance in technology\, econo
 my\, and power. Yet this is not the only kind of f
 ire.\n \n \n \n The landscape of Iowa and the land
 scapes of our souls and history are the same. The 
 same fires that move through us and desolate what 
 once was can bare the Earth for the seeds of renew
 al. The prairie was an ecosystem built not just to
  survive fire\, but built by it. Without fire\, th
 e great plains would turn to woodlands – it is onl
 y through fire that a prairie can be maintained. W
 e are called to fill the seedbank with hope. Beyon
 d those fires that destroy by consuming their own 
 fuel\, there is an inward fire a fire of the Spiri
 t\, that burns and creates without consuming. Like
  Moses recognizing the Sacred Presence in a burnin
 g bush\, or the autumn trees glowing with light fr
 om an October Sun\, we will gather to remember tha
 t all ground is holy\, and that the fires we face 
 are not just an ending but a beginning. Come to te
 nd this inward fire within yourself as we awaken t
 o one another and the calling within.\n \n \n \n A
 n Unforgettable Experience - Check out our Advance
 d Agenda Highlights below!\n \n \n Whether you are
  looking to get your hands in the soil\, deepen yo
 ur spiritual practice\, or forge lasting connectio
 ns with fellow Friends\, this weekend offers a spa
 ce for both learning and renewal. Below are the ke
 y experiences awaiting you on our In-Person Agenda
  (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Kdwtllr-s2vz
 u8_HFBWYOAI4COMLOJGt52_fLrec1Sk/edit?tab=t.vx1rahi
 lpxo4):\n \n \n \n \n 	\n 	A Guided Journey Throug
 h Pre-Columbian Iowa (Thursday Evening) Kick off t
 he weekend with a rare opportunity to hear the tru
 e\, pre-colonial history of the Great Plains. Led 
 by habitat restoration expert Jim Kessler alongsid
 e Prairiewoods staff\, we will step out of the sta
 ndard conference mindset to explore native flora\,
  habitat restoration\, and contrast Indigenous per
 spectives of the Earth with colonial narratives. I
 t’s a unique chance to envision a rewilded Iowa wi
 th the people who know it best.\n \n \n 	\n 	Hands
 -On Prairie Restoration with Local Experts (Friday
  Morning) Instead of just talking about earthcare\
 , we are putting it into practice. Join experts fr
 om the Indian Creek Nature Center and Prairiewoods
  for an exclusive\, hands-on practicum in prairie 
 restoration. You will get the unique experience of
  learning native ecosystem management and invasive
  species removal directly from local professionals
  while actively restoring the landscape together.\
 n 	Keynote: Indigenous Leader\, Sikowis Nobiss\, s
 peaks on Rematriation (Friday Afternoon)\n \n 	We 
 are thrilled to welcome Sikowis Nobiss (Plains Cre
 e/Saulteaux)\, founder of the Great Plains Action 
 Society. Drawing from her frontline experience fig
 hting the Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Rock\
 , her Friday afternoon address will center on radi
 cal Truth-Telling\, dismantling the colonial myths
  of westward expansion to face the real history of
  the land. Ultimately\, she will guide us toward R
 eMatriation: a profound shift in stewardship that 
 treats the Earth not as property to be consumed\, 
 but as a living relative to be fiercely protected 
 and restored.\n 	Worship for the Land (Each Mornin
 g and Evening)\n \n 	We will gather together outsi
 de each day to engage in Quaker Worship\, Holding 
 in the Light the land and all its inhabitants. Fri
 ends will be invited on Friday morning\, before ou
 r service action\, to pray outloud for the land an
 d share both our deepest hopes for this land and o
 ur accompaniment with the wounds it carries – past
  and present.\n 	Self-Exploration of our Own Part 
 on this Sojourn Together (Home Groups Each Day) Al
 l participants will journey through the weekend al
 ongside a small group of Friends known as a "home 
 group." This is a unique opportunity for shared pr
 ayer\, self-exploration\, and deep vulnerability f
 orging unforgettable relationships that can last l
 ifetimes. Each group will take a sojourn from our 
 own stories of trauma and loss (the fires in our o
 wn lives) towards the fires within ourselves that 
 can lead us back to our true self and leading in t
 his world.\n \n \n Gathering Details:\n \n \n \n 	
 \n 	Arrival: Participants can begin arriving on Th
 ursday\, October 15th at 3:00 PM.\n \n \n 	\n 	\n 
 	Programming: Begins Thursday at 4:00 PM and concl
 udes after lunch on Saturday\, October 17th.\n \n 
 \n 	\n 	\n 	Who is Invited: All are welcome to thi
 s retreat to build community\, get to know QEW\, d
 eepen our connection with Earth and self\, and str
 engthen our collective witness for the community o
 f Life.\n \n \n 	\n \n \n \n Registration Deadline
 : Please register by October 3rd at the latest.\n 
 \n \n \n If you are registering after that date\, 
 you will need to receive a double confirmation. Th
 e automatic reply email does not guarantee space\,
  but confirms we received your request. You will r
 eceive a personal follow-up email if a room is ava
 ilable for you.\n \n \n \n \n If you are in need o
 f transportaton to Prairiewoods for the event\, or
  if you are able to drive others and pick them up 
 from local transportation sites\, please take a mi
 nute to fill out the Fall Gathering Carpool Survey
  (https://forms.gle/dBu9rNpeJiENAG8k6).\n \n \n \n
  We have a really exciting agenda - click here to 
 check it out! (Check Out Our Agenda Here)\n \n \n 
 \n This is the registration form for the in-person
  meeting. If you plan to attend virtually\, please
  click here (https://secure.quakerearthcare.org/ci
 vicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=212).\n 
CATEGORIES:Meeting
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
DTSTAMP;TZID=America/New_York:20261015T160000
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261015T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261017T130000
LOCATION:120 E Boyson Rd\n Hiawatha\, IA 52233\n United Sta
 tes\n 
URL:https://secure.quakerearthcare.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=209
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR