By Flo Paris-Oakes, intern and member of Nashville A Rocha
Recently, Nashville A Rocha hosted a landscape walk on property in Whites Creek, which is a rural community about twelve minutes north of downtown Nashville. Our special guest was Daniel Ballard, landscaper and owner of Green Thumbs Up in Atlanta, Georgia. Daniel’s landscape services specialize in organic, native, and sustainable plantings.
Daniel explained the various microclimates of the land and their names (prairie, woodland edge, etc.), the north and south sides of the property, solar orientation, and the growing implications of each place. This parcel sits on twenty acres of mixed terrain, so there was a lot to discover and discuss.
Daniel did a fantastic job educating a group of (largely) non-scientists that included musicians, artists, friends, neighbors, farmers, kids, and clergy. But before Daniel even delved into the science of the land, he inspired us with a quote from the poet Mary Oliver.
Directions for living a life:
- Pay attention.
- Be astonished.
- Tell about it.
In a culture so tethered to our screens and devices, and in the midst of our over scheduled lives, this practice proves difficult. Nevertheless, this seems to be a growing theme within our A Rocha community.
Our actions have long-term implications on both the state of the earth, and the health of our neighbor.
Pay Attention.
There is heartbreak both on the earth and within our communities, but there is also immense beauty and redemption.
Be Astonished.
Nature reveals thousands of stories every day–from the very small (like bacteria interacting under a microscope) to the stories of friendship, love, and loss that form our communities and bind us each together.
Tell About It.
On a previous landscape walk with botanist Lisa Calfee, a friend had asked, “How can you encourage us to pay attention?”
Lisa gave an intriguing book recommendation. Both literary and scientific, The Forest Unseen is a story in which biologist David Haskell spends one year examining the life within one square meter of forest. Lisa also reminded us to slow down and get on the ground like little children.
On our walk with Daniel, I couldn’t help but notice that all of the adults were nodding their heads and taking notes as he prodded us to pay attention. And the kids? They were already off–running through the woods, discovering turkey feathers, and flipping over rocks and logs.
Nevertheless, it’s hard to pay attention to what we can’t see. As a Biology student, I am amazed nearly every class period by the world that exists largely unseen. The inner bark of a tree, the soil beneath our feet, the depths of the ocean–these places are rich with story.
One afternoon in Biology lab I focused my microscope and gasped. ”Is this what I’m supposed to be looking at–stars!?”
Little gems? Vintage buttons?
In fact, these are Diatoms–some of the smallest organisms in the ocean. They are microscopic, unicellular algae with little glass-like “houses” made of silica. These important little phytoplankton are not only beautiful, but they also play an important role in our broader ecology.
These little algae take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and pump it to the bottom of the ocean. According to research featured in Science Daily, “They are responsible for 40 percent of the organic carbon produced in the world’s oceans each year.” Diatoms of the United States estimates that diatoms produce 40% of the world’s oxygen. These numbers are astounding–much like the beauty of the diatoms themselves.
I am reminded of a quote by Wendell Berry–something he once asked a small group of us in his living room: “Why should the butterfly be so extravagant?” Even more so, why should these microscopic creatures–essential organisms that existed for years, upon years, upon years, without ever being seen–be so exquisitely beautiful?
God creates astonishing beauty. God cares about matter and the “stuff” of the earth.
God pays attention.
And so should we.
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