Dear MoonTree Community, In partnership with Marian University, MoonTree Studios has been playing an integral role in building and fostering a culture at their Ancilla College campus that emphasizes the importance of art, nature, and spirituality. As writing is one of the most culturally and socially significant forms of art that we often overlook, MoonTree has been working with students to improve their writing skills through the MoonTree Writing Lab. Facilitated through MoonTree by our Coordinator, Liz Symon, and myself, this writing lab is not so much a physical space as it is a relationship being fostered between the students and their writing mentors. Students work one-on-one with a master’s level tutor to improve their written work and receive a college credit that is required for them to pass their associated English course. This opportunity has nourished mutual learning and growth between the students and their instructors. MoonTree has also partnered with Marian University by providing instruction for a pivotal learning experience at the Ancilla campus focused on the arts and humanities. A required course for all prospective graduates, Humanities 210, “The Search for Meaning through Culture,” is geared towards “a study of artist’s expressions of human experience,” and “exploring human creativity from prehistory to our world today and the search for answers to enduring questions of existence.” Using MoonTree’s grounds and facilities as a hub for these engagements with students, we strive to cultivate a deeper and more meaningful relationship between the students and their natural environment. Much like the concept of forest bathing, the simple exposure to native prairie plants and visually open landscapes can have a significant impact on an individual’s physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing as well as their sense of place and responsibility within the broader ecosystem. This is all just the beginning for what we hope to be a fruitful and enduring collaboration between Marian University and MoonTree Studios. Thank you as always for your time, presence, and support in all our endeavors. In gratitude and joyful, loving service, Matthew Celmer Executive Director, MoonTree Studios | 
