I’m inspired by the idea of making one change. I have a friend who is deeply committed to helping his neighbors re-wild their yards. He is so passionate and committed… all over town there are meadows popping up instead of cut grass. He really illustrates this concept for me and it makes me want to find the one thing I can lean into. It helps, I think, with the despair.
Isn’t that amazing when the change is visible? Kudos to your friend. And to you for recognizing the power of one small change!
It does help with despair. Sometimes i wonder if i have let my sister River down when a meeting goes off the rails but there’s always the next opportunity to change the narrative into better action. Trish O’Kane is so inspiring.❤️
I agree that thoughtfully designed outdoor programs for children are key to getting local support in most communities. There is so much that can be done on local levels in this vein. Sometimes we forget that programs for the elderly population of many towns could be important, as well, in raising community interest for conservation of natural areas.
Katharine, your story inspires strength, promise, and hope. It’s beautifully summed up when you wrote; “… it’s possible to change culture just by acting as if our places are living beings”. That statement speaks volumes. Volumes! It makes me want to carry it forward. Water issues here are dire. Our State’s central wetlands are currently unable to support large, diverse bird migrations that have stopped here for thousands of years. It’s deeply troubling knowing that a large segment of our population thinks it isn’t important enough to restore the natural water flow to the Refuges.
Ah, Mark, thank you for your kind presence. I’m glad we are together on Janisse Ray’s Trackless Wild.
I am sad for your water situation. I wonder what stories we can tell that will move people to care.
We couldn’t get a ban on single use plastic bags through the County before the State legislature banned the ban because the retail and tourism lobbyists are so powerful.
I think we are in the right place on Substack, and with Janisse.
What a great story! Thanks for alerting me to this book. I put it on hold at my local library—both book and audiobook. <rubbing my hands in anticipation>
Can't wait to hear what you think. O'Kane's dissertation is online. I know how you dive into research:)
O'Kane should be on Substack. She was published by Ecco, whose parent is the third largest publisher in the world and she really didn't get much press. The only reason I heard about it is my editor got an advance copy. Maybe we can keep the word of mouth going.🩷
Yes!!! This reminds me of two things- Jenny Odell's book Saving Time, that I quoted in an early piece here on Substack. I wrote:
In her new book Saving Time, Jenny Odell references the birding practice of a patch: a self-defined space one regularly observes. “On eBird, ‘yard lists’ are a subset of ‘patch lists’, examples of patches being ‘your local park, neighbourhood walk, favourite lake, or sewage plant.’ The idea of a patch is instructive. Unlike roads, property lines, and city limits, patches often exist in the dimension of the infraordinary, being unofficial spaces delineated only by attention…
A patch is as small as you want to make it. The smallest one I have had is a single branch of a California buckeye tree in a nearby municipal park, a place I visited or passed through hundreds of times during the Pandemic.”
Secondly, the legal personhood of the Whanganui river, which I'm sure you're aware of. In my second-to-last piece, right at the bottom of the footnotes, there's a good little documentary on how that came about: https://rosiewhinray.substack.com/p/the-hitchhiker
A touchstone quote for me comes from naturalist John Burroughs: "The lesson which life repeats and constantly enforces is 'look under foot.' You are always nearer the divine and the true sources of your power than you think. The lure of the distant and difficult is deceptive. The great opportunity is where you are. Do not despise your own place and hour. Every place is under the stars, every place is the centre of the world."
Patch…that’s a freeing idea. Thanks for nudging my thoughts along about property lines, rivers, and counties. I live on a shared road, off the path. The road crosses two counties. The system discourages forward progress on Rights of Nature. A patch doesn’t need anything but our attention…how freeing for the heart and the mind to wipe away the perceived boundaries. I’m hopping over to your post to explore.
Thanks, Rosie, for your generous comment. And for your time.🌱
Bravo my friend! If we look in partnership with the natural world around us we might begin to sense a belonging. “Place” is exactly the right word. I can’t wait to turn the pages of this book! 🙏🏻
Aww, Taylor, my friend! You are on my mind. I owe you news. Soonest.
