Thank you Amanda and Jennifer for another wonderful COTH post.
Our world needs keepers of the land, we need that so much. Thank you Jennifer! You talked about finding God in the plants and the magic that lives there which is exactly how I feel. I am fortuanate to live in great natural beauty, surrounded by mountains and forests. If I don't get out there to breathe in that air it becomes a little bit harder to find both God and myself.
Hi Donna. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and your way of being. Surrounding myself in beautiful, wise, nature is what I need to survive in the world too., but I also see nature everywhere. All these lives are surviving in different places in different ways and I see their presence everywhere. We've done a fair bit of restoration and welcoming back here, instructed by the plants and the birds and the inspiration we find in wild places. It's the only way we tether ourselves to this planet and ourselves too. :) I think it's important to not forgot those that do not or cannot move to pristine, beautiful places. I am sure that's how you feel too. I wrote a bit about this once: https://humansandnature.org/life-in-flyover-country/
I'm was so fascinated, Jennifer, by how writing calls to you only through nature. It made me stop and think where my first writing nudges came from—and I think they came from my craggy inner life, the turbulent emotions and all. I think nature came later for me, which makes sense, because I was brought up—as most of us were—to think of myself as separate from nature. So writing is one way I bring them together. It's fascinating to me that your wellsprings work through and because of nature. Do you have any more to say about that?
Also, I happen to know that you live in Ohio, and I just met a woman from Indiana who, with her husband, plants a whopping 1500 native plants on their property every spring. It leads me to wonder if native plant restoration is becoming a movement in your part of the world. Last time I visited I was appalled that the mowed-lawn aesthetic had taken over roadsides and ditches too, so there were so few places friendly to bees and butterflies. Is restoration becoming a thing, I hope?
Hi Priscilla! Thanks for writing and sharing my name with Amanda. :) Yes! Restoration is becoming a thing here and Indiana too. (our homeland! Do you remember where this woman was from?) It is slow work, but steady and there are many individuals working on these challenges. We find great hope in them when we, too, get mired down in the endless lawns and roadside mowing. I think a lot of people just need more examples and the strength to be different and noticed.
The separation from nature is real. SO REAL. It's totally what I was taught in church, but never what I felt. I also attended a Lutheran Church camp for many years growing up and nature was woven into every last bit of our learning and experiencing there. That was a wonderful experience for me, but that feeling of connectedness to the planet seems to have come out of my mother's womb with me and I am not sure why. I am exploring some of that in different writings I am working on. I find such connections of humans to nonhuman lives when there are large congregations of nonhuman life that just compel a person to feel awe or when someone is guided into wonder instead of fear with a one and one interaction. Remembering we once were wildlife and living that way will save us all don't you think?
She is from the Indianapolis area, just north of it, I think. She talked with such love about their woodsy stream! I can see about putting you in touch if you're interested. Hooray for being born with a feeling of connectedness! <3 "Remembering we were once wildlife": I love that way of putting it!
I read about remembering we once were wildlife some time long ago. It left a lasting mark on me. Maybe George Monbiot or Frans de Waal? Someday I will remember and let you know. Sure, please feel free to share our contact information and YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thecommonmilkweed/videos
Also, on the lawns and roadway mowing....it really just depends where you are....the land around us is quite woolly. I usually find this goes along with folks living in lower income brackets. Many of the areas with more money have more mowing, but not always. Nothing is black and white is it? Thanks for sharing when you found connection. I love learning about other paths.
Oh, YAY for woolly land! Maybe the folks in my old stomping grounds in northwest Ohio are more fastidious. Last time I was there I visited an old out-of-the-way cemetery where some of my great-grandparents are buried. The only other time I had been there was as a little girl when my mother drove us there to place some flowers. I remembered big trees over wild prairie grass that we had to tramp down just to find the stones. Now the whole thing was mowed like a front lawn. It looked tidy and well cared for, but so . . . civilized. The HUGE old tree is still there, which made my heart sing.
