A Tribute to Jeff Rich and the Rock Wall

The rock wall, completed by Jeff Rich, has already become many things: a cornerstone of the arboretum, a link between neighbors, a memorial to hard work, a monument to peace, and a place where native plants can flourish.  Instead of chain link and barbwire, we now have a more pleasing and productive boundary; a peaceful link with our neighbor the waste treatment plan.  We have a bridge not a barrier.  For Jeff every hand placed stone in this wall represents a building block to enduring peace.

Using only local stones to build the wall Jeff foraged for forgotten materials, finding most of the stones alongside county roads, farms or fields.  Jeff trained as a civil engineer and apprenticed with a master rock wall builder.  More importantly, Jeff learned to reads the rocks.  Jeff listens to what they have to say and places each rock according to its own energy and spirit.  Jeff learned to move stones not by “dead lifting” but by rolling, utilizing the rock’s natural energy flow.  This, made the difficult task of moving heavy objects, as Jeff says, “child’s play.”  

There are as many facets to the man as there are to the wall.  Jeff is one of the original arboretum volunteers, a decorated Vietnam Veteran, an organic gardener, a fixture at the farmers market, a community service activist who helps children and those less fortunate, a provider of food to the hungry, and an expert with many fiber arts.  Jeff teaches us by example how to live simply and directly with the natural world.

After nearly 5 years of effort from his heart and his hands, Jeff’s rock wall artistry is now complete.  Jeff confesses to be both pleased with the completion of this project but a little sad that the construction is over.  Certainly his idle hands will not rest long. The rest of us are very thankful for all that he has accomplished!