ABOUT US
Black Bird Refuge, Church of Archemy is a non profit church located in northern New Mexico.
Situated on a stunning and peaceful 30-acre property, the refuge is adjacent to Carson National forest.
Black Bird Refuge uses solar power, water catchment, and other environmentally sensitive methods for living in service of the natural world. A key focus is developing and teaching low-impact building techniques.
The co-founders of Black Bird Refuge, Ben and Bonnie Barta found their way to the high desert of New Mexico on a journey that started over 25 years ago in India.
Combining their interests and experiences in meditation, Tibetan buddhism, sustainable agriculture and earth base architecture, they decided to create this refuge.
Bonnie Barta, president and co-founder
Bonnie was born in France but has been living in the States for about 20 years. She travelled extensively, especially in India where she met her husband Ben, 26 years ago. She completed a 15-month meditation retreat in the Vajrayana tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. She is a mother of 2 boys, a healing arts practitioner, a certified end-of-life doula, interior designer, cook, gardener, home maker and potter. She wears many hats and is very inspired to bring all her experiences, travels and passions to Black Bird Refuge.
Jeff Jaeckle, vice president and secretary
Jeff has a Ph.D. and is a composition instructor, academic researcher, and award-winning author with two decades of experience in higher education. His pedagogy focuses on fostering social justice through community-centered writing; his students learn to write from embodied perspectives that center compassion and advocacy, using their lived experiences within historically marginalized communities as catalysts for fostering meaningful change. Jeff is also an internationally published film scholar and a certified end-of-life doula. He hopes to serve the ever-growing community of BBR through grant writing, community outreach, and hospitality that centers embodiment, humility, and gratitude.
Ben Barta, co-founder, spiritual director and project manager
Ben is a fine art painter and has practiced thangka painting for over 30 years. He lived and studied in India for many years and completed a 15-month meditation retreat in the Tibetan Buddhist Vajrayana tradition on Salt Spring Island, B.C. He has studied at the Earthship Academy in Taos, and worked on field studies with the Earthship community. Ben completed the Super Adobe level 3 workshop and certification at the Cal-Earth Institute. He is now engaged in building and leading Super Adobe workshops at BBR. It is Ben's aspiration to bring together the awareness practices of meditation, ecology and earth-based architecture as a form of worship, contemplation and community building.
Robyn Leventhal, treasurer
Robyn is a clinical neuropsychologist who studies the measurement of cognition. She has worked in clinical research for over 25 years in many capacities and with diverse populations. She is successful at creating and implementing effective strategies as well as analyzing data, though her passion is connecting with people and understanding human behavior. Robyn is dedicated to bridge science with spirituality to delve into human consciousness and mysticism. She is an avid traveler with an interest in how culture and linguistics weave together our cognition, emotion and behavior.
Mission
Black Bird Refuge, Church of Archemy brings together the practice of earth architecture in the building of superadobe structures through the alchemical transformation of elements and the practice of Tibetan Buddhist teachings. These buildings and the congregation in these sacred spaces provide a means of spiritual practice, both hands on and contemplative.
Vision
Black Bird Refuge aims at providing a place of contemplation, meditation and learning for members of the Church of Archemy. We offer opportunities to participate in workshops and retreats that enhance mindfulness, compassion, interconnected awareness of the natural world and solutions to ecological vulnerabilities, such as sustainable and affordable dwelling building practices.
