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The Merwin Conservancy

Inspiring innovation in the arts and sciences by advancing the ideas of W.S. Merwin

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On the last day of the world
I would want to plant a tree
– W.S. Merwin


VIDEO STILL FROM "THRESHOLD," A SHORT FILM BY SAYLER/MORRIS

Sheltering, in this place

The Sitting Room: Sit in W.S. Merwin's meditation dojo, deep in the palm forest

While we navigate this uncertain moment, we offer an invitation to immerse yourself in the stillness and beauty of this extraordinary place. In "The Sitting Room," you can enter W.S. Merwin’s meditation dojo, at the heart of the palm forest.

The Sitting Room

Our Mission

We inspire innovation in the arts and sciences by advancing the ideas of W.S. Merwin – his life, work, house and palm forest – as fearless and graceful examples of the power of imagination and renewal.

Our Founders

William Stanley Merwin
(1927 – 2019)

Paula Dunaway Merwin
(1936-2017)

In 2010, William and Paula Merwin established The Merwin Conservancy to preserve and share the home and garden they made together on Maui. For over forty years, learning from the land as they went, the Merwins transformed a damaged landscape into a lush and rare palm garden. It is now one of the most important assemblages of palms in the world, and a singular place of stillness, wonder, and inspiration.

Putting Life Back Into the World

"In gardening, as my wife and I go about it here, what are called concerns–for ecology and the environment, for example–merge inevitably with work done every day, within sight of the house, with our own hands, and the concerns remain intimate and familiar rather than far away. They do not have to be thought about, they are at home in the mind. I have never lived anywhere that was more true."
— W.S. Merwin

Latest from the Garden

Hala Tree in Merwin Garden
“Migration,” by W.S. Merwin
A poem from W.S. Merwin's 1977 book, THE COMPASS FLOWER
The Entrance Bell
An object of ritual, old and new.
“Cover Note,” by W.S. Merwin
A selection from W.S. Merwin's 1994 collection, TRAVELS.
Give a friend a one-of-a-kind holiday gift: a message typed on W.S. Merwin’s typewriter
This little machine, which we recently found in W.S. Merwin’s attic, brought so much beauty to the world. It gives
“To the Margin,” by W.S. Merwin
A selection from W.S. Merwin's 2005 collection Present Company.
The “Garden of Verses” Program Guide
A program guide to the poems read during our Garden of Verses broadcast.
Storied Object - Typewriter
An Olympia Typewriter
Out of the attic, an old typewriter, paper still in the platen.
TEDxMaui 2012 Reception
A wink to a broader truth of our moment
All through these strange times, this house and garden delight. Last week, while cataloguing W.S. Merwin’s book collection we came
“Touching the Tree,” by W.S. Merwin
From W.S. Merwin's book The Rain in the Trees.

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Photos: Larry Cameron and Tom Sewell

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