It was 1972 and Bill Nickle was walking the steep mountainside of Hogskin Valley when he realized that his dream was becoming reality.
A dream born in the late 1960’s was starting to come to fruition as his vision of Narrow Ridge was laying before his eyes.
In the wake of the Vietnam War, healing and restoration were craved by our nation. Nickle along with likeminded men believed that this could be accomplished through a newfound connection with nature. They knew that this could only be done through having a deep understanding of our place on this Earth.
Thirty years later and this dream is still blossoming as Narrow Ridge continues to push forward with Earth Literacy programming that is rooted in a knowledge of nature and sustainable living.
These Earth literacy programs started after McGregor Smith, the founder of Earth Ethics Institute, planted a new way of thinking into Nickel’s mind.
After this, Nickel chartered Narrow Ridge once more in 1991 with a new enlightened mission. This mission stated that Narrow Ridge would provide “experiential learning in Earth literacy based on the cornerstones of community, sustainability, and spirituality.”
Over the past thirty years, Narrow Ridge has gone through many changes and made numerous improvements.
Mitzi Wood-Von Mizener, the Director of the Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center now for 13 years has had many opportunities to shape the way this program impacts our communities’ thought processes when it comes to sustainability.
One of the ways this is happening is though allowing visitors to engage in organic gardening and natural building while also diving into environmental issues that may not be thought of every day, such as conscious consumerism.
Mizener along with other stakeholders of the center have been anxiously awaiting the 30th anniversary of the Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center and celebrating its milestones.
This event, unfortunately, has been postposed due to the rise in Covid-19 cases in our communities.
“Our desire is to keep our friends and neighbors safe,” Mizener said. “We are hopeful that we will be able to reschedule the event for the spring and that you will be able to join us for the celebration.”
Although this past year and a half has been difficult for Narrow Ridge and centers alike, they are hopeful for what the future holds.
In the next 30 years, Narrow Ridge plans to continue providing community members and visitors with opportunities to immerse themselves in nature through there eco-lodging, hiking trails through their 150 plus acres of wilderness as well as their Earth literacy programs.
Narrow Ridge is continually promoting a healthy connection to nature as it allows people to deepen their commitment to sustainability and conservation.
“We are actively exploring more sustainable land use options for old fields and are also seeking to bolster our agriculture efforts,” Mizener said.
Through this Narrow Ridge will continue to meet its mission while also growing their program for many years to come.
While our community may not be able to come together now to celebrate, we can be hopeful for the future of this center and may even be able to celebrate more achievements when we are able to gather together again.
Readers can find more information about the Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center and updates on the postponed event at www.narrowridge.org or by contacting Mitzi Wood-Von Mizener at 865-497-2753 or community@narrowridge.org.