A project centered on providing a place where environmental conservation meets communion with God. Brought to life through our four central pillars.

The Sanctuary Framework

  • We are dedicated to protecting the land of Rocking Chair Ranch from excessive development. Therefore, we are partnering with local environmental organizations in order to restore native flora and fauna habitats, and provide programming such as:

    • Educational field trips

    • Annual Bird Counts

    • Conservation seminars and workshops

  • Acknowledging the innate holiness of the natural world, The Sanctuary would provide a place for people to find peace and encounter God through thoughtfully designed prayer gardens, walking trails and meditation cabins. Furthermore, the property could be rented out by churches for events such as:

    • Leadership/Pastoral meetings

    • Personal and group retreats

    • Weddings and Baptisms

  • Building upon the Hinshaw’s spirit of community, The Sanctuary would remain open to the public for daily usage of the lake and walking trails, as well as for events such as:

    • Holistic healing workshops

    • Educational seminars

    • Community gatherings

  • Recognizing the immense beauty of the natural world, and the creative spirit of God, The Sanctuary would be a place of abundant creative expression. This could be realized through:

    • An artist in residence program

    • Hosting intimate concerts and art shows open to the public

    • The overall design of the property and structures

  1. To conserve all 45 acres and utilize the existing structures and Arbor Acres Lake

  2. To open the property for public use, so that it becomes a cornerstone of Northwest Arkansas’s community by providing a gathering place rooted in both spirituality and nature

  3. To convert the house into a welcome/educational center and retreat space

  4. To create and maintain several trails on the property, including handicapped-accessible areas

  5. To build several one-room cabins on the land to be used for personal and group retreats

Key Targets

Who We Are

Gabrielle Carter is an environmental anthropologist and artist whose work emerges at the intersection of spirituality, ecology, and culture. Her insight has helped shape the vision of The Sanctuary to be a place not only for wildlife protection but also for the community to connect with the natural world through seminars, workshops and contemplative retreats.


Elijah Latham is an artist, carpenter, and community organizer. He is a maternal grandson of Jerry and Betty Hinshaw, and for the past three years, he has been living and working on the land of Rocking Chair Ranch. Latham is dedicated to creating safe spaces of artistic creation and spends much of his time hosting art and music events on his bus-turned-art-studio here in Northwest Arkansas.