Real Wilding

Behind my house, shading the deck and my sit spot, is a lovely yellow birch. For many years, it was just “a birch of some kind.” Deepening my connection with the land included getting to know the trees, and I set about discovering what kind of birch it is. The tree has bark which peels like the white, or paper,…

I have been thinking about ecology, which is the study of how beings interact with each other and their environment, to better understand what terms like “eco-spirituality” and “spiritual ecology” mean. Ecology seems pretty science-y, and science and spirituality are often thought of as opposites. Both spirituality and ecology are about relationships, however, and there is crossover in the way…

After a warmer-than-average December melted the little snow we received and early January froze that into a dangerous coating of ice, I appreciate the blanket of snow I see now. Even very cold days are brightened by the sunlight reflecting off the ice crystals. It's hard to capture the glitter in photographs, but the squirrel says to trust me that…

It was an abundance of tiny pinecones dangling below the branches that brought my attention to the tree this winter. I had not paid much attention to this tree in the past, mostly because it was one of the many evergreens that grow here, and I had not spent time getting to know them individually. It is probably no coincidence…

About the same time the “Vs” of geese could be seen heading south, the blue jay who had become my friend disappeared. For a few days I continued to leave peanuts, then gave up and stood the canning jar that held the few remaining nuts on the floor inside the door. By the time the snow melted the following spring,…

When I am asked for suggestions for connecting with nature, I tell folks to feed the birds. Nothing breaks down the myth of separation from nature like hearing insistent tweets outside your window when the feeder is empty. This is never truer than with blue jays. I once left a peanut on the rail of our back deck, hoping to…