DP: Nature Awareness Essay
December 4th, 2009
Nature Awareness
Having grown up in rural Delaware, moving to Baltimore, MD was an eye-opening experience. I left behind what I understood as the raping of my land (also termed “development” or “progress” by our local town council) in hopes of finding better things. I was used to the Atlantic Ocean, and mucky waterways but never anything as disgusting as what I beheld when visiting the Inner Harbor. This place is a wreck.
I’ve always been involved in nature awareness and volunteered what time I could just to clean up garbage from creeks or haul recycling to the recycling center when we had no trash pickup. The amount of pollution and naivety in this area is overwhelming. For whatever reason, children are not being properly taught to respect nature in schools. I have an enormous care for all animals, even the ones with bad reputations. I will remove a spider from my house and let it go rather than crushing it. You can imagine my horror when I looked out my window to witness a young boy stoning a baby crow until it went into shock. I quickly scolded the child, gathered up the poor animal, and brought him to the care of a local wild bird rescue center. Fortunately, the baby recovered. I can only assume that there’s something in the water around here that causes people to feel stupid and disrespectful. I do not know what makes them think that harming certain types of life is okay, and others not. As the saying goes, we are part of the earth and it is part of us. It doesn’t belong to us. Whether or not Chief Seattle actually said those things is irrelevant because of the truth of that statement. The earth is not a playground to be trashed as an accessory to the ‘great’ human race. We are not exempt from the laws of earth, no matter how hard we try to be so.
Since becoming an active member of Cedarlight Grove, I’ve begun to take notice of little things we can do to help the environment. For example, I take shorter showers and use organic or biodegradable products for cleaning. I don’t leave the shower running while shaving. I have beheld the power of white vinegar and baking soda, and firmly believe there is nothing that dynamic duo can’t clean. In fact, I don’t use chemical cleaners any longer. (which is good, because those scrubbing bubbles things creep me out)
I have also become more acutely aware of my diet and the impact it has on the environment. Whenever possible I buy local vegetables in season, buy organic foods, support our local farm, and rarely consume meat. I refuse to purchase food for my cats that contains any kind of artificial dye crystals or artificial ingredients that might hurt them. I re-use cups, if not for drinking then usually for water cups for painting. I find no shame in purchasing second-hand clothing and items, so that they may be reused. I donate to animal shelters and food banks as often as possible, but this laundry list of deeds does not begin to explain my love for the Earth mother. Recycling, composting, planting, drying clothes on the line, using reusable cloth diapers to…all of these things are what I grew up doing. My mother and grandmother had always taught me the value of planting things that were green and good. Living in the city makes some of them more difficult, but not impossible. In all things, passion will make it so.
Recently, Cedarlight’s eyes were opened further to some of our own hypocrisy. Because of the way we were performing alcoholic libations and other offerings, we were accidentally poisoning plants in our sacred grove. With the assistance of some Divine Intervention on behalf of the Morrigan, I think that our efforts to change the way we use our ritual space immediately are far more in agreement with our promise to honor the earth we love.
My plans for the future involve attempting to install a recycling program in our apartment complex to make recycling easier. I also intend to volunteer hours to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to help clean up some of the mess we’ve made. I feel as though both Morrighan and Manannan MacLir are calling me to do so, as I have no doubt that they understand the love I hold in my heart for the deep wilderness, lush forests, and wild seas. My journey workings have led me to be more active and aware, so I will be seeking other opportunities to do so.
(word count: 768)