Not just any back yard

ST. PETERSBURG -- This weekend's "Mother Earth, Mother of Peace" workshop will take place in Erik and Doris Anderson's back yard. And their side yard and front yard.

Erik Anderson inherited the unusual property on Park Street N from his parents, Harold and Frances Anderson, who had owned it since the 1940s. He continued their mission to keep it natural. The nearly 3 acres along Boca Ciega Bay contain a Tocobaga Indian mound that has been excavated by archaeologists. It also is home to 500-year-old live oaks, a flock of peacocks and thick native vegetation such as cabbage palms, sea grapes and mangroves. The whir of traffic along busy Park Street isn't even audible.

Two years ago, when the couple's son David went off to college, they decided to begin hosting events so that others could experience the peace and beauty of their land.

"The feeling of this place is spiritual," Doris Anderson said. "People can come here and feel connected to the Earth, to the past."

They asked an American Indian to help them build a sweat lodge for sacred ceremonies. They hosted peace meditations around a fire pit and concerts by bands that play indigenous and world-beat music. Members of the musical group Urban Gypsies led a workshop called "Drums as a Language." An original play about the ancient history of Florida was performed outdoors.

"We want to have all our events related to history, native Americans, the environment and native spirituality," Doris Anderson said.

Erik Anderson owns an assisted-living home in Dunedin; Doris Anderson is a social worker who maintains a counseling practice in Jungle Prada, next door to their home.

In November the couple incorporated as a nonprofit called Sacred Lands Preservation and Education. Their mission statement says they "have the goal of assisting people in feeling the truth of the statement that we are all related." They ask a "suggested donation" at each event to cover their costs.

"It feels like our calling," Doris Anderson said.

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