Dorje Khyung Dzong Retreat Center

12/27/2020

We're raising funds for wildfire mitigation. Over 100 years of forest fire suppression has allowed our forest to become four times more dense. This increases the intensity of wildfires due to the abundance of fuel. Fires are now much hotter, sterilize the soil and seedbed, and result in destructive flooding and a much slower forest recovery, if at all.

Foresters now realize that fire suppression has been a damaging practice. The solution is to mechanically replicate the effects of wildfire by thinning the forest and creating defensible spaces around buildings and along roads.

In mid-January, we will close to retreatants and hire a chainsaw crew to help us mitigate around the cabins and cabin roads. We’ll work until we run out of time, money, or steam.

The Shambhala Trust has generously granted us $6,000 towards our winter budget of $25,000. Would you like to contribute to this? If we exceed our fundraising goal, we will expand our work scope and hire additional sawyers.

To donate: https://dkd.shambhala.org/support-dkd/

Here's a photo of some of our mitigation work this fall.

10/07/2018

Dan getting lots of exercise cutting trees to clear the way for our upcoming road repair project .

10/07/2018

Fall colors in full bloom here at DKD.

07/11/2018

Hello Friends and Family,
Today marks two weeks since the Spring Creek fire started in the neighboring county on a Wednesday afternoon. As of today the fire has burned nearly 108,000 acres. Overall the fire is 77% contained. Because the fire was so massive those managing the fire divided it into two areas, North Spring and South Spring with two separate management teams. Currently the north side (which is the side of the fire near DKD) is 45% contained. This valley has been through a lot in the past two weeks and there are still a lot of unknowns. What we do know most importantly is that no one was injured or killed by the fire. Most of the time it felt unlikely that the fire would reach DKD but there were a couple of scary nights where we were forced to entertain that idea. It was overwhelming to think about this precious place of solitary retreat practice going up in flames; to think that we might lose our home and our job in one fell swoop; to think that the beautiful Greenhorn mountain and it's surrounding foothills may be charred... thank fully none of this happened. But many people did lose their homes and many animals were affected and many are still displaced. My heart goes out to them. Meanwhile I feel so much appreciation for the clear skies, the gentle non-smoky breeze, and the beauty of returning to an ordinary routine.
Thank you again for all of your prayers, offers of places to stay, and good thoughts.

07/08/2018

Hello Friends,
We are so touched by all of your offers of support, phone calls and emails of concern and offers of places to stay etc. We feel the preciousness of community, the third jewel. Thank you!
The Spring Fire here in southern Colorado is now 46% contained. However it also still continues to grow in some areas. Today I went to the community center in our small town of Gardner. I talked with community members who are evacuated from their homes and don’t know if they have a home to return to. Their pain and anxiety was so palpable. I also talked with neighbors who live near DKD where the threat of the fire reaching us has passed. Their relief was evident and clearly expressed by one neighbor who said “she could grin again.” I spoke with a local volunteer fire fighter who was tired yet seemed so energized by the valuable role he was playing in our small piece of the world.
My interactions were marked by the reality of impermanence and the appreciation of the preciousness of life. I feel so fortunate to be here.
Thank you again for keeping us and DKD in your thoughts and prayers.

07/06/2018

Hello Friends,
Yesterday was cloudy, cool and a little rainy. These weather conditions really helped the firefighting efforts on the Spring Fire here in southern Colorado.
The fire now has 35% containment overall. Some of the containment includes where the fire had moved north in the direction of DKD.
We are still under pre-evacuation orders but overall things are moving in a positive direction. Today there is less smoke in the air and less visible signs of fire from DKD. Thank you so much for all your messages of love and support!

07/05/2018

Hello Friends,
Here is an update on the Spring Fire. It has grown to 103,357 acres. (The second biggest in Colorado history.) The north side of the fire (the side nearest DKD) is now more contained. However there was a lot of growth last night to the west with dramatic 100 foot flames a good distance away. Last night DKD was blanketed in ash.
On the positive side, the weather has cooled and we have a 50% chance of some showers and thunderstorms this afternoon.
We are in a holding pattern as our neighborhood is still under pre-evacuation orders. However we are feeling cautiously optimistic.
We are so touched by all your support. Thank you for all of your good thoughts and prayers.

07/05/2018

Hello Friends, thank you for all of your messages of concern and care for us and DKD. DKD is a powerful place and we feel it’s power and protection. Although the fire continues to grow we are still safe. We have had weeks of dry, hot weather. Tonight the weather is shifting. Tonight there was thunder and lightning in the night sky. Tomorrow there is a 50% chance of thunderstorms and showers. The humidity will increase to 50%. This will help the firefighting efforts. We feel hopeful.

07/04/2018

Hello Friends,
Yesterday was a smoky afternoon with winds blowing from the south sending smoke and some ash our way. Last evening we and our neighbors received a pre-evacuation notice. We will pack up our some of our belongings as well as items from DKD and be prepared to leave if we receive a mandatory evacuation order. The fire continues to grow and is now at 94,093 acres (the third largest fire in Colorado's history.)
Please continue to keep DKD and those of us on the land in your thoughts and prayers.❤️

07/03/2018

Hello Friends, It was a dramatic evening last night with visible flames a good distance away across the valley. We remain safe at DKD. We have not received pre-evacuation orders. We are following all reports very closely including receiving daily reports from our friend and neighbor who is working on this fire. Overall the fire grew 16,000 acres yesterday and is now at 78,944 acres with 5% containment. The Spring Fire now has two separate incident commanders. Our area is affected by the North Spring Fire.
Thank you for all of your prayers and good wishes, we feel your support❤️

07/03/2018