The role of the environment in our Community, whether built environment, nature, food growing, sustainability, innovative technology or Community places
In 1988 the personnel department asked me to take over as focaliser. It was a bit absurd, I was a teacher by trade and a novice in gardening, but as a dutiful student of the Foundation, I said "yes" to service.
In the beginning was the garden, and the garden continues, but the forms that express this spirit are today far different from those of nineteen years ago.
From 1978, around the nucleus of Fred and Dick Barton, the idea of a 'school within a garden' has grown and taken shape at Cullerne, a ten-acre property adjacent to the caravan park overlooking Findhorn Bay.
As I look out the window at the Park garden, the trees are bending with the gale-force gusts of wind, and rain is pelting down. How often we view our environment as though framed by the weather, and how often people have viewed Findhorn as though framed by the garden.
This amazing time-traveller's view is Dick Barton's way of describing in 1982 his 5 year vision for the Cullerne Garden School.
Now that I have accepted the role of focaliser at Cullerne for the next wee while, I must begin to look for the creative purpose of its being. Mine is a process of attunement to the earth, of quiet meditations in our rock garden, of listening and looking.
I attuned to Cullerne as my Experience Week work department without knowing what the name stood for. Four mornings over twenty years ago - how could such a short time have had such a powerful impact?
A very early 'brochure' giving information about the Garden School with many wonderful images.
These 2025 musings about people and projects offer a fascinating look back over 40+years. I was prompted to write this memoir as I had unearthed a copy of The Findhorn Foundation Tree Chronicle from 1984.
The chronicle was collated for the Findhorn Gardner's Library at Cullerne House in June 1984. It covers the early days, through the tree plantings in Pineridge, Cullerne and Caravan Park up to 1984.
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