Every month for the past six years, about 20 folks get together for a walk on a different nature trail in or near Los Angeles, CA. Some are regulars, others are new. “We do introductions right away so that everyone starts to meet each other, even if they already know each other,” says Payton Hoegh, the organizer. ”We then ask about our ‘heart weather’ to ground ourselves in relationship.”

The “heart weather,” he explains, is about associating the individual’s state of their spirit to nature, and as a tool to facilitate connection. “Someone might say that today they are feeling a bit cloudy and that might help them feel seen,” says Hoegh. “It also opens a door for others to have a deeper conversation that goes beyond the typical, ‘What do you do for a living?’”

On a typical walk, some of the time is spent in silent appreciation of nature. Some time is for reflective discussion on what they are seeing, says Hoegh. “I’ll recognize something that calls attention to the seasons, like the changing of the color of the leaves and how they are preparing to let go,” he says. “Then I’ll invite a casual conversation on the things we need to let go of in our own lives.”

These walks, Hoegh says, are all about weaving connection in a culture that doesn’t often invite it. They help reawaken wonder, connection, and renewed commitment to active, loving, and reciprocal relationships with one another and their local ecosystem.

The LA group is one of fifty Spirituality In Nature Groups, or SINGs, in 26 states. They are led by local clergy or spiritually-inclined people who are trained to foster relationships and curate intentional time in nature by the nonprofit Center for Spirituality in Nature.

SINGs are open to people of any or no faith. “Some folks are looking for something to provide the structure of a faith community, the experience of the sacred, but they’re not getting it from traditional means anymore,” Hoegh says. “Others want to supplement what they are getting from their religious tradition and find value in connecting with others they wouldn’t otherwise.”

Hoegh is a Christian minister and serves as program director for the Center for Spirituality in Nature. “By focusing on nature, we have a common ground that when we step into it, we realize that this is my backyard, this is my neighborhood, this is my community, and it’s beautiful.”

There’s research that shows walking with people makes it easier to talk and connect emotionally. Columbia University professor Peter Coleman cites studies in an article that show walking increases the motivation and likelihood to resolve conflicts between people.

“One of my hiking buddies is pretty opposite from me politically,” says Heidi Holliday McKitrick, the executive director of the Center for Spirituality in Nature. “But we’ve been able to connect over hiking and this shared love of our natural ecosystem, our environment, and our desire to protect it,” as they walk together in the SING of San Marcos, TX.

SING connections continue beyond the walks. The LA group organizes trash pick-ups at a local beach. A group in North Shore, MA, meets on kayaks and works with a local conservation agency to keep their waterways clean.

“In community after community, we’ve seen a transformation where folks build deep connections with one another and that leads to an outpouring of change of how they walk together, whether that is the way they treat each other or how they engage with their local ecosystem,” says Holliday McKitrick.

If you think a Spirituality In Nature Group could help with your local weaving, check out the Center for Spirituality in Nature’s website. It lists locations of current groups and training opportunities for people to start their own SING.

This story was originally published on Weave’s newsletter. You can subscribe here for more stories.