The calendar shows events we are part of and events we are sponsoring. Do you have an event we should know about? Send us a message.
Earth Rising Retreat at Gaea Retreat Center
Saturday, April 26 from 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Retreat will be held Friday April 25th- Sunday April 27th
Location: Gaea Retreat Center, 25110 235th St, McLouth, KS 66054, USA
Join us for an inspiring and nature-connected day at the Earth Rising Retreat!
Time & Date: Sat April 26, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM (Program with The Resilient Activist)
Come celebrate Earth Day with an enriching experience at the Gaea Retreat Center in McLouth, Kansas. This event is focused on deepening our connection to the natural world and fostering resilience in the face of environmental challenges.
Event Details:
10:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Sami Aaron, founder of The Resilient Activist, will lead a 10-minute nature-centered grounding meditation, followed by a 20 min introduction to the Five Essentials for a Resilient World. This segment will explore how we can embody a way of living that embraces our connection with nature.
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Anna Graether, TRA board member and Extension Master Naturalist, will present an hour long Gardening for Wildlife presentation, offering practical tips on how to create gardens that benefit local wildlife. There will also be time for a Q&A session, so bring your questions about how to support local ecosystems through gardening.
This event is a wonderful opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, learn valuable skills for living in harmony with nature, and recharge in the peaceful, nature-rich environment of Gaea Retreat Center.
Special Note:
The event is part of the Earth Rising festival, which focuses on care for the land and cultivating a sustainable relationship with the environment. We’ll be supporting underserved, persecuted participants and fostering a community that cares for the Earth.
Embodied Knowledges at Work: Exercising Indigeneity,
Indigenous Wisdom Essential for Responses to the Climate Crisis
Saturday, April 26 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm.
Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center, Auditorium,
4750 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO
Join The Resilient Activist Community and The Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council for Kansas City’s Earth Festival workshop, “Embodied Knowledges at Work: Exercising Indigeneity, Indigenous Wisdom Essential for Responses to the Climate Crisis”
The workshop will discuss Indigeneity: Indigenous ingenuity and wisdom derived from millennia of careful mindfulness and attentiveness to place, and the recognition that the land, water, air, and all life on this Mother Earth are relatives not resources. The workshop will explore how this indigenous wisdom is essential for resilient responses to the climate crisis.
The program will include presentations by Dr. Daniel Wildcat, small group discussions, and reports from small groups. Attendees will be able to visit tables with information about ways to be involved with local environmental and climate organizations before and after the workshop.
Dr. Daniel Wildcat (Yuchi, Muscogee) is a faculty member in the Indigenous and American Indian Studies program at Haskell Indian Nations University. He currently leads the NSF- funded Rising Voices, Changing Coasts Hub at Haskell. He is the author and editor of several books, including: Red Alert! Saving the Planet with Indigenous Knowledge and On Indigenuity: Learning the Lessons of Mother Earth.
This workshop is a part of the Climate Council of GKC’s Earth Fest 2025. For all Festival events visit us ONLINE: https://climategkc.org/EF25
We thank the following groups for cosponsoring this workshop:
- MO Department of Conservation’s Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center
- Climate Council of GKC
- The Resilient Activist
- Sustainable Sanctuary
- Heartland Conservation Alliance
- Kansas City Indian Center
- Bridging the Gap
The program will include presentations by Dr. Daniel Wildcat, small group discussions, and reports from small groups.
Dr. Daniel Wildcat (Yuchi, Muscogee) is a distinguished professor at Haskell Indian Nations University and is a faculty member in the American Indian studies program.
He currently leads the NSF- funded Rising Voices, Changing Coasts Hub at Haskell. Dr. Daniel Wildcat is the author and editor of several books, including: Red Alert! Saving the Planet with Indigenous Knowledge and On Indigeneity: Learning the Lessons of Mother Earth.
Overwhelmed by Climate Change?
You’re Not Alone.
Spring brings with it a season of renewal and growth, a time when the earth awakens and we, too, find new energy to rise and reconnect. As the world around us blooms, we come together to nurture our planet and one another. This shared space of community empowers us to cultivate strength, vision, and hope for a more vibrant and equitable future. Together, we transform these simple gatherings into powerful forces for positive change, allowing resilience to grow and flourish in our hearts and the world around us.
The Resilient Activist Climate Café Gatherings offer a valuable opportunity to connect with a community that gets you, fill your cup, and gain resilience insights. Our community is full of folks who are experiencing many of the emotions that climate change has brought out in your heart and mind.
