I have always felt very close to the environment around me. I have grown up in Vermont, and spent my childhood in the garden, swimming in nearby rivers and reservoirs, and wandering around the forested landscapes surrounding my home. My family tells me that if they had asked me where food came from when I was a toddler, I would have answered, 'from the garden'. I have memories of moving wood for our wood stove, climbing on fallen trees in the woods, and acting a little too fascinated by every dead animal I ever found. My relationship with the natural world has led me on adventures camping, hiking, swimming, and exploring all the surrounding area.
However, nothing in life can be so simple. My feelings for the earth have always been influenced by thoughts of climate change, and pollution. It is a topic that's been ingrained into my mind my whole life by my parents and other influences. When I was younger and people started talking about the earth, and ecosystems, my mind would wander to fears of the future. I would cry over stories of extinct species, and the horrors of animal tracking. When I was a tween, I went through a period of time where I was constantly dreading all the potential outcomes my developing brain came up with. I could not enjoy being outside, without feeling incredibly sad. Eventually, I heard something that changed my perspective on the entire situation.Â
Multiple billion years ago, the first life to produced oxygen as a waste product evolved. This organism managed to change the atmosphere of earth enough to wipe out nearly all other kinds of life. For some reason, I found this a very comforting thing to think about. Maybe because it means that extreme atmospheric change has happened before, or it was the realization that earth will still be here, even if it becomes an inhabitable ball of molten lava. Perhaps I just grew out of my phase of extreme existential dread. But, whatever the reason, ever since then I have been able to look at the world in a different light. I see the beauty of the plants and animals around me. I'm fascinated by the diversity of insects even just in my home. I get exited when I find a bird skull on the beach while traveling in Scotland, even though I am aware of the disastrous bird flu going around. My relationship with the environment around me has changed a lot over time. But, one thing has not changed, and that is my connection with it all. I have always, and hope to always stay in tune with every change we go though, big or small. And I will face these changes with fascination and determination, just like I always have before.