Complimentary Blueberry Juice

When we are curious we begin to see things differently.

One of the most important things about working with nature is simply staying curious about it.

The last two weeks during rather extreme weather for our region I have been outside a lot, watching nature change from “just getting out of bed” to “sprinting at full speed.” An early heatwave and low precipitation have caused all sorts of issues for what is otherwise usually a season for “cool season vegetables.”

It’s hard not to have climate anxiety these days. Nature sends signals, and the signals are everywhere. They may not be words or beeps on a phone. It feels like most of the world isn’t interested in picking up on what nature is sending out.

But we live in a world where most, at least in North America, are extremely disconnected from nature and the very world we are not only a part of, but of which we come from.

I really don’t want to be too down about the weather situation, or about the climate, or these sorts of things.

All I need to do is walk back to the garden and take a look. Everywhere there are things happening! There are tiny bugs on the soil. There are spiders and frogs everywhere. There are ink caps popping up. There are all sorts of plants. The flycatchers came back yesterday.

As exciting as those things can be, what’s most noticeable is what isn’t working. Maybe a patch of bare ground with hard clay, and little growing there. The question I ask myself is; what action can I take to send a signal to nature that this is a good place for something to thrive?

Humans are great at being destructive. But this is zero-sum thinking. To heal the earth, we can choose another option: the synergistic returns of pursuing the designs of nature. It’s a hard option to choose if we see nature as inconvenient or messy.

If you’re up for it, go take a close look at something today.

Staying curious is a great way to engage with the natural world around us and makes us care a little more for all the things that live within it. Humans are but one species on this planet. We should get to know our many millions of friends a little bit better.