FOUR TRAILS REPRESENTING THE CARDINAL DIRECTIONS WILL FORM THE COMPASS FRAMEWORK
CARDINAL TRAILS
Picture yourself standing on Las Vegas Boulevard at the 1 October Memorial site holding a compass. Take a minute to face each of the cardinal directions: north, east, south, and west. Gaze at the mountain ranges and foothills that greet you.
Imagine a place on each of the four mountain ranges — Sheep (north), Frenchman (east), McCullough (south), and Spring (west) where trails featuring Compass Points would welcome people to spend quiet time grounding in nature and gazing at the Las Vegas valley.
Imagine these cardinal trails forming the initial framework for The Compass. These places would be designed to inspire hope and healing through nurturing healthy, life-giving connections between humans and our desert habitat.
To know the beauty of a mountain, for instance, is to know something of the mountain's beauty within. - John Philip Newell
Healthy Humans
People are seeking meaning, a sense of direction in our challenging world. Connecting with nature can ignite our inner compass.
Being outdoors, whether in the wilderness or a park, can provide respite from the hustle and bustle of daily life ... opportunities to find solitude and a fresh perspective on how to move forward.
The Compass will provide people places to relax and recharge their souls.
Healthy Habitats
Statistics regarding habitat loss are astounding. Though we cannot turn back time or make it stand still, The Compass will help our communities find peace and make peace with our living desert.
The aim of The Compass is to be aware, appreciative, and attentive to (not anxious about) the gift of our desert, its inhabitants, and natural resources. Its focus will be one of respect and enjoyment of our surrounding habitat.
Healthy Economy
The Entertainment Capital of the World is located in and surrounded by the Mojave Desert regarded for its "otherworldly beauty."
Efforts to make our cities attractive to tourists, potential residents and business can be effectively — and compassionately — paired with commitments to maintaining and enhancing the natural allure of our deserts.
FROM PEBBLES, PENS, AND POTS TO PLACES OF HOPE AND HEALING.
MY WHY. MY WAY.
Standing atop a desert trail after the 1 October tragedy, I asked how I might serve my community. I received a spark of an idea. I painted core value words such as compassion, hope, gratitude, peace and unity on smooth pebbles and the phrases Be Still, Behold, Believe, and Be Vegas Strong on black pots. Hiking solo or with my sister, I placed the pebble-filled pots at the top of trails around the valley. My hope was that those who held a pebble might experience the sense of awe, serenity, and home I had. They were also my tribute to the compassionate response of our community — humans and habitat — amid the unimaginable.
On a follow up hike, I found one of the pots broken and the pebbles spilled out onto the ground There, I envisioned creating destinations of hope and healing featuring flat slabs of natural stone etched with core value words. I could see people hiking the trails, learning about the compassionate design of nature, and experiencing the healing power of grounding on the stones and gazing at inspiring views of our valley.
My why for The Compass began moving to bring alignment between our inner compasses and a great outdoors compass.