Ecology is fundamentally holistic in its vision. Earth Sanctuary seeks to take this holism a step further, by integrating wisdom drawn from ecological science with the disciplines of earth energy, spirituality, and healing. In order to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community a design has been developed for Earth Sanctuary that allows people to engage with nature while protecting and restoring the land's biodiversity. Thus Earth Sanctuary heals nature as well as the human spirit. In doing so, a synergy is created. The nature reserve enhances Earth Sanctuary as a meditation parkland, and the spiritual intention provided by the parkland supports the healing of nature.

This kind of holistic and complementary ecological design can be seen at Earth Sanctuary's sacred sites. The sites were designed for meditation, wildlife habitat, and wildlife viewing. In addition, each was designed to increase the diversity and complexity of the local forest and aquatic-riparian herbaceous, shrub and tree buffers.

Consider for example the installation of the Labyrinth: the peninsula where the labyrinth is located was once dominated by a monoculture of invasive non-native Himalayan blackberry. Now the labyrinth is surrounded by a 25-60 foot wide buffer of native wetland herbs, shrubs, and trees. The pond buffer is designed to increase the local plant species diversity and vegetation structural complexity, therefore providing greater waterfowl shoreline habitat. Over the next 5 years the planted aquatic-riparian shrub buffer will grow to a height of 6-8 feet.

A more ambitious project is the building of the Cottonwood Stone Circle. Great blue heron frequent the Earth Sanctuary ponds on a regular basis to feed and rest. They are known to have had a rookery (a colony of nests), recently abandoned due to disturbance, within 1 mile of the Earth Sanctuary. To accommodate the herons, the large stone circle has been encircled with a planting of black cottonwood trees. In 20-30 years these trees will provide the herons with an excellent spot to build a rookery.

Earth Sanctuary partners with the University of Washington Restoration Ecology Network(UW-REN). The UW-REN is an Northwest based system that facilitates the integration of students, faculty, and members of the community in ecological restoration and conservation.

Each year a group of UW-REN students plan, design, install and thus restore an area along Newman Road.

Historic logging practices have diminished forest plant diversity and structure at Earth Sanctuary. The goal of the Sanctuary's forest restoration is to return it to its natural profile, with a greater presence of conifers and shrub diversity. Toward that goal, the dominance of overstory Red Alder and understory Salmonberry is being reduced. This will accelerate growth rate of existing understory conifers. Felled Red Alder will be left on the forest floor, which will provide cover and insects for wildlife as well as returning nutrients to the soil. Likewise, standing dead trees are being preserved. These "snags" are a major component of wildlife habitat within the forest.

Two non-native plants, Himalayan Blackberry and English Holly, are established at Earth Sanctuary. These opportunistic plants thrive in sites like Earth Sanctuary's where the land has been disturbed by logging. The removal of these very invasive and aggressive plants (Himalayan blackberry canes can grow 21 feet in one year) is an important part of the Sanctuary's work toward vegetation restoration. By removing the non-native species, space is being created for the reintroduction of rose, thimbleberry and blueberry species native to this area. The reintroduction of native plants will increase forest understory diversity and provide berries, nesting materials, and cover for birds and mammals.