Earth Sanctuary

Welcome to Earth Sanctuary

A short hour’s drive north of Seattle and a ferry ride over the silver blue waters of Puget Sound take you to the ponds, pastures and forests of Earth Sanctuary on Whidbey Island in Washington State.

Earth Sanctuary is a tranquil oasis with two miles of nature trails and a sculpture garden of eco-art highlighting diverse global spiritual traditions. Visit Earth Sanctuary to enjoy the wonders of nature and experience personal renewal, spiritual growth and healing.

Nature Reserve

Within the 72 acres of Earth Sanctuary lies a rich natural habitat that provides refuge for a diverse community of wildlife. The property is being restored to mature old-growth forest. More than 15,000 native plants (80 species) and 3,000 trees (20+ species) have been planted to date, and more than 80 species of birds breed on the property. Earth Sanctuary is recognized as a habitat of importance by the Whidbey Audubon Society and the Island County Critical Areas Program.

Sculpture Garden

At Earth Sanctuary you’ll be inspired by the sculpture garden of sacred spaces, environmental sculptures and eco-art. Unique art pieces and meaningful spiritual symbols provide the ideal environment for personal renewal and spiritual connection.

Retreat Center

The Retreat Center at Earth Sanctuary is a non-denominational, non-sectarian spiritual haven for relaxation, meditation, and peaceful reflection. Visitors have full access to Earth Sanctuary’s nature reserve, sacred spaces and forests where the paths are very conducive to walking meditation and spiritual discovery.

Earth Sanctuary is the vision of its founder, Chuck Pettis. A long-time environmentalist, Chuck Pettis decided to take personal responsibility to enhance biodiversity and create a sustainable society by creating Earth Sanctuary. With a 500-year plan to restore the 72-acres of Earth Sanctuary to mature old-growth forest with maximum diversity of birds, wildlife, plants, and fungi, Earth Sanctuary is an exemplary model for ecological design. The goal: to truly “Design with Nature.”