Nature Awareness
An account of the Dedicant's efforts to work with nature, honor the Earth, and understand the impacts and effects of the Dedicant's lifestyle choices on the environment and/or the local ecosystem and how she or he could make a difference to the environment on a local level. (500 word min)
When was I first aware that the world around me was pulsing and vibrating with an energy and a presence far beyond myself?
As a child my father often took me hiking through the Virginia forests. During the hike, we would stop and he would quiz me about the trees surrounding us-if I failed to identify a neighboring tree he would turn away is silent disapproval. Winter hikes were no exception and I dreaded the days of bark-identification. Just because a man’s hair has fallen off, you should still recognize him as your grandfather-I don’t know if my father ever said that to me, but he could have. I am no expert on trees, I know this, but I am comforted as I walk or drive about that the trees that surround and reach above me are familiar, that they feel like friends.
How does that self-indulgent dip into my childhood relate to my efforts to honor the Earth? Well, Daddy always referred to the Blue Ridge as God’s Country and during those hikes and camping trips he instilled in me a deep appreciation for the natural world around me. Hikes took the place of Sunday church services, perhaps that is why I chose a religious path that holds worship services in the woods. Still, I am not answering the question of how I honor Her…
I honor her when I take the compost from the kitchen to the pile. I honor her when I put cloth diapers on my daughter. I honor her when I sit in contemplation in the yard. I honor the Earth Mother when I commit to organic gardening and using the principles of permaculture in my yard. Permaculture emphasizes the importance of working with nature in our landscaping work and presents gardening methods that reduce our impact on the natural world while encouraging diverse productivity.
Living in a tiny village in Guatemala taught me how closely all life is interconnected and that our every action impacts our environment in some way for good or ill. The water in San Lucas came from Lake Atítlan and all the roads in town sloped down to her shore. The closest thing to a water filtration system we had was that the water was naturally filtered a bit through the volcanic ash that was the soil. Every single thing that was thrown out a door, dumped on the street, even spilled on the floor of the house (most floors were dirt) was going to go into that lake sooner or later, usually sooner. Intellectually I knew this. It was when we decided to paint the house and were left with a bucket of paint thinner that it was brought home to me that no matter what I did with the poison, it was going into my drinking water.
On our land we have made a conscientious decision to use native plants, to allow areas to go wild, engage in no till gardening, composting, to put in a pond filtered by plants instead of an electricity-sucking pump, and to put out feeders. In the five years I have lived here the biodiversity has increased exponentially. By living in a way that works cooperatively with the natural world, I've been rewarded with greater access to its wonders and treasures. The land spirits respond to me requests and actively work with me. That tells me I am on the right path!
When was I first aware that the world around me was pulsing and vibrating with an energy and a presence far beyond myself?
As a child my father often took me hiking through the Virginia forests. During the hike, we would stop and he would quiz me about the trees surrounding us-if I failed to identify a neighboring tree he would turn away is silent disapproval. Winter hikes were no exception and I dreaded the days of bark-identification. Just because a man’s hair has fallen off, you should still recognize him as your grandfather-I don’t know if my father ever said that to me, but he could have. I am no expert on trees, I know this, but I am comforted as I walk or drive about that the trees that surround and reach above me are familiar, that they feel like friends.
How does that self-indulgent dip into my childhood relate to my efforts to honor the Earth? Well, Daddy always referred to the Blue Ridge as God’s Country and during those hikes and camping trips he instilled in me a deep appreciation for the natural world around me. Hikes took the place of Sunday church services, perhaps that is why I chose a religious path that holds worship services in the woods. Still, I am not answering the question of how I honor Her…
I honor her when I take the compost from the kitchen to the pile. I honor her when I put cloth diapers on my daughter. I honor her when I sit in contemplation in the yard. I honor the Earth Mother when I commit to organic gardening and using the principles of permaculture in my yard. Permaculture emphasizes the importance of working with nature in our landscaping work and presents gardening methods that reduce our impact on the natural world while encouraging diverse productivity.
Living in a tiny village in Guatemala taught me how closely all life is interconnected and that our every action impacts our environment in some way for good or ill. The water in San Lucas came from Lake Atítlan and all the roads in town sloped down to her shore. The closest thing to a water filtration system we had was that the water was naturally filtered a bit through the volcanic ash that was the soil. Every single thing that was thrown out a door, dumped on the street, even spilled on the floor of the house (most floors were dirt) was going to go into that lake sooner or later, usually sooner. Intellectually I knew this. It was when we decided to paint the house and were left with a bucket of paint thinner that it was brought home to me that no matter what I did with the poison, it was going into my drinking water.
On our land we have made a conscientious decision to use native plants, to allow areas to go wild, engage in no till gardening, composting, to put in a pond filtered by plants instead of an electricity-sucking pump, and to put out feeders. In the five years I have lived here the biodiversity has increased exponentially. By living in a way that works cooperatively with the natural world, I've been rewarded with greater access to its wonders and treasures. The land spirits respond to me requests and actively work with me. That tells me I am on the right path!