Many of the stones at Kingswood are where they are because a farmer (or more likely the farmer’s children) picked them out of the fields and piled them either in nice neat stone walls or in rock piles. Other stones are part of old foundations and bridges. We are currently in the process of identifying these fascinating features and

perhaps someday the Stone Ministry program will be looking to continue beyond the initial building and will begin reconstructing some of these land features.

For now, all stones gathered for the Stone Ministry should either be chosen at a designated location during part of the program or be a solitary stone obviously not part of any prior structure. Initially, the gathering sites will be the old stone piles located between Maples and Hogan or the upper end of the old cornfield.

Finally, when gathering stones we must be respectful of the role they play in the environment. Many salamanders and snakes use these locations. If you find “your” rock to already be something else’s rock, please let it be. A salamander (the slimy ones, not the red efts) left in the dry heat of the day will die before it can find proper shelter.