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Update on Sanctuary Earthworks and Infrastructure Project
One of the gardens at Crossing Hedgerows Sanctuary
Last week we had our third consultation with Garden Juju Collective as they continue to work on the design and project management of making our vision a reality for the Sanctuary land. (As I write this, I realize that I neglected to let you all know that we had actually contracted with them to help us continue the pond excavation, land preparation, and building project.)
“Garden Juju Collective is a design consultancy that specialises in regenerative design and project management services. We offer a range of innovative workshops centered around redesign & healing of people, communities and ecosystems.
Led by Dr. Charlie Brennan and Bridget O’Brien, skilled and experienced designers, gardeners and educators. They are the co-creators of the design game, Adapt.”
I encourage you to dig into Charlie and Bridget’s websites to see the work they have been doing and what they are bringing to our project.
https://www.charliebrennan.info
https://gardenjujucollective.com
On a personal note, I have been acquainted with Bridget since 2013 when I met her at the Abundant Michigan Permaculture Ypsilanti meetings which we both attended regularly. I followed her activities over the years as she went to Australia to study with the co-developer of the permaculture design system, David Holmgren, and as she brought her powerful Adapt game to life. I saw Facebook pictures of her playing the game with people all around the world, including Vandana Shiva in India. I saw her doing workshops around the area with folks such as Deanne Bednar of the Strawbale Studio in Oxford. Then came the news that she had found a life partner in Australia, Dr. Charlie Brennan, and they were to be married.
After the failures with our previous contractors, and running into a brick wall with everyone else I tried to contact, I was delighted to discover that Bridget and Charlie had been going about quietly creating and growing a business that seemed to be exactly what we had been seeking. I immediately got in touch to find out if they could help, and after filling them in on our goals and previous attempts at bringing our ideas to fruition, they assured us that they could move us past our difficulties. Along with their own expertise, being in partnership with a team of professionals, such as an excavation company that understands ecological design processes, assured us that they can indeed get the job done.
Two of the design principles of permaculture include taking small and slow steps, and learning from feedback. I have been keeping these in mind as we have been progressing through this process. Slow and steady wins the race!
(If you are not familiar with permaculture and would like to learn more, here is a great place to start: https://permacultureprinciples.com )
Thank you again for believing in our vision and mission, and for all your support!
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.
