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Just dropping this here for no particular reason.....

From "Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad" by Austin Kleon, p. 197-198.

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Right now, you are alive.

What irises are you planting? (real or metaphorical)

At least some of them WILL outlive the bullies of the world.

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A while ago when I was teaching "Nature Journaling for Ecological Re-STORY-ation," I kept thinking that if that was like an introductory 6-week martial arts course where you get your first white belt, what I really want to do is work with the people who want to go all the way to "Black Belt" of Nature Connection.

"Black Belt" in this sense would be when the Indicators of Awareness of Nature Connection turn into the Attributes of Deep Nature Connection.

The Indicators of Awareness are: Common Sense/Awareness of Hazards, Aliveness and Agility, Inquisitive Focus, Caring and Tending, Service to the Community, Awe and Reverence, Taking Initiative, and Quiet Mind. These are states of being that can arise in you in the moment within one single nature outing. You've probably experienced them.

Over time, these flickers of connection can solidify from a state of being you feel once in a while, to a TRAIT that's become part of you and that you carry with you all the time -- the same way a green sprout can solidify into a woody stem. It takes time, repetition, and mentorship. The Attributes of Deep Nature Connection are: Happiness, Vitality, Deep Listening, Empathy, True Helpfulness and Sharing Your Gifts, Love and Compassion, and Quiet Mind.

I don't even see myself as at that "Black Belt" level. I'm much further along the path than the average person. But even people who have been doing this for decades and have a very highly developed sense of connection are still learning and deepening. After all, I've heard that the idea of attaining a Black Belt means that you are becoming a beginner all over again.

🌟The truth is, there is no end point on this journey.

🌟And, there is no beginning.

You have already begun by virtue of being a human, an alive creature on this planet Earth. So you don't have to wait for the perfect time to start.

Connection is your birthright.

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A common misconception I get is that people sometimes think that just because I studied at SUNY-ESF, that means I know EVERYTHING about plants and animals and ecosystems and environmental policy and renewable energy and environmental education....

I do NOT!!! 😆

I know at least a little bit about all of those things. But my focus was in Conservation Biology. I especially like learning about biodiversity, ecosystem restoration, ornithology, and things like that. But even within my favorite topics, there's a LOT that I don't know! There's just so much to learn within the environmetal field that you can literally spend lifetimes learning and still only know a small portion of what there is to know. It's about the entire Earth, after all.

So if you're reading this, there's a good chance that you have a wealth of knowledge that I don't have. That's why I think it's so important for us all to learn together as a COMMUNITY. We're all on our own separate, but collaborative, learning journeys. I like to guide people towards having a deeper connection with nature. But as part of being that guide, I'm still learning a lot all the time, too!

I look forward to learning from you while I'm here sharing what I know! 💚

[habitat-restoryation]

Happy Earth Day! 🌎

Of course, EVERY day is Earth Day :D

But as someone said today in a nature group I'm in, it's still important to have a day specifically to celebrate the Earth. It's like how we can celebrate Thanksgiving, even though every day is for giving thanks. Because not everybody thinks about gratitude and the Earth 365 days a year like I do (and like you might too, if you're subscribed to my letters). Some people need a reminder. We need this annual reminder in the public consciousness.

I talk a lot about connecting to your local ecosystem and developing a deeper sense of place in nature. Earth Day is a great time to zoom out to a global perspective -- but one still rooted in your own place. Think about how the patch of land you live on, love, and pay attention to every day connects to the patch of land I'm on, and that of every other person in the global nature journaling commuinity (and every other person, period). We are joined together by the global water cycle, the wind patterns and climate, and evolutionary patterns of species diversity that transcend all human political borders.