Thank you for reading and commenting. Yes, this book is for you.
I would love to interview Trish O’Kane. She’s hard to find; even her website redirects to HarperCollins. She’s working at the University of Vermont. I may go up the chain there. Talk soon. 🥰
I was lucky enough to hear her read. She began the reading by having us all join in a Woodcock dance. She is beloved by her students and they lead the strut. Magic.
Ms. Winship - This is Jim Carrier, Trish's husband. Amy Payne alerted me to your piece. You really captured the heart of her book, and work. As I type she is headed to Yosemite to do a talk for the NPS on Saturday at the Parsons Memorial 2-3:30.
Jim, this is Katharine. You should have seen my expression when I read your note! I've been walking around for weeks with Trish's book attached to me. Thank you and Trish for your work. You have helped me deal with committee conflicts in my community work. I can't imagine what it was like for you to head up Wild Warner! I will email you. With huge thanks, katharine
Clarion is the word, Joan! Trish plays all the right notes: education, mentors, wildlife, community, and unbelievably she stops the mega fireworks display from raining on the nesting birds🌱🌿💚
Thanks so much! I live pretty close to Warner Park but don’t know this book yet and can’t wait to read it. I appreciate book recommendations so much — you say the book tells you what it needs; I’ve always felt I connect with the book I need at just the right moment. 🙏
David LaMotte’s list is quite practical and also a little more involved. I took some liberties to smush some items together for clarity and simplification.
Another valuable dimension of David’s YouTube TED talk is the example he gives of Rosa Park’s story. He added details that I was unaware of, including the planning behind that moment that she stayed in her seat. Rosa Parks had worked on the planning committee for twenty years. After she was released from jail, she went right back to work handling the phone banks to help people get rides to work since they were boycotting the bus system. David was stressing the importance of committee work. Sigh. Actually, David’s delivery was so good that the audience did sigh. And then laughed at themselves.🌱
I think our bookshelves could be mirror images of each other! And I love that you integrated David LaMotte's TED talk into your essay here. Thank you for writing and sharing!!
The timing of David's talk was just perfect. I was right at the stage when I needed to get more specific and I was floundering. (Trish wrote about five books in that one book.) David's talk gave me a place to land. I feel that there is more to write about Birding. It would be amazing to meet Trish O'Kane.🌱
I am not a birder; I just love birds and the natural world. If we want to know why we ought to protect birds and their habitats, imagine a world without any birds. Listen to Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi."
Well, this is not a world that any human would truly want to live in--a world devoid of natural beauty. The Earth is a wondrous place, but it is up to us humans to preserve and protect it.
I’m inspired by the idea of making one change. I have a friend who is deeply committed to helping his neighbors re-wild their yards. He is so passionate and committed… all over town there are meadows popping up instead of cut grass. He really illustrates this concept for me and it makes me want to find the one thing I can lean into. It helps, I think, with the despair.
Isn’t that amazing when the change is visible? Kudos to your friend. And to you for recognizing the power of one small change!
It does help with despair. Sometimes i wonder if i have let my sister River down when a meeting goes off the rails but there’s always the next opportunity to change the narrative into better action. Trish O’Kane is so inspiring.❤️
I agree that thoughtfully designed outdoor programs for children are key to getting local support in most communities. There is so much that can be done on local levels in this vein. Sometimes we forget that programs for the elderly population of many towns could be important, as well, in raising community interest for conservation of natural areas.
Amen!
It’s like finding an endangered species in the place you want to keep natural.
Trish goes deep with those lived student stories. The topic is worthy of its own essay.
This was a tough (yet joyous) assignment. Trish really wrote five books in one. There’s even a chapter on J. Drew Lanham showing up for the students.
