Woven Windows was a Mil-Tree program sponsored by the California Art Council. It provided veteran and civilian community participants the chance to exploring their Inner and Outer Landscapes. This 3 week project began April 30 and brought veterans, Marines, their families, and community members together to learn the history of the land, explore how the land nourishes the soul, and to build a plant-based temporary sculpture. The program gave participants to forge new relationships, have fun being active, expressive, and creating something beautiful that honors the past and looks forward to the future. Ben Allanoff led the build, Jenny Kane lead a hike that included time to sketch and journal, and Elder Kim Marcus of the Cahuilla and Serrano community talked with us about the history of the land, the people, the plants and the animals.

Meet Mil-Tree: Our mission is to bring Veterans, Active Duty and Civilians together through arts and dialogue to help transform the wounds of war.

The Community Potting Shed Project was a collaboration between Mil-Tree Veterans Project, which creates community between veterans, active-duty military and civilians by building bridges through the arts, dialogue, and shared projects, and the Joshua Tree Folk School, which aims to inspire creativity and build community by providing peer-based learning opportunities steeped in Joshua Tree culture. This project brought together veterans, active-duty military and civilians to design and build a 12’x12’ potting shed to hold gardening tools, and to start potting new plants. The shed is located at the The Joshua Tree Retreat Center adjacent to a future community garden. Over the course of three weekends, participants gained tool training, project planning and woodworking skills in a supportive community setting. This collaborative project was successful in creating opportunities for veterans to experience meaningful bonds with other community members, combating social isolation. … and though it was hot …. It was a lot of fun — thanks to the guidance of Project Director and Master Builder, Mia Torres --- A Beautiful Potting Shed was built by all! To find out more about us, go to Mil-Tree.org

In the midst of Covid 19, Mil-Tree created a three day groundbreaking online experience, exploring the warriors return home through ritual, storytelling, song, drumming, writing, lectures and heart to heart discussions. Miguel Rivera's song: Miguel Rivera spent the better part of twenty years with two teachers, Lakota and Muskogee Creek elders who adopted him as a grand son. The song used throughout this film was gifted to Miguel and is from the Creek tradition and it asks for opening up the way to healing. Miguel has been practicing and leading ceremonies for 40 years. The Alters. The Altar rituals were developed from mythological themes found in stories and people from around the world. The Grief and Beauty Shrines were specifically designed to address the particular needs of the Art of Resilience participants. The intention was to offer a way of bringing the sacred into everyday life. Benjamin Dennis PhD has his degree in Mythological Studies.

MIl-Tree’s Sanctuary Project brought community together to create a beautiful Earthbag structure at the Joshua Tree Lake RV and Campground. The structure was built using the tools of war— barbed wire and sandbags, in a process referred to as Earthbag construction. This collaborative public art project is a gift to the community, and is intended to be used as a public gathering space for veterans, active duty and civilians. Possible uses for Sanctuary include speak-outs, meetings, celebrations, readings, marriages, meditation, lectures and more. ​ The Sanctuary Project was a collaborative public art project funded in part by the California Arts Council’s Veterans Initiative in the Arts grant. Mil-Tree’s partners in this project included Arts Connection: San Bernardino’s Arts Council, Joshua Tree Music Festival, Joshua Tree Lake RV and Campground, and Copper Mountain College. For more information visit https://www.mil-tree.org

Moving the Memories, 2018 Film by Mary Addison Hackett Commissioned by Mil-Tree Documentary of a 2-day movement workshop lead by DIAVOLO Architecture in Motion for Veterans, Active Military, and Community. Filmed at Joshua Tree Retreat Center, Joshua Tree, CA. A production of Mil-Tree and Smack Handy Films. For more information visit mil-tree.org file name: [MTM FIN 5.5.18 (720HD)]

A multi-faceted art project that took place from February through May 2016 involving hikes to pull invasive plants, followed by paper-making, 2D and 3D art and writing workshops, culminating in a formal art exhibition and spoken word performance.