Sacred Grove This Weekend

A small patch of Davis green belt will be transformed into a “Sacred Grove” for three evenings this weekend.

“The trees will speak, and people will respond by giving them tiny gifts and messages. Songs will be sung, stories told, and a baby tree will be welcomed to the green belt,” says event creator Laura Sandage. “Most people feel some kind of affinity for trees. This is an evening outdoors for all ages where people can enjoy deepening their connection to the urban forest.”

The cast of eight women from Davis and Woodland created the show from the ground up during a two-week collaborative process led by Sandage. Support from the City of Davis Arts & Cultural Affairs Program helped make it possible.

“I enjoyed getting to know a grove of trees that I had walked through many times but had never really spent time with,” says performer Doreen Conte. “I also made new friends and started writing simple songs and lyrics.”

Julia Jones, performer and Minister of Interfaith Forestry, says the project is very close to her mission. “Interfaith Forestry creates spaces in which people can focus their attention on what trees mean to them personally, with the understanding that when trees are meaningful to us, we will take better care of them. The Sacred Grove program has the potential to reach people in this way.”

Reservations at Eventbrite: Sacred Grove are recommended for the free event, which takes place at 7:00 PM on April 13, 14, and 15, in the green belt between Lassen Pl and St Elias Pl in West Davis.