Thanks, Ann🌱🌿🌲💚
Katharine, your story inspires strength, promise, and hope. It’s beautifully summed up when you wrote; “… it’s possible to change culture just by acting as if our places are living beings”. That statement speaks volumes. Volumes! It makes me want to carry it forward. Water issues here are dire. Our State’s central wetlands are currently unable to support large, diverse bird migrations that have stopped here for thousands of years. It’s deeply troubling knowing that a large segment of our population thinks it isn’t important enough to restore the natural water flow to the Refuges.
Let there be stories!
Ah, Mark, thank you for your kind presence. I’m glad we are together on Janisse Ray’s Trackless Wild.
I am sad for your water situation. I wonder what stories we can tell that will move people to care.
We couldn’t get a ban on single use plastic bags through the County before the State legislature banned the ban because the retail and tourism lobbyists are so powerful.
I think we are in the right place on Substack, and with Janisse.
Yes, let there be stories.🌱
Every time I read of someone committing to place, to the local, it gives me hope. Thank you!
Every time I read an essay of yours, it gives me hope. Thank you🌱🌿🌲
That is far too kind, thank you!
What a great story! Thanks for alerting me to this book. I put it on hold at my local library—both book and audiobook. <rubbing my hands in anticipation>
Priscilla, it's right up your alley!!
Can't wait to hear what you think. O'Kane's dissertation is online. I know how you dive into research:)
O'Kane should be on Substack. She was published by Ecco, whose parent is the third largest publisher in the world and she really didn't get much press. The only reason I heard about it is my editor got an advance copy. Maybe we can keep the word of mouth going.🩷
Sounds good!
Yes!!! This reminds me of two things- Jenny Odell's book Saving Time, that I quoted in an early piece here on Substack. I wrote:
In her new book Saving Time, Jenny Odell references the birding practice of a patch: a self-defined space one regularly observes. “On eBird, ‘yard lists’ are a subset of ‘patch lists’, examples of patches being ‘your local park, neighbourhood walk, favourite lake, or sewage plant.’ The idea of a patch is instructive. Unlike roads, property lines, and city limits, patches often exist in the dimension of the infraordinary, being unofficial spaces delineated only by attention…
A patch is as small as you want to make it. The smallest one I have had is a single branch of a California buckeye tree in a nearby municipal park, a place I visited or passed through hundreds of times during the Pandemic.”
(My piece is here: https://rosiewhinray.substack.com/p/the-dimension-of-the-infraordinary)
Secondly, the legal personhood of the Whanganui river, which I'm sure you're aware of. In my second-to-last piece, right at the bottom of the footnotes, there's a good little documentary on how that came about: https://rosiewhinray.substack.com/p/the-hitchhiker
A touchstone quote for me comes from naturalist John Burroughs: "The lesson which life repeats and constantly enforces is 'look under foot.' You are always nearer the divine and the true sources of your power than you think. The lure of the distant and difficult is deceptive. The great opportunity is where you are. Do not despise your own place and hour. Every place is under the stars, every place is the centre of the world."
Patch…that’s a freeing idea. Thanks for nudging my thoughts along about property lines, rivers, and counties. I live on a shared road, off the path. The road crosses two counties. The system discourages forward progress on Rights of Nature. A patch doesn’t need anything but our attention…how freeing for the heart and the mind to wipe away the perceived boundaries. I’m hopping over to your post to explore.
Thanks, Rosie, for your generous comment. And for your time.🌱
Bravo my friend! If we look in partnership with the natural world around us we might begin to sense a belonging. “Place” is exactly the right word. I can’t wait to turn the pages of this book! 🙏🏻
Aww, Taylor, my friend! You are on my mind. I owe you news. Soonest.
Thank you for reading and commenting. Yes, this book is for you.
I would love to interview Trish O’Kane. She’s hard to find; even her website redirects to HarperCollins. She’s working at the University of Vermont. I may go up the chain there. Talk soon. 🥰
The book is terrific! So glad to see another human promoting it.
Amy! I am so glad that you know Birding to Change the World. Trish is so wise.
