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Celebrating Each Step
The wood mulch we’ve been waiting for has finally started rolling in. This is a resource we’re able to get for free from tree service companies when they’re working in the area. We were promised some earlier this fall, but for some reason they ended up dumping it elsewhere. But now, our township is trimming the trees along all the area roads and has said they will bring the mulch from this project to us.
Wood mulch is something that will always be helpful to us. Right now we’re using it to fill in some of the wet areas to be able to get the equipment back in to work. We also plan to use it as organic material to build the soil once we put our topsoil back down. We’ll likewise be using it to spread on our trails and pathways. In the past, we’ve had it dumped for using in our gardens.
Wood mulch is an excellent compost as it encourages the growth of mycorrhizal fungi, which are symbiotic with plant roots and support the functions of a healthy soil. Continuously adding more organic material of various kinds to the soil, and cultivating as little as possible will help our soil to become more and more fertile, as well as hold water better. Once we have all our systems in place, it will become ever easier to create an abundant and happy ecosystem. We celebrate each step that brings us ever closer to that time.
~ Jean
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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.
