Hey friends! Happy February <3

If your family is anything like mine, you’re feeling the restlessness of the winter season. Depending on where you live you might be feeling the dreariness of the gray sky, or the bitterness of the winter air. For some of us this weighs on our spirits and makes us antsy for the end of the season and the newness of Spring. For my kids it looks like grumpiness and pent up energy– the urge to binge the screen and stay hunkered down under blankets. This is all a natural part of our hibernation season I think, and makes us extra appreciative of the time when we can be outside and soak up the sun. But it also struck me this week that it reveals our connectedness to the natural world around us. Have you ever noticed that when your kid’s energy is too much to handle we tell them to go outside!! Since my boys were little, it was in these moments of getting outside, walking around barefoot, digging in the dirt or sand, that they were able to ground themselves and regulate their crazy energy. And so was I! In these moments of frustration or restlessness, what we crave as creatures is the ability to go out in the sunshine, walk amongst some trees, stare at the blue sky, or study the sidewalk for nature’s treasures.  My boys each have a “special box” that is filled with their findings– rocks, bones, porcupine quills, feathers, etc. These are the things they consider treasures! How beautiful that even when it looks like all they care about is the screen or their toys or the other “stuff” in their lives, it's the bits of nature they’ve collected that they hold most dear. 

I think for all of us, whether we consider ourselves “nature people” or not, we are fundamentally connected to the earth in a way that is biological. Our natural rhythms and emotions are influenced by the world around us and we crave healing and rejuvenation in times when we are disconnected from our natural world. 

The practice of noticing the world around us seems like an important part of this process of connecting with the natural environment. Whether we take a few moments to take in the trees on the morning commute, or pay attention to bird sounds piercing through the traffic noise, the practice of noticing can be so interesting. The photographic work of a dear friend, Lindsey Hurd, comes to mind when I think about this kind of nature-noticing. Lindsey is in the habit of gathering objects from her daily life– a mix of nature relics and various artful objects- and curating beautiful arrangements out of them for her photographs. What comes together are intricate compositions that intermingle the natural world with our quirky human one. These photographs provide a beautiful picture of the way we find ourselves in our environment- both natural and unnatural. 

I recently read an essay from a new book by Christopher Brown called A Natural History of Empty Lots with my essay club friends. In it, the author talks about how abandoned lots teach us a lot about how the built environment and the natural environment butt up against one another. For years Brown watched these lots evolve with the passing of seasons and overgrowth of nature interrupted by interventions by humans in the form of graffiti or dumping. Brown found that nature is resilient in these neglected parts and when we stop to look and pay attention we may find healing in the way that nature heals from the wounds we create. For those of us in urban environments, sometimes distracted by development and newness, there may be something to learn from the bits that have been left behind, the edge spaces where nature finds a foothold in our neglect. 

Looking further outside our immediate communities, I’m struck by the importance of our shared natural lands that we cherish so much as a nation. Our national parks and protected environments offer opportunities for us to explore and marvel at the wonders of our beautiful landscapes. As we get closer to Spring Break, perhaps you and your family are planning to venture out to one of our Parks to experience a new adventure and find a new perspective. It is a privilege to have these spaces that are for all of us to enjoy equally. Not to own or exploit, but to relish and savor. Our parks are at risk these days and it’s our job to defend them and protect what is ours collectively.

Take a moment to support our parks at the link below. Check out Christopher Brown’s book and take a peek at Lindsey’s wonderful work. Let’s all take a deep breath, take a look around, notice and appreciate the world around us and GO OUT AND PLAY!

<3 Liz 

At WAYWAY we’re thinking about the earth and our relationship to it- the textiles that we use are gentler on the earth and require less resources to process. When we slow down and consider what we consume and how it affects our ecosystem, we soften and understand that we are all interconnected and our survival depends on the survival of the earth. When we pay attention to our impact- on the earth and on others– we can draw closer to one another in community.