Woo hoo! The tree made it. WHEW. Yes, NW Ohio and your stomping grounds and NE IN where I am from are settled by a tidy bunch of folks, but there are untidy folks rising up. I would say the tidy lands of the Till Plain are also doing what the canyons of southern UT are doing: "The canyons of southern Utah are giving birth to a Coyote Clan – hundreds, maybe even thousands, of individuals who are quietly subversive on behalf of the land. And they are infiltrating our neighborhoods in the most respectable ways, with their long, bushy tails tucked discreetly inside their pants or beneath their skirts. Members of the Clan are not easily identified, but there are clues. You can see it in their eyes. They are joyful and they are fierce..." Terry Tempest Williams
“…we humans come from somewhere. And where we came from, where we emerged from is the natural world. And for 50,000 generations, we were wildlife. Well, we don’t think we are, anymore, and probably, we’re not. But we were just another species. I think — for myself, I cannot see our identity as humans as separate from the natural world from which we emerged. And what I think is that in the end, our spirits have an urge; they have a longing, still, to be part of it. And I think this longing can surprise you; it could suddenly leap out in certain circumstances; you could suddenly realize you’re surprised by the strength of your feelings. But I do feel that to be fully human is to recognize that the natural world is where we came from, and it remains part of us. And without it, being fully human is something we cannot do.”
You're welcome! Hope you find him as intriguing as I do. For anyone wondering, this is referring to my book Tamed by a Bear, and a spiritual practice that keeps me sane.
My connection with nature gives me the feeling of safety and support, which then allows me to explore my writing in more daring ways. I also see Mother Earth as a mirror to the self, she teaches me so much about my own human experience, which then comes through in my writing process 💗
What a beautiful connection Christine. I think it's one we all have, but have long forgotten. It's so encouraging to know there are many of us still remembering where we came from and that we must continue the connection to be who we are. :)
So excited to see Jennifer showcased here! She's been one of my favorite nature writers for years and I had the opportunity to interview her and Steve several years ago for a gardening podcast I used to produce. They are delightful folks!
Oh Misti how awesome to see your comment! Thank you for your support and connection over the years. You are a such a dear soul and advocate for this planet we call home. Thank YOU!
I do choose when, and I have a practice that allows me to keep tinkering so I’m there for the right moment, and have enough energy to ride that wave. That said, my COTH answers have been playing hide and seek for some time.
ha! I hear that. Sometimes we have to wait a while don't we?! Your practice sounds perfect. I don't think I even have a practice so that sounds like you are on a very good path. Thank you for sharing. :)
Thank you Amanda and Jennifer for another wonderful COTH post.
Our world needs keepers of the land, we need that so much. Thank you Jennifer! You talked about finding God in the plants and the magic that lives there which is exactly how I feel. I am fortuanate to live in great natural beauty, surrounded by mountains and forests. If I don't get out there to breathe in that air it becomes a little bit harder to find both God and myself.
Hi Donna. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and your way of being. Surrounding myself in beautiful, wise, nature is what I need to survive in the world too., but I also see nature everywhere. All these lives are surviving in different places in different ways and I see their presence everywhere. We've done a fair bit of restoration and welcoming back here, instructed by the plants and the birds and the inspiration we find in wild places. It's the only way we tether ourselves to this planet and ourselves too. :) I think it's important to not forgot those that do not or cannot move to pristine, beautiful places. I am sure that's how you feel too. I wrote a bit about this once: https://humansandnature.org/life-in-flyover-country/
I'm was so fascinated, Jennifer, by how writing calls to you only through nature. It made me stop and think where my first writing nudges came from—and I think they came from my craggy inner life, the turbulent emotions and all. I think nature came later for me, which makes sense, because I was brought up—as most of us were—to think of myself as separate from nature. So writing is one way I bring them together. It's fascinating to me that your wellsprings work through and because of nature. Do you have any more to say about that?
Also, I happen to know that you live in Ohio, and I just met a woman from Indiana who, with her husband, plants a whopping 1500 native plants on their property every spring. It leads me to wonder if native plant restoration is becoming a movement in your part of the world. Last time I visited I was appalled that the mowed-lawn aesthetic had taken over roadsides and ditches too, so there were so few places friendly to bees and butterflies. Is restoration becoming a thing, I hope?
Hi Priscilla! Thanks for writing and sharing my name with Amanda. :) Yes! Restoration is becoming a thing here and Indiana too. (our homeland! Do you remember where this woman was from?) It is slow work, but steady and there are many individuals working on these challenges. We find great hope in them when we, too, get mired down in the endless lawns and roadside mowing. I think a lot of people just need more examples and the strength to be different and noticed.
The separation from nature is real. SO REAL. It's totally what I was taught in church, but never what I felt. I also attended a Lutheran Church camp for many years growing up and nature was woven into every last bit of our learning and experiencing there. That was a wonderful experience for me, but that feeling of connectedness to the planet seems to have come out of my mother's womb with me and I am not sure why. I am exploring some of that in different writings I am working on. I find such connections of humans to nonhuman lives when there are large congregations of nonhuman life that just compel a person to feel awe or when someone is guided into wonder instead of fear with a one and one interaction. Remembering we once were wildlife and living that way will save us all don't you think?
