On a morning in late spring I put my stand-up paddleboard into Paradox Lake, one of the lakes near my home in New York’s Adirondack mountains, and paddled out to the marsh that links the two wider ends of the lake. There was no wind and the water was crystal clear, affording me a nice view of the plants that coat the lake bottom. Looking down as I paddled, I saw, among the plants, several varieties and sizes of fish, including trout, bass, pike, and perch, some holding still or swimming under my board, while others darted quickly away. One fish held quite still as I passed over, probably protecting her nest from other fish who would eat her eggs. In a spot where lily pads grew, a disturbance at the surface of the water alerted me to two painted turtles who, in true painted turtle fashion, bumped into each other when they scrambled away.
I spotted a bald eagle in a tall pine and, once he spotted me looking at him, watched as he spread his broad wings and glided out of sight. Red winged blackbirds flitted in the marsh grasses, looking for bugs. Every now and then I heard the splash of a frog jumping and heard their calls.
Past the marsh and almost to the other end of the lake, I paddled into the wooded shoreline and, with the nose of the board nestled in the mud, sat on the board, watched dragonflies dart by, and enjoyed my solitude.
At the beginning of the week I pulled a card from the Druidic Tarot asking what I should do this week to help me slow down and feel more easeful, a needed counter to the prior week’s hecticness. The card I drew was The Hermit, with a message to disconnect from the mundane world, isolate myself, and seek true solitude. When I woke up to a bright blue sky and nothing on my calendar until the afternoon, I loaded my paddleboard onto my car and went out seeking some solitude surrounded by the magic of biodiversity.
The marsh, or more specifically the inland freshwater marsh, in the narrow part of the lake is rich in biodiversity. Biodiversity is the variety of forms of life in an area and marshes are among the most biodiverse habitats. There are a few studies and plenty of anecdotal evidence that time spent in highly biodiverse areas are more beneficial than just “going outside,” although any time outside is good, of course.
The morning on my paddleboard was exactly what the Tarot cards ordered. Not only had I gotten some exercise and mentally rested, my energetic system had been recharged by the buzz of diversity. And being around all those forms of life in habitat that has not been too disturbed by human activity reminded me why I do this work – for a vision of what is possible when we protect the land and all beings.