Running for about 90 minutes, our Climate Café Gatherings include an introspective meditation, invitation to the topic of the evening (i.e., burnout, isolation, nature connection, etc.), breakout room conversations, and an ending group discussion.
There is nothing for you to commit to except to gather your favorite beverage, a journal, find a comfortable spot with your Zoom window open, and just be you.
Each session includes facilitators from The Resilient Activist as well as a Climate-Aware Therapist to guide the conversations in ways that are supportive and nurturing.
Register here for our April Climate Café Gathering.
We’re committed to keeping our Climate Café Gatherings free for everyone. If you’re able to contribute, your generous donation to The Resilient Activist will help us ensure this vital program remains accessible to all.
Here are some musings from past participants:
“Each time I attend a Climate Café, I feel more connected to others, knowing that our communal love for Mother Earth is so strong and enduring. I come away more grounded, knowing that in the midst of so much chaos, there is compassion, care, and action for all living creatures.”
“Community support is vital for dealing with anxiety around environmental issues. I’m so happy TRA has facilitated discussions like tonight’s Climate Cafe’ and look forward to future conversations.”
“I faced my problem, now I can work on it. This is huge.”
“If you are looking for like minded people who are working in a positive way toward goals for climate advocacy, this is your group!”
KC Farm School Work Day: A Morning of Gardening & Community 🌻
Date: Saturday May 3, 2025
4223 Gibbs Rd, Kansas City, KS
Join The Resilient Activist and the staff of KC Farm School for this work day event. Depending on weather, we’ll help with planting annuals or work in the greenhouse transplanting seedlings. Wear clothes that can get dirty (layers are recommended), bring some water and get ready to enjoy working as a community!
KC Farm School
“KC Farm School at Gibbs Road, established in 2018, is a 14.5-acre urban farm in southern Wyandotte County bringing the community on-farm, hands-on to connect to land and soil, food community and opportunity. Through educational opportunity and equitable access to local food for all, we create tomorrow better than today in our shared communities across KC. Our food and programming are always Pay What You’re Able. When we all share as we’re able, we all have what we need. The Farm School at Gibbs Road Inc., doing business as KC Farm School at Gibbs Road, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.”
Highlights for the Day
Highlights for the DayDepending on the weather during our work day we could be inside of the Greenhouse or working outside in the sun. Be prepared with sturdy shoes that can handle a little mud, layers are a good idea as the greenhouse can heat up quick.
If it’s your first time at the Farm set aside some time after to take a tour of their beautiful and extensive plot. If you’re lucky enough someone from the Farm School might be able to give you a guided tour with history of the land and their plans for the future.
Why Nature-Connection is Important 🍄🟫
We *are* nature but our culture and lifestyle can separate from our connection with our environment. Re-establishing our sense of awareness and belonging in nature by breaking down barriers and spending more time outdoors helps each of us in different ways. It can reduce anxiety and depression, improve physical health, inspire creativity, improve clarity of thought, facilitate problem-solving, and help us gain perspective.
In a society where loneliness is an epidemic, rediscovering our sense of belonging within nature can help us feel a little less adrift and provide comfort when relationships with others fall short.
Work Day Leader
This event is led by Sarah Mayerhofer, a board member of The Resilient Activist, Sustainability Consultant, and aspiring homesteader. She focuses on addressing climate change through education on food waste and composting, collaborating with nonprofits that are making a difference in the community, and inspiring individuals to make small, impactful changes in their lives for the environment.
Photo Credits: Sarah Mayerhofer
For our May 20th JEDI Book Club, we will be reading James by Percival Everett.
To register, click here to email Anne Melia, JEDI Book Club organizer.
A brilliant reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn—both harrowing and ferociously funny—told from the enslaved Jim’s point of view.
When Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his violent father.
As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond.
Brimming with the electrifying humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a literary icon, this brilliant and tender novel radically illuminates Jim’s agency, intelligence, and compassion as never before.
James is destined to be a major publishing event and a cornerstone of twenty-first-century American literature.
Overwhelmed by Climate Change?
You’re Not Alone.
In times of political instability and uncertainty about the future, our Climate Café Gatherings offer the opportunity to express your emotional experience, connect with a community that gets you, and gain resilience insights to support your activist journey. Our community is full of folks experiencing many of the same emotions that the climate crisis has brought out in your heart and mind.
Together, we cultivate strength as a united community of #ResilientActivists, empowered to create the change we wish to see in our world. Our shared mission transforms these simple gatherings into powerful forces for renewal.
Running for about 90 minutes, our Climate Café Gatherings include an introspective meditation, invitation to the topic of the evening (i.e., burnout, isolation, nature connection, etc.), breakout room conversations, and an ending group discussion.
