Carol Bartels, Ecotherapist, LMFT

10/06/2025

Love music? Love nature? This one’s for you!

Our third FREE Willow Springs Experience of the 2025 Fall Season is: Violins in the Park with Ramon Cabiling.

Join us on Sunday, October 12, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Enjoy a violin concert amidst nature in Willow Springs Park, as music nurtures a deeper, more meaningful connection with ourselves and the space in which we listen.

Please bring chairs and blankets.

Experiences are FREE. Reservations Recommended: WSPExperiences@gmail.com.

Meet in the Willow Springs Park parking lot at 2745 Orange Avenue*

*Contact WSPExperiences@gmail.com for accessibility information.

NOTE: There is no sidewalk leading to Willow Springs Park trails from bus stops. To map out your public transit route, visit https://ridelbt.com/. For ADA-compliant transportation to the park, please schedule a ride at https://ridelbt.com/dial-a-lift/.

09/29/2025

Next week’s Willow Springs Experience is right up our alley! Andrea Bell is an ecotherapist and somatic therapist (though this is not a therapy session) and she has great knowledge of Willow Springs Park and its ecosystem. Hope to see you there!

09/26/2025

For Long Beach locals: Friends of Willow Springs Park is kicking off their Fall season of Experiences, starting with Painting in the Park this Sunday. Hope to you see you there!

09/18/2025

Being grateful for the little things is how we make it through difficult times.

🦗🔮🌻

09/10/2025

It’s all about relationships.

Robin Wall Kimmerer 🌹

05/29/2025

We don’t give other beings in the natural world enough credit.

Meet Rakus, a male Sumatran orangutan who recently caught the attention of the scientific community . He was spotted in Gunung Leuser National Park, Indonesia , with a noticeable wound on his right cheek —likely from a confrontation with another orangutan.
What amazed researchers came afterward: they observed Rakus carefully selecting and using a plant known as akar kuning (Fibraurea tinctoria) . This climbing vine is traditionally used in local medicine for its potential pain-relieving and antibacterial properties .
Rakus chewed the plant’s stems and leaves, extracted the juice , and applied it directly to his wound. He then placed the chewed remains on top of the injury, almost like a natural bandage . He repeated this process for several days , and gradually, the wound started to heal without any visible signs of infection .
After about a month , the wound had fully closed. This behavior, documented by a team of primatologists , is considered one of the first known examples of a wild animal using medicinal plants for self-treatment .
The discovery provides fascinating insights into the intelligence of great apes and how they may instinctively use nature’s resources to care for themselves . It also opens up exciting possibilities for future studies on animal self-medication .
Source: (Rainmaker1973)

05/22/2025

Come enjoy the beauty of Willow Sprimgs Oark on Sunday while nourishing your soul with a sound bath!

05/08/2025

Humans have a peculiar way of thinking.

05/01/2025

Some new friends in the park near my office.