We develop a specific sense of place, and our own specific sense of individual personhood, but we are still an interconnected part of a greater whole. We are each one piece of the puzzle. We can focus on taking care of the Earth right where we live; we don't have to do everything by ourselves. We can let go of the heavy responsibility of needing to "save the planet." But, each in our own place, we can work towards a common vision of creating a future where all humans and wild creatures can thrive.

~~~~~~~ Here are some questions you might reflect on this Earth Day:

-In what ways do I depend on the Earth? How does the Earth support my needs? (physical, emotional, etc.) -How can I express my gratitude for the way my needs are met by the Earth? -How can I contribute to the health of the Earth? What small role do I want to play? -What do I NOT want to contribute? (you can't do everything) -How can I connect to my local community? -How can I feel connected to people who are different from me, or who live in different places from me? How can we still build a sense of community? ~~~~~~~~~

You can ask your friends and family these questions, too. And then make sure to get outside at least a bit and enjoy some time on our beautiful Earth :D

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A funny nature story from my week

A few days ago I wrote about the importance of sharing your nature stories with others, even if they seem small or unimportant. So here's one from my week!

I was hanging out with a friend, sitting on her front porch drinking tea and chatting and listening to the birds.

"Look," I pointed out. "That squirrel is going straight down that tree!"

The squirrel continued on headfirst all the way to the ground. My friend and I continued chatting, and I idly watched as the squirrel poked under some cars parked along the road, came back out, wandered around the yard, and then started walking up the front steps and came ONTO the porch, sniffing around, just 5 or 10 feet from where we were sitting --

and then suddenly saw us and FROZE.

Ki stared at us for a few seconds before turning around and running away. 😂 ~~

I think this story is a good example of how when you sit still in one place for a long time, wild creatures feel more comfortable, and you have a better chance of seeing their behaviors close-up. (At least, until they notice you and get scared). 😂

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Well, the kingbird family is called "Tyrannidae" for a reason, after all. 😁The "Tyrant Flycatchers." I remember reading somewhere that they've even been recorded chasing small airplanes!

a Cooper’s Hawk being hassled by a kingbird

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Joyfully loving nature that is hurting

Recently I went birding on a trail along a stream near where I live, and at the end I wrote in my field notes:

"At the end of this trip, I'm just feeling so much love for nature. Even if it's sick, it's hurting, and there's so much destruction. I love it so much, in the moment every day appreciating what and who IS here. I want to be here and be present and witness, no matter what."

Sometimes it's hard to want to form a connection to nature, to your hyper-local ecosystem, because it can mean opening yourself up to a lot of grief. It can be easier to just disconnect and not pay attention. I feel that way sometimes. Hmm, maybe that's one benefit to thinking of nature as something "out there."

But on that bird walk, I had this sudden feeling of intense JOY and gratitude, and that's what I'm writing to share with you right now.

Yes, maybe the water quality the stream is not as clean as it could be, due to runoff from the road. Maybe there is some litter. Yes, there is biodiversity loss due to human construction and invasive species. There has been species loss, and the total NUMBER of individual birds/creatures has decreased drastically from what it used to be.

But I still got to see a Robin gathering dry grasses to make ki's nest. I got to hear playful Red Squirrels chattering in the trees. And a beautiful Belted Kingfisher swooped over the water.

It reminds me of how I'm very sad that one of my cats died last fall; but I can still love and pay attention to my cat Ries who is still alive.

I want to help restore nature. But even if I personally never live to see everything get better, there is still life all around us. There are still wonders and beautiful things to be found. Even if we lived in a dystopian wasteland, there would still be life persevering through the cracks, there would still be reasons to feel connected. And what we have now is much richer than that! I needed to remind myself to be grateful for all the beings that are still here, living their lives around me every day.

I was able to find that moment of joy. And I hope that you can, too.

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Every little story you want to tell about nature matters. (Whether in your nature journal, on social media, or in real life to your friends and family).

You might not think it's worth telling or mentioning; someone else has told a similar story elsewhere, and better. But it does. Every little one matters. Even if it's told badly, even if not very much happens.

Every time we share our stories, our experiences of what happened in nature, it's bringing nature into our conversations. It's bringing nature ALIVE for us.

This is something that requires repetition. You wouldn't think "I talked to my loved one yesterday/heard from my friend last week, so I don't need to hear about their day again today too." It's a continual thing. That's what makes it a *relationship* between people and nature. So keep talking about nature, even if the wider culture (extractive industrial capitalist society) doesn't value it. Keep talking about it /because/ the wider culture doesn't value it. Over time, the culture can change, but only if we keep bringing nature alive in our own interpersonal relationships and communities.

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Today I'm thinking about how a garden is like an access point for connection with nature.