She is from the Indianapolis area, just north of it, I think. She talked with such love about their woodsy stream! I can see about putting you in touch if you're interested. Hooray for being born with a feeling of connectedness! <3 "Remembering we were once wildlife": I love that way of putting it!
I read about remembering we once were wildlife some time long ago. It left a lasting mark on me. Maybe George Monbiot or Frans de Waal? Someday I will remember and let you know. Sure, please feel free to share our contact information and YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thecommonmilkweed/videos
Also, on the lawns and roadway mowing....it really just depends where you are....the land around us is quite woolly. I usually find this goes along with folks living in lower income brackets. Many of the areas with more money have more mowing, but not always. Nothing is black and white is it? Thanks for sharing when you found connection. I love learning about other paths.
Oh, YAY for woolly land! Maybe the folks in my old stomping grounds in northwest Ohio are more fastidious. Last time I was there I visited an old out-of-the-way cemetery where some of my great-grandparents are buried. The only other time I had been there was as a little girl when my mother drove us there to place some flowers. I remembered big trees over wild prairie grass that we had to tramp down just to find the stones. Now the whole thing was mowed like a front lawn. It looked tidy and well cared for, but so . . . civilized. The HUGE old tree is still there, which made my heart sing.
Woo hoo! The tree made it. WHEW. Yes, NW Ohio and your stomping grounds and NE IN where I am from are settled by a tidy bunch of folks, but there are untidy folks rising up. I would say the tidy lands of the Till Plain are also doing what the canyons of southern UT are doing: "The canyons of southern Utah are giving birth to a Coyote Clan – hundreds, maybe even thousands, of individuals who are quietly subversive on behalf of the land. And they are infiltrating our neighborhoods in the most respectable ways, with their long, bushy tails tucked discreetly inside their pants or beneath their skirts. Members of the Clan are not easily identified, but there are clues. You can see it in their eyes. They are joyful and they are fierce..." Terry Tempest Williams
“…we humans come from somewhere. And where we came from, where we emerged from is the natural world. And for 50,000 generations, we were wildlife. Well, we don’t think we are, anymore, and probably, we’re not. But we were just another species. I think — for myself, I cannot see our identity as humans as separate from the natural world from which we emerged. And what I think is that in the end, our spirits have an urge; they have a longing, still, to be part of it. And I think this longing can surprise you; it could suddenly leap out in certain circumstances; you could suddenly realize you’re surprised by the strength of your feelings. But I do feel that to be fully human is to recognize that the natural world is where we came from, and it remains part of us. And without it, being fully human is something we cannot do.”
-Michael McCarthy
Also, we are both reading about Bear right now. THANK YOU for this gift of knowledge.
You're welcome! Hope you find him as intriguing as I do. For anyone wondering, this is referring to my book Tamed by a Bear, and a spiritual practice that keeps me sane.
We talked about him a number of times on our hike this morning. Enjoyment is something we are working on. A lot.
Same!
My connection with nature gives me the feeling of safety and support, which then allows me to explore my writing in more daring ways. I also see Mother Earth as a mirror to the self, she teaches me so much about my own human experience, which then comes through in my writing process 💗
What a beautiful connection Christine. I think it's one we all have, but have long forgotten. It's so encouraging to know there are many of us still remembering where we came from and that we must continue the connection to be who we are. :)
Absolutely ❤️✨
So excited to see Jennifer showcased here! She's been one of my favorite nature writers for years and I had the opportunity to interview her and Steve several years ago for a gardening podcast I used to produce. They are delightful folks!
Oh Misti how awesome to see your comment! Thank you for your support and connection over the years. You are a such a dear soul and advocate for this planet we call home. Thank YOU!
Thank you Jennifer and Amanda. I loved your reflections on needing space to write and that if you have to think “too much” its not ready.
Thanks Michelle. So many folks talk about writing as a struggle and it is, but not when it's the right moment. I am glad I get to choose when. Do you?
I do choose when, and I have a practice that allows me to keep tinkering so I’m there for the right moment, and have enough energy to ride that wave. That said, my COTH answers have been playing hide and seek for some time.
ha! I hear that. Sometimes we have to wait a while don't we?! Your practice sounds perfect. I don't think I even have a practice so that sounds like you are on a very good path. Thank you for sharing. :)