Tending a Blue Jay with Ecological Reiki
Today’s wildlife rehabilitation loss is among my worst. Earlier, I brought a young blue jay, recently fledged, to the veterinary clinic to be humanely euthanized. He had been grabbed by...
Biodiversity is Magic
Growing up, I was blessed to have many encounters with other forms of life. My parents, and their parents, were water people. I knew the ocean and I knew lakes....
Guiding Principles of Ecological Reiki
Are you ready to take your energy practice of the table and onto the Earth? Consider these principles for practicing Reiki with your ecosystem (and just living an interconnected life)....
Seek Solitude and Biodiversity to Recharge
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...
From Encounter to Commitment — A Spiritual Ecology
The idea of a spiritual ecology—a sense of sacred relationship with the natural world—has roots in philosophy as well as lived experience. Ernst Haeckel, a German biologist and philosopher who...
What Vulnerability Teaches Us About the Natural World
Some of the most powerful encounters with other species are painful rather than joyful. Aldo Leopold, an American conservationist and author best known for A Sand County Almanac , once...
How Caring for Wild Animals Changes Us
There’s a story that floats around online about a trapper who became a wildlife defender because of two baby beavers. Curious whether it was true, I went looking and found...
Planning a Backyard with Rewilding in Mind
Creating wildlife habitat in your backyard requires balancing the needs of both humans and more-than-human species. Thoughtful design can make rewilded spaces inviting, functional, and beautiful while still supporting biodiversity....
Rewilding for Connection and as Quiet Resistance
Rewilding changes more than the land, it changes how you relate to nature. Rewilding fosters a sense of interconnection with the natural world and a spirituality that emerges from experiences...
How Rewilded Backyards Support Ecosystems
Typical urban and suburban landscapes are often dominated by lawns and nonnative plants that drain resources without giving much back. Native ecosystems break down when these landscapes replace them. Switching...
Why Rewilding Feels Good: Mental and Physical Benefits of Gardening for Wildlife
Time in nature is well known to support mental health. Gardening, in particular, has been linked to increased well‑being, stress reduction, and improved mood. But the benefits aren’t equal across...
The Overlooked Power of Backyards in Saving Biodiversity
Urban and suburban backyards aren’t usually thought of as conservation spaces. Conservation tends to focus on distant places and well‑known species, while the wildlife living close to home, like the...