It brings "nature" from an abstract, grand thing, to this specific little piece of land right in front of you.

As you might know, I live with my parents. I often help out with the gardening-- but this year, they asked if I wanted a spot for my very OWN garden. I'm very excited to have a place where I can grow whatever I choose, and manage taking care of it myself. I think I will learn a lot more about gardening when it's up to me to plan the whole process, start to finish.

This morning, I went out to see the garden, excited to get started. It needs quite a bit of weeding before I can add compost, and before I can plant some seeds. I felt the urge to jump right in and start pulling up grass and weeds. But I realized that wouldn't feel right. Just like how with the Honorable Harvest you ask permission before harvesting when you're foraging for wild plants, I wanted to "ask permission" from the garden.

I put my hands on the soil for a few minutes and thought about my intentions, why I want to have this garden. It's not that I'm trying to get this piece of land to bend to my will, to override the wild plants that naturally want to grow there, so I can force it grow the food plants and I vegetables that *I* want. I thought about how it's like a collaboration, like entering into a partnership, with mutual responsibilities. I thought about how this bit of Earth IS Mother Earth, and how I would feel honored to be able to the one to tend and steward it. I thought about how I AM the Earth, and the Earth is me; like the plants, my body came from the Earth and will eventually go back to the Earth.

And while I thought about all this, I breathed and listened deeply to the goldfinches flying overhead, a woodpecker drumming in the distance, and kids on spring break playing down the street; I looked at the clouds drifting by in the clear blue sky overhead, the light moving through the tree branches, and felt the breeze on my face.

I imagined that it was like the earth of the garden and I were shaking hands, coming to an agreement to work together on this project.

Only then did I start work on the weeding.

I am looking forward to the sense of connection that will continue to grow between me and this garden space throughout the growing season!

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Did you make any New Years goals/resolutions related to nature?

Mine is about birds! I've been birding for over a decade, but to be honest, I don't use eBird very often. If you don't know, eBird is a citizen science website where you submit your birding checklists, and they're compiled with other people's data from all over the world! Researchers can use this information to make important decisions about conservation and habitat management. There are also really cool maps! So it's a simple way to use the time you spend in nature to actually make a difference! For the past few months, my coworker friend at my library day job (who is also a birder) has kept telling me I should use eBird more. So, I'm giving into positive peer pressure. :) My goal for 2025 is to go birding and submit my checklists to eBird more often, and to record at least 100 species by the end of the year. 100 species might sound like a lot, but if you're an avid birder, you'll probably agree that it's a very manageable goal. I actually thought about setting a goal of 150 or 200 species to challenge myself a bit more. But I wanted to set a relatively easy, fun goal that wouldn't be too stressful or overwhelming. As long as it gets me spending more time outside in the fresh air, seeing and listening to birds, then it's is a success. As studies have shown, birding is great for your mental health. (And boy do I need things to keep me happy and calm and grounded right now amidst the US political situation). Sometimes, it's better to set an easy goal so you don't feel pressure. And then since it's fun, you might actually end up doing more than you would have if you'd set a challenging goal! So far I've recorded 31 species -- the most recent addition being a Pileated Woodpecker that flew overhead just as I was about to get in my car to go to work! Did you make any nature-related New Years goals? Comment if you'd like to share! I'm curious if there's any way I can support you. And we're only one month into the year, so it's not too late. :) Besides, you can make goals for yourself at any time of year. Every day is a fresh start.

~Rebecca 💚

[Image description: a screenshot from eBird, showing the 31 species I have observed so far in 2025, and the date I first recorded them this year.]

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DEI is Still Valued Here

This Tumblr blog may be new, but I want to take a moment to make sure everyone knows that back in 2023, I wrote an Instagram post sharing my core values and how I want to apply them to my online business/community.

One of them was this:

"Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Antiracism All kinds of people are welcome here and encouraged to share their voice. Cultural humility. We recognize our privileges without feeling guilty about it and use whatever power we have to make things better for others. We do what we can to dismantle systems of oppression and exploitation (or at least, stop perpetuating them). We look out for symptoms of White Supremacy Culture and find ways to replace them with healthier ways of being. "

I love how nature journaling can bring together people from all across the political spectrum and remind us that the Earth is what we all have in common. That being said, my nature connection work has NEVER been purely apolitical.

Even if the current administration in the US Federal government is no longer upholding our values, I am going to continue to keep them at the heart of everything I do here.

As a cis member of the Queer community I stand with my trans brothers and sisters, and nonbinary and intersex siblings. As a half-Jewish person, I do not ever tolerate antisemitism. As a descendent of immigrants, I stand with immigrants. I belive in Black Lives Matter, in reproductive rights, in taking action against climate change, in institutions of public health, and in treating every person with respect.

