Willowtail Springs Nature Preserve and Education Center

Spring Break Special!Book with us anytime in the month of March at 33% off! Promo Code: SPRING

Integrating the Arts and Natural Sciences

Individual Retreats

Classes & Workshops

Willowtail Presents


Individual Retreats

Work on a painting, finish a novel, write a play, compose a composition, begin a film, practice singing

“Peggy and Lee have created a sanctuary of stillness and beauty on their land.It is a place for visitors to express themselves or just meditate and refresh.”
Margy Dudley, Photographer


“My spirit is energized every time I enter Willowtail environs; the peace and quiet, the gift of time to work, discover, think and imagine in slow time, uninterrupted, and after a full day, to have the pleasure of Lee and Peggy’s company on the deck or inside the Treehouse, cats on lap, Beau at anyone’s feet, a glass of wine in hand…it’s perfection and I’m so grateful to be part of it.”
Susan Reed, Well known painter, designer, one week residency at Willowtail


Visitors’ Accomplishments

“I was able to launch the musical composition project ‘A Bird Cycle’, which had been brewing for years.”
Michael, San Francisco String Quartet.

“Peggy and Lee, my spirit is refreshed after my stay. I wrote a poem for you and began several new songs.”
Annie Gallup, musician, songwriter, poet, artist, multiple self-funded residencies.

“Some day I will return to this beautiful place. So many great memories!”
Nancy Sue Boutillette-Spanich, Artist, two, 2-week self-funded residencies.

“Thanks so much for another beautiful, idyllic respite. This is a glorious refuge where quiet seeps into my body and my mind becomes free from lists, demands and urban shrillness. It is a place for gathering, dreaming and essential peacefulness. A coot cuts a wake across the lake, it’s cry echoing into the blue bowl of sky. That I were so free, to paddle in such a home….”
Linda Bowers, Former Director: Hedgebrook Writer’s Retreat, Velocity Dance and Seattle Arts and Lectures; multiple stays over the last 24 years.

“The experience of being at Willowtail is not easy to put into words, it is something you need to feel. My month-long artist residency at Willowtail is just what I needed to feed my artistic soul. Time to be awakened each morning by the light coming into my bedroom window and then have the time to watch it’s rays fall on objects in it’s path until dark. My senses had time to open up and soak in all the variety of things that create an experience. Willowtail Springs is a perfect place to let the muse back into an artist’s life in a peaceful, beautiful and comfortable setting.”
Barbara Grist, photographer; 1-month self-funded residency


Residency Results

“Fast weather, sweet air, long dusks and coyotes with moonlight. You’ll write here whether you want to or not.”
Alan Furst, best-selling mystery writer; 3-week self-funded residency at Willowtail while writing ‘Red Gold’.

 



“To Peggy, who will always be my “Lady of the Lake”
Annie Perkins, Author, Illustrator, 2-week self-funded residency, working on her children’s book, ‘Little Two Feathers Flies Home’.


Scholarship Residencies

Full Scholarship Residencies and Partial Scholarship Residencies are structured by the participant, but are awarded by our non-profit committees at Willowtail.org. Residencies can be limited, competitive, and require an application. The length of stay is set to 7 nights or 14 nights and is single occupancy. For more information on Scholarship-Awarded Residencies, please visit our nonprofit site, Willowtail.org., go to menu bar marked Residencies and click first drop down, Residencies.

“This is a place where you can feel the rhythm of nature, watch the sun rise and set, giving you time to reconnect with your own creativity.There is a growing list of week long retreats available in this graceful setting.”
Margy Dudley, Photographer, Writer