There is nothing for you to commit to except to gather your favorite beverage, a journal, find a comfortable spot with your Zoom window open, and just be you.
Each session includes facilitators from The Resilient Activist as well as a Climate-Aware Therapist to guide the conversations in ways that are supportive and nurturing.
Want to see our Climate Café Gatherings flourish and expand? Your donation, if you’re able, empowers us to grow and reach even more people. Support The Resilient Activist today!
Register here for our May Climate Café Gathering.
Here are some musings from past participants:
“Each time I attend a Climate Café, I feel more connected to others, knowing that our communal love for Mother Earth is so strong and enduring. I come away more grounded, knowing that in the midst of so much chaos, there is compassion, care, and action for all living creatures.”
“Community support is vital for dealing with anxiety around environmental issues. I’m so happy TRA has facilitated discussions like tonight’s Climate Cafe’ and look forward to future conversations.”
“I faced my problem, now I can work on it. This is huge.”
“If you are looking for like minded people who are working in a positive way toward goals for climate advocacy, this is your group!”
Yoga in the Park – Resilience in Our Community
Date: May 31, 7-8 PM
Location: 45th & Gillham, South End of Park
Join us for a special evening of resiliency and connection as Sarah Mayerhofer leads a sunset flow designed for all levels of yoga.
Whether you’re new to yoga or have been practicing for years, this class will offer a supportive space to cultivate resilience, both individually and as a community.
Bring your mat, some water, and a friend — and let’s come together in the beautiful outdoors to nurture our minds, bodies, and spirits.
Why we offer mindfulness events…
We live in a world that promotes chronic busyness, distraction, and negative news. Our mindfulness events offer people new perspectives, renewed energy, and enhanced clarity that empower them to show up better prepared to face life’s demands.
In times of change, yoga helps us build strength, balance, and connection to the world around us. Let’s embrace this moment of collective renewal.
We can’t wait to see you at Gillham Park! 🧘🏽
If you have questions, contact Sarah Mayerhofer at saamayerhofer@theresilientactivist.org.
Seeds of Life Garden Tour 🪻
Revitalizing Urban Land for People and Nature
Date: Sunday June 8th, 3-5 PM
Location: Seeds of Life Garden in Lee’s Summit
(exact address will be provided at the time of registration)
Register here!
Parking: Street parking available 🅿️
Restrooms: Not available on-site 🚻
At Seeds of Life Gardens, Linda Chubbuck and Stan Slaughter have created an inspiring space where nature and community thrive together. Located in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, the garden stands as a living testament to what is possible when we reimagine vacant urban land not just as a space to be filled, but as a canvas for growth, resilience, and sustainability.
The project began with two residential lots that had been damaged by flooding from the nearby creek. Both homes and utilities were removed, leaving the area abandoned. In January 2022, ownership of these lots was transferred from the City of Lee’s Summit to Linda and Stan, marking the start of a transformative journey.
Seeds of Life Gardens was founded with a clear mission: to benefit nature, the Web of Life, and all creatures—including humans. This mission is deeply rooted in the belief that by healing the land, we heal ourselves. The garden has been designed as an educational space to showcase what can be achieved with urban, vacant ground, offering valuable lessons for the neighborhood, the city, and beyond.
Though the project faces unique challenges, including no water service and the prohibition of fencing due to FEMA flood regulations, Linda and Stan have turned these obstacles into opportunities. Situated on a heavily trafficked walking route, the garden is highly visible, allowing for meaningful engagement and learning. Since its inception, Seeds of Life Gardens has flourished, with hundreds of native perennials and grasses planted in the wildflower garden, 15 fruit trees added to establish a food forest, and a sizable vegetable bed created. The strategic use of berming and soil improvement techniques has allowed the garden to manage floodwaters effectively, while revitalizing the local habitat.
This garden is more than just a beautiful space—it’s a testament to the power of resilience. From two vacant patches of land, Linda and Stan have cultivated an ecosystem where both plants and people thrive. As part of The Resilient Activist’s mission to support sustainability and community-building, Seeds of Life Gardens exemplifies how we can take action on urban land to create something restorative and impactful.
We invite you to visit and witness the progress and life that has emerged from these once-vacant lots. Come and experience the buzzing energy of nature in action, and learn how small, thoughtful steps can create lasting change for both our environment and our communities.
Why we offer mindfulness events…
We live in a world that promotes chronic busyness, distraction, and negative news. Our mindfulness events offer people new perspectives, renewed energy, and enhanced clarity that empower them to show up better prepared to face life’s demands.