This is a Safe Space. 🏳‍🌈 (As much as I can make it be; I am an imperfect human and I am always learning more about how to be a better ally but that is my sincere intention).

I've seen a lot of people saying things like "If you voted for Trump, unfollow me right now."

I'm not going to say that. I mean it when I say everyone is welcome here and I believe we all continue to have a lot to learn from each other.

BUT:

If you disagree with any of what I've said here, or if you've been celebrating these past two weeks, know that this space is not created FOR you. You and your views are not going to be privileged here. And if you don't like that, you don't have to follow me.

For the rest of my US friends, I hope you're holding up ok right now. We're going to get through this, we'll get through these next four years together. 💚💚💚

~Rebecca

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Land Acknowledgement: This blog post was created in the ancestral and unceded lands of Onondaga Nation of The Haudenosaunee Confederacy.

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“It’s easy to rush to resolve our questions. When we are uncomfortable with ambiguity, we tend to seek immediate answers and accept the first one we come to. Our ability to access information at the click of a button on the internet reinforces this tendency. But we can train ourselves to sit with mysteries and use methods to approach deeper understanding. The process takes patience and requires humble, deliberate thought. By these means, we circle closer to the truth and enhance our practical understanding of the world.”

~ How to Teach Nature Journaling by John Muir Laws and Emilie Lygren

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(You can purchase a copy or get a free PDF download of the book here! It's not my book, just sharing because it's awesome!)

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To learn more:

Native lands app -- enter your location, and this site will tell you which indigenous lands you are on

Video from the Ska Nonh Great Law of Peace Center about the significance of the Thanksgiving Address

Expanded version of The Thanksgiving Address

Thanksgiving Address: Haudenosaunee Greetings to the Natural World

How the Iroquois Great Law of Peace Shaped US Democracy

https://www.pbs.org/native-america/blogs/native-voices/how-the-iroquois-great-law-of-peace-shaped-us-democracy/

Ska Nonh Great Law of Peace Center

Haudenosaunee Confederacy

Onondaga nation: People of the Hills

Onondaga Nation’s Vision for a Clean Onondaga Lake

NOON: Neighbors of Onondaga Nation

Where We Stand

If you want to build a stronger connection to nature, your sense of place, and the land of you live on, it’s vital to know where you stand and the history of the people who live there.

And so, I want my blog to begin the same way. Before I post anything else, I want to take this time to recognize that I am writing from the ancestral homeland of the Haudenosaunee People, specifically the Onondaga Nation.

If you are from Upstate New York, you might be familiar with the story of the foundation of the Haudenosaunee League of Five Nations. (Also known as the Iroquois Confederacy; “Haudenosaunee” means people of the longhouse, while “Iroquois” is the name given to them by the French). The short version of the story goes like this: a long time ago, the five nations were stuck in a violent cycle of war and revenge. Hiawatha and the Peacemaker brought all the nations together with the message of the Great Law of Peace. They buried their weapons of war beneath the great White Pine tree. (This is where the saying “bury the hatchet” comes from). White Pine has five needles per bundle, just like the five nations in the Confederacy.

I learned this story in 4th grade when my class studied the “Iroqouis”. I also grew up visiting Onondaga Lake, which is not far from where I live. But it wasn’t until I was in college that I learned that this origin story took place AT Onondaga Lake.

Growing up, I learned the story of how Onondaga Lake became polluted, and the work that’s being done to restore it. I even volunteered to teach younger students about the lake. I thought I knew everything important about it.

But I didn’t know that the lake is sacred to the Onondaga people. I didn’t know its connection to this story of the formation of the oldest participatory democracy in the world. I didn’t know that the Great Tree of Peace is thought to have been on the shores of Onondaga Lake, probably near the spot where the mall parking lot is now, on the site of an old Onondaga village.

When we learn about our local environments, our homes, these are the kind of stories that should not get left out. It still boggles my mind to think that I went so long without knowing the significance of Onondaga Lake.

As a naturalist, writer, and environmental educator, I intend to do my best not to make the same mistake.

The Thanksgiving Address: The Words that Come Before All Else

The Haudenosaunee also start every meeting, gathering, and day of school with the Thanksgiving Address: The Words that Come Before All Else.

This is a recitation giving thanks for all parts of creation. The exact wording depends on the person. As Onondaga Clan Mother Frieda Jacques says in this video, it’s not a prayer, but a secular expression of gratitude. It’s also a taxonomy; it lists many of the major groups of organisms and aspects of the natural world.

As I welcome you all to my blog, I hope that this will become a gathering place where we can come together as a community to learn about nature and help each other grow as people at the same time.

I want to start this journey by taking a moment to express my gratitude for all the beings, creatures, and aspects of nature that we love and depend on. Ecology is a study of relationships. We all need each other in order to survive and thrive. Beyond that, I am so grateful to live in a world populated by millions of other types of creatures and millions of ways of knowing, both human and nonhuman; creatures we can learn about and “discover” and that fill our lives with wonder and joy.