My editor just happened to see an advance copy at her book store. She says it was a "fortuitous glance." That's how I found O'Kane.
How did you find the book?
I was lucky enough to hear her read. She began the reading by having us all join in a Woodcock dance. She is beloved by her students and they lead the strut. Magic.
Amy! Wow! I really want to interview her. Do you know any way of finding her email? I’m out of leads. Maybe I’ll just write a letter care of UVM.
Ms. Winship - This is Jim Carrier, Trish's husband. Amy Payne alerted me to your piece. You really captured the heart of her book, and work. As I type she is headed to Yosemite to do a talk for the NPS on Saturday at the Parsons Memorial 2-3:30.
Here is a link:
https://yosemite.org/parsons-memorial-lodge-summer-series-2024/
I read parts of your piece to her, and she would love to talk to you. Send me your email and I'll deliver. jimcarrier@msn.com. Thanks again.
Jim, this is Katharine. You should have seen my expression when I read your note! I've been walking around for weeks with Trish's book attached to me. Thank you and Trish for your work. You have helped me deal with committee conflicts in my community work. I can't imagine what it was like for you to head up Wild Warner! I will email you. With huge thanks, katharine
I don't know, but am poking a bit for you.
Amy, you are a miracle worker. I owe you BIG TIME!🌱
I'm so glad this connection happened! All these connections!
This was an informative and compelling read! Thank you for highlighting Trish OKane and putting this on my radar.
Thanks for chiming in,Victoria! I’m glad to know about your Substack.
book awaiting me on kindle, bows sent to you, my dear Kin. thank you for trusting and speaking.
you taught me that🌱🌿💚
Thank you! This book sounds like a clarion call for these times! I have ordered it.
Clarion is the word, Joan! Trish plays all the right notes: education, mentors, wildlife, community, and unbelievably she stops the mega fireworks display from raining on the nesting birds🌱🌿💚
Thanks so much! I live pretty close to Warner Park but don’t know this book yet and can’t wait to read it. I appreciate book recommendations so much — you say the book tells you what it needs; I’ve always felt I connect with the book I need at just the right moment. 🙏
Jessica, that’s amazing: that you live near Warner Park and that books speak to you, too! I can’t wait to hear what you think 🌱🌱🌱🌱
I’m absolutely loving it so far! Thank you!
That sounds like an inspiring book, thanks for reviewing it.
Thanks for reading the post, Juliet.
And thank you for taking the time to comment.🌱
This is such an empowering way to look at the challenges we face. Thank you for sharing this very practical outline!
Brian, thank you.
David LaMotte’s list is quite practical and also a little more involved. I took some liberties to smush some items together for clarity and simplification.
Another valuable dimension of David’s YouTube TED talk is the example he gives of Rosa Park’s story. He added details that I was unaware of, including the planning behind that moment that she stayed in her seat. Rosa Parks had worked on the planning committee for twenty years. After she was released from jail, she went right back to work handling the phone banks to help people get rides to work since they were boycotting the bus system. David was stressing the importance of committee work. Sigh. Actually, David’s delivery was so good that the audience did sigh. And then laughed at themselves.🌱
I think our bookshelves could be mirror images of each other! And I love that you integrated David LaMotte's TED talk into your essay here. Thank you for writing and sharing!!
Mallory, thank you.
The timing of David's talk was just perfect. I was right at the stage when I needed to get more specific and I was floundering. (Trish wrote about five books in that one book.) David's talk gave me a place to land. I feel that there is more to write about Birding. It would be amazing to meet Trish O'Kane.🌱
I am not a birder; I just love birds and the natural world. If we want to know why we ought to protect birds and their habitats, imagine a world without any birds. Listen to Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi."
Well, this is not a world that any human would truly want to live in--a world devoid of natural beauty. The Earth is a wondrous place, but it is up to us humans to preserve and protect it.
Yes.
Who would want to pave paradise?🌲