We can’t wait to see you at The Seeds of Life Garden on June 8th! 🌻
If you have questions, contact Anna Graether at anna@theresilientactivist.org
The Longest Light: Illuminating Inner Radiance 🌞
Retreat Date: Saturday June 21st, 10am – 4pm
Location: Rising Ranch in Oskaloosa, KS
Register here by June 18!
As the sun reaches its peak on the longest day of the year, you are invited to pause—to reconnect to the brilliance of the natural world and your own inner being.
The Longest Light is a day-long silent retreat thoughtfully designed to help you soften, reconnect, and remember who you are beneath the noise of daily life.
Nestled amidst the serene beauty of the land at Rising Ranch, this retreat will include periods of reflection and meditation, mindful movement, nature-based sensory exploration, a sound bath, and guided journaling.
The day will be facilitated by a team of mindfulness professionals committed to creating a safe and supportive environment while fostering a sense of shared community.
🧘🏽♀️ Retreat Facilitators
Facilitators include The Resilient Activist Founder and Climate Reality Leader Sami Aaron, Board Certified Music Therapist and Certified Laughter Yoga Leader Rachel Rilinger, and Mindfulness in the Heartland Founder Amy Zoe Schonhoff.
Whether you are relatively new to mindfulness or an experienced practitioner, this one-day retreat is carefully designed to offer you space and support in navigating the complexities of being human.
Let this solstice be your invitation to slow down, soften, and shine.
🌱 About the Venue
Rising Ranch, located in Oskaloosa, Kansas, just an hour from the Kansas City metro and twenty minutes north of Lawrence, Kansas, is a refuge, love-nest, and creative space for education innovator, Katie Boody Adorno and artist, Jay Norton.
Situated on 25 acres of beautifully maintained farmland, Rising Ranch provides scenic spaces and meandering paths ideal for reflection and contemplative practices.
🎟️ Registration Fee: Suggested $120 | Supporter $150 | Reduced $90
Space is limited to ensure an intimate, well-supported experience.
Registration deadline is June 18th!
Labyrinth Walk at Unity Village 🌼
Date: June 28th, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM CT
Location: Unity Village (1901 NW Blue Parkway, Unity Village, MO 64065)
Join The Resilient Activist community and our Board Member, Amy Schonhoff for a meditative walk through the Unity Village Labyrinth.
Welcome to the Unity Labyrinth, a masterpiece of craftsmanship and design. Spanning 6,358 square feet with a three-quarters-mile path, this 90-foot diameter labyrinth is the largest paver labyrinth in the United States. Designed in an 11-circuit medieval pattern, it features wide, wheelchair-accessible paths leading to three granite benches at its center. Created by a renowned stone artisan and completed in 2022, the labyrinth is a sanctuary for reflection and renewal.
Walking the labyrinth allows for focused contemplation on personal challenges, often leading to deep insights. The path inward and back fosters personal revelations. Beneath the stones lie messages and prayers from past visitors, enriching its contemplative atmosphere. This timeless addition, made possible with support from Unity donors, resonates deeply with the spirit of our times.
Why Nature-Connection is Important 🍄🟫
We *are* nature but our culture and lifestyle can separate from our connection with our environment. Re-establishing our sense of awareness and belonging in nature by breaking down barriers and spending more time outdoors helps each of us in different ways. It can reduce anxiety and depression, improve physical health, inspire creativity, improve clarity of thought, facilitate problem-solving, and help us gain perspective.
In a society where loneliness is an epidemic, rediscovering our sense of belonging within nature can help us feel a little less adrift and provide comfort when relationships with others fall short.
Our Walk Leader: Amy Schonhoff
Amy Zoe Schonhoff is the founder of Mindfulness in the Heartland, a certified teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction through the Mindfulness Center at Brown University, and a certified teacher of Advanced Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness.
Amy has also served as a nonprofit professional for over 20 years working in arts- and community-based organizations within Kansas City. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family, hiking outdoors, and creating a sanctuary for pollinators in her garden.
As a mindfulness practitioner and teacher, I have found the natural world provides meaningful refuge from the “anxiety of our time” and a splendid setting to explore the magic inherent in being a living, breathing consciousness within this dynamic, interconnected web of life. Through The Resilient Activist, it’s my intention to foster and support a community of like-hearted individuals grounded in mindfulness, wisdom, deep care for the natural world, and commitment to compassionate action.
Contact TRA Board Member Amy Schonhoff at azschonhoff@gmail.com with questions.
Photo Credit: Unity Village Website