As you read, I invite you to pause for a second on each member of the list. Observe what images pop into your head, or what emotions you feel. Think about your relationship to each aspect of nature, your connection to it, and how you rely on each other.

After each segment of the Thanksgiving Address, the words “And now our minds are one,” are repeated. Imagine what our society might be like if we learned from the Haudenosaunee and began every gathering by affirming our gratitude for the natural world, our commonality, and our interdependence.

We give thanks for:

The People

The Earth Mother

The Waters

The Fish

The Plants

The Food Plants

The Medicine Herbs

The Animals

The Trees

The Birds

The Four Winds

The Thunderers

The Sun

Grandmother Moon

The Stars

Our teachers

All the gifts of creation

Now our minds are one.

~~Comment and let me know: Who are the indigenous people of the land you live on? (If you don’t know, that’s ok, you can find out!). What in nature are you grateful for?

From the first blog post on my website, December 18 2020: https://www.rebeccarolnick.com/post/where-we-stand---the-thanksgiving-address-the-words-that-come-before-all-else

[habitat-restoryation]

Where We Stand

If you want to build a stronger connection to nature, your sense of place, and the land of you live on, it’s vital to know where you stand and the history of the people who live there.

And so, I want my blog to begin the same way. Before I post anything else, I want to take this time to recognize that I am writing from the ancestral homeland of the Haudenosaunee People, specifically the Onondaga Nation.

If you are from Upstate New York, you might be familiar with the story of the foundation of the Haudenosaunee League of Five Nations. (Also known as the Iroquois Confederacy; “Haudenosaunee” means people of the longhouse, while “Iroquois” is the name given to them by the French). The short version of the story goes like this: a long time ago, the five nations were stuck in a violent cycle of war and revenge. Hiawatha and the Peacemaker brought all the nations together with the message of the Great Law of Peace. They buried their weapons of war beneath the great White Pine tree. (This is where the saying “bury the hatchet” comes from). White Pine has five needles per bundle, just like the five nations in the Confederacy.

I learned this story in 4th grade when my class studied the “Iroqouis”. I also grew up visiting Onondaga Lake, which is not far from where I live. But it wasn’t until I was in college that I learned that this origin story took place AT Onondaga Lake.

Growing up, I learned the story of how Onondaga Lake became polluted, and the work that’s being done to restore it. I even volunteered to teach younger students about the lake. I thought I knew everything important about it.

But I didn’t know that the lake is sacred to the Onondaga people. I didn’t know its connection to this story of the formation of the oldest participatory democracy in the world. I didn’t know that the Great Tree of Peace is thought to have been on the shores of Onondaga Lake, probably near the spot where the mall parking lot is now, on the site of an old Onondaga village.

When we learn about our local environments, our homes, these are the kind of stories that should not get left out. It still boggles my mind to think that I went so long without knowing the significance of Onondaga Lake.

As a naturalist, writer, and environmental educator, I intend to do my best not to make the same mistake.

The Thanksgiving Address: The Words that Come Before All Else

The Haudenosaunee also start every meeting, gathering, and day of school with the Thanksgiving Address: The Words that Come Before All Else.

This is a recitation giving thanks for all parts of creation. The exact wording depends on the person. As Onondaga Clan Mother Frieda Jacques says in this video, it’s not a prayer, but a secular expression of gratitude. It’s also a taxonomy; it lists many of the major groups of organisms and aspects of the natural world.

As I welcome you all to my blog, I hope that this will become a gathering place where we can come together as a community to learn about nature and help each other grow as people at the same time.

I want to start this journey by taking a moment to express my gratitude for all the beings, creatures, and aspects of nature that we love and depend on. Ecology is a study of relationships. We all need each other in order to survive and thrive. Beyond that, I am so grateful to live in a world populated by millions of other types of creatures and millions of ways of knowing, both human and nonhuman; creatures we can learn about and “discover” and that fill our lives with wonder and joy.

As you read, I invite you to pause for a second on each member of the list. Observe what images pop into your head, or what emotions you feel. Think about your relationship to each aspect of nature, your connection to it, and how you rely on each other.

After each segment of the Thanksgiving Address, the words “And now our minds are one,” are repeated. Imagine what our society might be like if we learned from the Haudenosaunee and began every gathering by affirming our gratitude for the natural world, our commonality, and our interdependence.

We give thanks for:

The People

The Earth Mother

The Waters

The Fish

The Plants

The Food Plants

The Medicine Herbs

The Animals

The Trees

The Birds

The Four Winds

The Thunderers

The Sun

Grandmother Moon

The Stars

Our teachers

All the gifts of creation

Now our minds are one.

~~Comment and let me know: Who are the indigenous people of the land you live on? (If you don’t know, that’s ok, you can find out!). What in nature are you grateful for?

From the first blog post on my website, December 18 2020: https://www.rebeccarolnick.com/post/where-we-stand---the-thanksgiving-address-the-words-that-come-before-all-else