What quote am I vibing? "Young citizens, he believed, needed to understand the evolutionary process and learn why dumping sewage and refuse into the Great Lakes and Hudson River was unacceptable. In a sense, promoting Earth Day seventy years ahead of time, Roosevelt believed that humans couldn't afford to recklessly poison their own environment without incurring a heavy toll in ill health, environmental ugliness, and corrosion of the spirit." Douglas Brinkley, author of The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America
Pounds of Trash Removed from the Wild This Week / All Time: 10 / 90
Earth Day Weekend! And I think I managed to fit in a good variety of things to celebrate - admiring, loving, cleaning, and giving thanks to the Earth throughout the last three days.
On Saturday morning, Wendy invited me on a trip to one of her favorite bird watching spots - Wakodahatchee Wetlands. The preserve is an absolute dreamland for bird lovers, and a beautiful reminder of what much of Florida looked like, not all that long ago! So many birds preening and tending to their young and eating and drying off in every tree - birdsong pleasant and less pleasant filling the air. As a new bird observer, I am fascinated by how much Wendy knows about our feathered friends. And as a great admirer of Theodore Roosevelt who was a great admirer of "citizen bird" - I always want to learn and know more. I did learn about several new species, and fell in love with a few - the glossy ibis, the female grackle (that surprised me), and the little moorhen babies. Deeeelightful. We also popped by Green Cay Preserve for a beautiful walk around those wetlands, but fewer birds available to observe.
On Sunday, I went to the beach during peak beaching hours on a holiday weekend. I used to be kind of shy in my trash pickups, and try to avoid the crowds, but I've come to realize that it is a great way to spread the word! Ian is a lifeguard at Bathtub Reef Beach who I have run into before, and who is very supportive. I have been wanting to ask permission to go up on the dunes (I am not a blatant rule-breaker in the slightest) - finally, I did, and Ian was happy to give me permission and to let me know that one person treading gingerly on the dunes to clean up was a service to the dunes, not a harm. I was like a delicate trash dancer - avoiding the grasses, barely skimming the ground. 😉
Today - Official Earth Day - I had to work, but I had a plan afterwards to join some ladies from Twin Spirits yoga and their awesome group - Oceavasana! A group of people getting together to pick up trash and do beach yoga - how amazing is that? Molly and Megan did an awesome job organizing the event - providing gloves, buckets, hand sanitizer, and inspiration. I ended the evening warmed by the sun, perfectly at peace after a yoga session, and with the ocean waves creating the perfect soundtrack.
Every day truly should be Earth Day, as they say - but I'm glad that I got to make Earth Day weekend extra special!
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