Green
Friends
“Those
who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never
alone or weary of life.”
Rachel
Carson
Biologist and
Conservationist, Rachel Carson, published one seminal book, Silent
Spring, that set off a crescendo of change. She brought attention
to the chemical pollution that was killing every living thing in
rivers and streams, and causing birds' eggs to be so thin they broke
in the nest. Because of her work, the Environmental Protection Agency
was established and certain chemicals banned from use—DDT among
them. Conditions are better now, but still in need of tending. As in any living system, balance is essential to health—finding ways to
control weeds and insects without poisoning everything else (including
ourselves) is paramount.
I hope you are a
gardener—a micro-biologist. Planting almost anything is an act of
faith—it engenders hope and expectation. I've planted phlox and
gladiolus so far this year, and I have herb seeds for planting soon.
The clover is in full bloom and I am seeing more bees in it than last
year. I can't tell you how much joy that gives me. My son and
daughter-in-law planted native fruit trees in their yard—plums,
paw-paws, figs and even a pecan tree. It seems their generation is
determined to grow at least part of their food. They're in their
mid-thirties now, and they and other young people in their
neighborhood are raising chickens and keeping bees. I love it!
Reminds me of my grandparents generation. Even though they lived in
town and not on a farm, they grew an enormous garden and spent the
summer freezing and canning and making preserves.
If we give to the earth,
if we truly become stewards as Genesis suggests, then the earth will
provide for us. To the extent that we poison the ground, we risk
poisoning ourselves as well. We have this knowledge now, thanks in
part to Rachel Carson. If you have a little patch of ground, or even
a balcony overlooking a major city street, grow something green. Tend
it carefully. You will begin to see what Carson meant when she wrote
that dwelling among the “beauties and mysteries of the earth,”
you will never be alone or weary of life. Plants, like pets, become
personal friends. You give to them and they give to you. They keep
you company and make you feel happy. It's springtime—make some
green and growing friends today.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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