A nature walk and educational tour of the future site of the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary was held on Saturday, May 9.

The event was open to the public and the tour was led by Andrew Mangold, a forest gardener and permaculture expert.

The Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary is the effort of The Catherine Violet Hubbard Foundation, dedicated to the memory of Catherine Hubbard, who was killed on 12/14. Construction on the animal sanctuary is set to begin in 2016.

Just before the tour began, Mr Mangold said he planned to show participants around the site while pointing out plants, current conditions, and ways the Earth heals itself.

Mr Mangold, as cars parked at the end of Old Farm Road, said his theme for the nature walk and educational tour would be focusing on how the Earth is healing, in the same sense a human heals from a fever. As “crazy as the world seems,” Mr Mangold said this is a time to be inspired to make a positive difference and to find different tools to help make the world better.

After walking the group up from the end of Old Farm Road to the site of the future animal sanctuary, Mr Mangold asked eventgoers to identify everything they could see around them. He pointed out different plants, too, and noted how to him, he saw the plants creeping into the meadow from the edge of the forest as trying to bring the Earth back into balance.

Jennifer Hubbard, Catherine’s mother, while walking along the tour, said she was grateful for Mr Mangold’s efforts to lead the group. She also said she was grateful for everybody who came out for the tour.

The tour covered both meadows and woodlands on the 34.4-acre site.