Date/Time
Date(s) - January 17, 2027
10:30 am - 1:30 pm
Categories
Seasonal gatherings at Hoyt Arboretum with Clara-Julia Peru invite participants to explore grief through nature, creativity, and community. Rather than trying to fix, resolve, or move beyond loss, these retreats create space to slow down, notice, and gently accompany grief. As the seasons shift between growth and dormancy, abundance and release, grief may feel different from one day, month, or year to the next. Nature reminds us that decay and renewal belong to the same cycle.
Each gathering includes mindful forest walking, creative expression, sensory and somatic practices inspired by NeuroArts research, and a guided grief circle.
All forms of grief are welcome, including bereavement, anticipatory grief, life transitions, ecological grief, identity shifts, and other experiences of loss. 
WINTER SOLSTICE: Stillness • Sensation • Sanctuary
- Watercolor
- Aromatherapy and sensory exploration
- Guided reflection and witnessing circle
Winter invites us inward. In a culture that often encourages productivity and movement, this retreat explores the value of pause, rest, and sensory awareness. Participants are invited to listen to the quieter landscapes of grief and notice what emerges when nothing needs to be fixed.
Consider questions such as:
– What is asking for refuge?
– What happens when we stop pushing against our experience?
- Space is limited; please register online
- Registration closes Saturday, January 16th at 4:00pm
- Class details will be emailed closer to the program date
About the Instructor: Clara-Julia Peru is a poet, photographer, eco-collagist, and nature-based grief-informed facilitator and educator from Marseille, France, now based in Oregon. She is the founder of CIJIPI, where she creates seasonal experiences at the intersection of art, nature, and creative expression to foster well-being, resilience, and meaningful human connection.
Drawing on her background in literature and art history from Sorbonne Nouvelle (Paris 3), Clara-Julia designs immersive workshops inspired by the rhythms of the natural world, weaving together expressive arts, contemplative practices, and seasonal traditions to help participants reconnect with themselves, one another, and the living landscape.
Her interdisciplinary approach is informed by training in grief-informed care through The Dougy Center, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Psychological First Aid (PFA), Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), and wilderness medicine as a Wilderness First Responder (WFR). Through this unique combination of artistic practice, environmental education, and grief-informed facilitation, she creates welcoming spaces where creativity becomes a pathway for reflection, restoration, and growth.
Clara-Julia’s work has also been featured by the NeuroArts Resource Center (NRC) for its innovative contributions to the growing field of arts, health, and nature-based well-being.
Hoyt Arboretum Friends Education Policies:
Read our adult education policies HERE.
If you qualify for an Oregon income assistance program, please email [email protected] for details about further discounted program rates.
If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Hoyt Arboretum Friends member for discounted program rates, please click HERE.