Flora
Speckled Alder
Unopened catkins, a dried leaf, and buds on a speckled alder branch – January 2019
Dried flower “cones” and dried leaves on an alder branch – January 2019
Back in 2015, several years before the nonprofit was started, the Cavanaughs were planting quite a few different kinds of trees. We moved to the property in 2013 after having lived in South Florida for 14 years. Many of those years we were learning permaculture design techniques and growing tropical edible perennials and annuals.
One of the trees we decided to plant in 2015 was speckled alder (actually a large shrub, also known as gray alder). We planted several of them in various places due to their nitrogen fixing capacities, and being suitable for a very wet area.
Newly planted alder – May 2015
They were interspersed throughout the food forest we planted near our house to act as “nurse trees”, creating nitrogen in the soil that could be used by nearby plantings. Their catkins also produce pollen for the wild pollinator insects and for the honey bees that Brennah was keeping at the time.
Alders are a tree that will grow quickly and then die back as they are shaded out by bigger trees in a succession situation. For this reason, they’re great to plant in farm fields which are being converted to a food forest. As we complete the pond and earthworks in the old farm field, this will be a possible tree also to plant in that area along with fruit and nut trees, depending on how much the pond dries up the surrounding area.
Speckled alder – June 2019
I have touched on the food forest concept and permaculture practices in the past, as this has been part of our mission of growing food in community. This design system is one which uses the knowledge of our ancestors and indigenous wisdom to be in harmony with the rest of nature by building healthy ecosystems. Although we’re not experts, we have learned quite a bit, and hope to continue to build connections with others who have various skills and wish to see this community thrive.
It’s exciting to see how our membership is growing, and I’m looking forward to many great things in the coming year.
Bright Blessings,
Jean
Photos by Brennah Cavanaugh Photography LLC
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Written by : Jean Cavanaugh
Jean Cavanaugh is the founder and steward of Crossing Hedgerows Sanctuary, established in 2019 as a living, learning community devoted to reconnecting people with the wisdom of nature, the sacred order of creation, and the presence of Christ within all life. Her work brings together spiritual formation, ecological stewardship, ancestral wisdom, and hands-on community practice.
Through years of practical work on the land, study of the Mysteries, and the healing of her own severe health challenges through natural methods, Jean has come to recognize God’s hand at work throughout creation. Her teachings, rooted in the Mystery School tradition and Christian gnosis, explore how the patterns of heaven, earth, and the human body reveal the way back to divine presence, peace, and inner strength.
Jean leads with honesty, integrity, and a deeply welcoming spirit, inviting others to let go of inherited assumptions and rediscover truth through lived experience and embodied understanding. She works with all ages—from preschoolers to elders—offering programs and celebrations that emphasize direct engagement with nature, music, story, homesteading skills, and in-person community.
She and her family live at the 21-acre Crossing Hedgerows Sanctuary, where daily life reflects a commitment to simplicity, beauty, and harmony with the land. The sanctuary includes gardens, woodland trails, a seasonal creek, gathering circles, and spaces designed to nourish both people and wildlife. Jean is especially passionate about creating environments that are grounding, beautiful, and spiritually restorative.
Through her writing and teaching, Jean encourages others to know themselves, know creation, and recognize Christ as the living truth present within and around us—always inviting a return to love, beauty, and the sacred order of life.
