When we have reached a point where our own kind is steadily destroying the rest of life on earth and some of us are anxious not to do that, our relation to the earth begins to be that of a gardener to a garden.
W.S. MERWIn, from his essay “THE SHAPE OF WATER”
When W.S. Merwin died in March 2019, he left behind a legacy of boundless imagination, insight, and literary genius. William, together with his wife Paula, also left a second gift: the exuberant, ever-evolving palm forest and home they created together and lived in for over forty years.
In January 2020, The Merwin Conservancy became permanent custodians of this extraordinary place and its clear, unequivocal message of environmental renewal, possibility, and integrity.
GROVE GIVING CIRCLE
In the palm forest, near the garden shed and dojo, potted young palms remained on the shelves of the shade house where William grew them. These were the last unplanted trees in his collection.
With the help of the Grove Giving Circle donors, we planted the last of these trees throughout 2020. We gathered to plant these palms in a memorial grove at the edge of the forest. Together, we honored William and Paula’s vision to expand and share their beloved garden.
Mahalo to our Grove Giving Circle donors:
Anonymous
Colleen Chartier and Richard Andrews
Robert Becker
Carolee Campbell and Hector Elizondo
Sarah and Tim Cavanaugh
Susan Cooper Cronyn
Sacharuna Foundation
Donovan Family Fund
Suzanne and Don Carlos Dunaway
Jan Elliott
Elizabeth Ellrodt and Scott Schweighauser
Florence Foundation
Karin Frost
Jeanne Herbert
The Janie and Mark Davis Charitable Fund
Randall K C Kau and Elizabeth M. Olmsted
Susan and Jac Kean
Arlynna and Michael Livingston
Mary and Michael Lock
Michael Moore
Ruth Moser
Charles Engelhard Foundation
James Pickrel and Carolyn Woolley
Matthew C. Schwartz and Karen A. Levesque
Pauline and Bill Sheldon
Joanne Holmes Shigekane Fund
Lydia Shigekane
Alana Marie Levinson-LaBrosse and David Shook
Patricia O. Smith
Keith and Judy Swayne Fund
William True
Jonathan and Jane Wells
Jana and Howard Wolff
If you have any questions about the Grove Giving Circle, please reach out to us.
