Permanent Labyrinth Open to Bellingham Public

Construction on Bellingham’s first permanent labyrinth will begin on Aug. 2 in Fairhaven Park.

A labyrinth is a pattern consisting of a winding path within a circle, leading to the center and back out again. Labyrinths are used for walking meditation and as a path of prayer, according to the Bellingham non-profit organization Project Labyrinth.
Vice president of the organization Chuck Nafziger said Project Labyrinth has been planning and raising money for this labyrinth for four years, meeting up once a month.
“Everything has gone slowly but smoothly,” Nafziger said.

Labyrinth planning generates excitement

Kathy Harris, board member of the organization, said the project will take about a month to finish and will cost an estimated $35,000, give or take.
Nafziger designed the pattern for the labyrinth and said it will be 57 feet in diameter. He said the center is the focal point for meditation and it will be 9 feet in diameter.
He said the labyrinth will be built out of bricks and 8-inch by 8-inch concrete pavers, and brass strips will make up a six-point flower pattern in the center.
Harris said they are the third group that have attempted to build a permanent labyrinth in Whatcom County. Harris said it is exciting to finally see it happen.
“It’s going to be a tremendous gift to the city and great opportunity for people,” she said.
She said the Minergy contractors in charge of the construction are enthusiastic and want to be a part of the project.
Happy Valley resident Harold Niven said he plans on telling people all about the labyrinth once it is built.
“It’s the type of thing that unites all kinds of people, no matter who they are,” he said.
He said the organization has put a lot of time and energy into the project, and he sees it as philanthropy in action.

Grants and donations fund the project

Treasurer of the organization David Marshak said the Mary Redman Foundation gave a $25,000 grant to Project Labyrinth and is a major funder to the organization. It has received other grants from Whatcom Educational Credit Union, City of Bellingham, and Henry T. Chandler. He said a total of 35 individuals have donated $1,000 or less.
Harris said Mary Redman’s large contribution of $25,000 and everyone else’s donations are the reason this project is able to happen this summer.

Permanent labyrinths take time and dedication

Nafziger said he is currently working on the bronze centerpiece of the labyrinth which is also a six-point flower pattern. On the centerpiece, Nafziger hand-crafted a bear, fish, birds and trees giving it a northwest theme.
Nafziger said other groups may not have been as successful with the project because the process is long and involved. He said, for example, Project Labyrinth had to satisfy the needs of the Public Works Department, Americans with Disabilities Act and Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department.
He said the Public Works Department requested patches of grass in the labyrinth’s design to store runoff water and prevent dirt from running off into streams.
In order to satisfy the Americans with Disabilities Act, the organization had to come up with a design that was wheelchair accessible and had a proper slope, Nafziger said. He said Bellingham Parks and Recreation wants to be able to maintain and mow the labyrinth, so they don’t want any of the bricks or pavers in the design to be raised above the ground.

Temporary labyrinth at Highland Games

Harris said Project Labyrinth will have a temporary labyrinth June 5 and June 6 at the Highland Games at Hovander Park in Ferndale. Anyone who donates $50 or more to the organization will get a customized paver that will be put in the permanent labyrinth in Fairhaven Park. She said up to 16 characters and two lines can be put on the paver, and a paver form is available on their website, www.projectlabyrinth.net.