These moments seem to
come most readily atop mountains for me – looking out over the snow-covered Pemigewasset
Wilderness in NH from Zealand Cliff, walking along the Bigelow Range in Maine,
or looking south at the White Mountains from Percy Peak. The most recent came
while watching the sunset on White Rocks in Middlesex, VT. The peaks were still
lit by the fading sun and Swainson’s Thrushes were calling their beautiful
notes. Their call was the only sound I could hear, and I realized the importance
of this single species. While the solitude of the moment created the full
feeling of awe, I couldn’t help but wish that more people could be there. If
everyone could feel a little bit of that natural inspiration, wouldn’t the
environment seem so much more important? If everyone had one natural place that
they felt was worth saving, wouldn’t we all be more conscious of our impact on
the planet?
I hope so and I truly believe a difference can be made,
starting at the scale of the individual. If we all take care of and pay attention
to a place where we find natural beauty, whether it is an entire National
Forest or it is a favorite tree in a park, we will gain a greater sense of the
importance of our environment on a larger scale.
This moment of hearing the Swainson’s Thrushes was not the
start of my strong interest in conservation, but it stood out and brought to
the surface my deep interest in protecting our earth, and everything on it. Though
many of my ideas already exist, I hope to share my thoughts, experiences and
passion regarding our beautiful planet and our relation to it. I hope everyone
can experience moments of joy and inspiration from something as small as a
thrush.
This reminds me of a book I recently read: My Green Manifesto by David Gessner. The takehome message of the book is that effective environmentalism in the modern world should take the form of individuals fighting heart and soul for one specific place they hold dear, instead of battling over abstract notions and principles. I found it really powerful, and I think you have a similar idea about the power of specific places to individuals and their perspective on the world.
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