We’re at a point now where you can truly feel and see how the Center will look. On the Council building, walls are up, the roof is on, and windows are being installed. The Lodge is still getting framed out as crews assemble the special “treehouse” section at the top of the structure. The Cabin is bringing up the rear but will also be ready on time. One structural feature adding to the process is the curved walls in each building; there are very few right angles anywhere! As women, of course, we endorse curves, and they make these spaces unique in wonderful ways. But it does take extra skill to build them.

The next step is hooking up utilities. Once we have permanent power and HVAC, we can install the interior finishes, which require steady temperatures and humidity to fit correctly.

Spring weather also means we can start on “hardscaping” (building paths and walkways) and landscaping. We’re still clearing out invasive plant species; then we’ll return native grasses and shrubs to the land using a special soil mix created for us. It will also be time to begin reforesting the campus. Every tree taken down for construction will be replaced and more will be added. We’ll plant some of those trees this spring and the rest this fall. 

For now, construction fencing has limited visits by rabbits, raccoons, and foxes, who are quite curious about what we’re doing. But it hasn’t stopped the birds! They’ve taken advantage of the lack of windows to create nests in some of our rafters. A family of robins has been busy in the Lodge; as the babies fledge, we are gently moving their nest out of harm’s way.