Earth Deeds: Experiencing Ecological Grief - Finding Some Relief...
When you experience the loss of something you love, you grieve that loss.
This is not limited to the typical sphere of humans but we also grieve losses in the natural world like landscapes, species, ecosystems even special places that have meaning to us..
This has been termed "ecological grief"
Think for a moment of a favorite spot or piece of nature that you love to visit or that you identify with. How would you feel if it were wiped out? You would feel that loss, right?
Just recently in my home in the boreal forest I awoke to a burring, wizzing sound which sounded like a faller-buncher.
This was very possible for our land is surrounded by crown land and much of it is under forestry lease, so the forestry companies may have started cutting it.
I went to investigate and sure enough there was a small clear cut with only a band of trees left to buffer it from the road.
This piece of land had been leased out to one of our neighbors and I wasn't too concerned that they would clear cut too much but each morning I would awake to the sound of cutting going on.
I was getting a sinking feeling in my stomach that this has been going on to long.
I began to think of all the animals who's habitat was being destroyed right at a crucial time.
Bears would have dens and just prepared for their long winter hibernation.
Deer were just starting the breeding season and their bedding places would be destroyed.
Squirrels would have gathered and stored all their food for winter.
Birds would have their nests and winter shelters.
All this would be destroyed!
I went to investigate again and saw that that clearing was just a landing spot and they were cutting way back into the bush but at this point still on that single leased area.
I asked around and found out that the neighbor had lost that lease and we didn't know the new person who now held it. We didn't know their plan or if the big forestry companies would be involved.
If they continue to cut on the forestry lease land this is also where there is a lot of hiking, berry picking and other plants from the under story that people harvest.
Time to pull in folks from this forest community, the community that I love and that loves the forest and wants to keep it as a healthy ecosystem.
We can come together and push back.
It is that banding together that motivates us to make a commitment to work towards change.
If you are experiencing ecological grief, try reaching out to other like minded folks. Find groups to band together with, that you can move forward to desired change.
It is this collective experience of ecological grief that can strengthen our love and commitment to places, those places and Eco-systems plus species that in turn nurture and sustain us.
Keep yourself open to feeling the grief and pain of ecological loss for that might be just what is needed to prevent some of those losses from happening.
Connect with folks on Steemit in places like @EarthTribe @Ecotrain with driver @Eco-alex
#Tribevibes - Feel the Synergy and let's all thrive!
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I am so sorry to hear this is happening to your beautiful forest. I grew up in a house that backed up to a huge, thick wooded forest, complete with trails, streams, and all kinds of wildlife. My friends and I even created big wig wam style forts our of the certain types of naturally formed wood structures we would find (kind of hard to explain), and some kids that were older than us created campsites. All that land was owned by one old time farmer, who seemed to be the only farmer left in this developed area. My friends and I even went far enough into the woods to find his house one day, and ran away when he saw us haha... he was a really nice guy though, loved kids. Eventually I believe his kids inherited the land and finally sold it to developers. They cleared that entire forest, and my grandmother later ended up living in the neighborhood they constructed there. I always wished I could go revisit those woods, as my first strong spiritual experiences tied to nature forces happened to me in that forest, and now it will always feel like that part of my soul is missing, but I will never forget it, or the experiences I had there.
Oh how unfortunate to have that special place tore down to be replaced with rows of houses. I sure can feel for you to know that you can never return to it or bring your kids to it.
I just found out that the fellow bought this 1/4 section of land and is clearing it all which will leave a big gap in our forest community. But the worst thing is that once the lumber company sees the size of timber that he is hauling out of there they will come in to clear the rest. We've kinda been left alone for it was a small tip at the end of their forestry lease land that had scrub pines near the road now they will know that there is 100 + year old spruce with easy access they will be in to take it all. The community is banding together to have a petition to preserve the old historical school house yard (although all that is there is the foundation), there is an outfitter who has his business there and also the aboriginals come to this area to pick berries - blueberries and cranberries. Perhaps if we play those cards we can at least protect some of it.
Thank goodness for community support!
Wowzaz, I hope your tribe can pull off saving most of those woods somehow, my blessings are with you, and I admire the struggle, save those woods.
Thanks @elamental! Your efforts to bring people together here in Steemit helps inspire and motivate me to keep working in all my communities! It is wonderful to have community to pull together to face such issues as this.
Just another reminder of the intrinsic value of Steemit always being higher than the monetary value of STEEM.
I am more and more realizing this the longer I stay on Steemit!
I agree, so much utility it seems limitless, just have to connect to more and more people on here to keep things awesome. You are awesome. Bless.
I appreciate our connections more and more each day! We have a wonderful thing going on here with such awesome beautiful people! Thanks again for helping connect us!
At some point Ecological Grief can be more painful than a heart break. That is why we at kedjom Keku CASUD are trying hard to save 1000 hectare of forest at the misty mountain found in the Bamenda Highlands of Cameroon.
You can read more about us @kedjom-keku.
@manka
content creator
How true! Wonderful you have a group of dedicated folks to work towards preserving the beautiful forests of the misty mountains! All the best!
Thank you @porters
Oh honey I know what you mean. When we love the Natural environment so much, when we are so tied to it, it hurts when its threatened or lost. Thank god for our support systems here!!!
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Definitely grateful that we have our support system here with our wonderful Tribe Steemians! When I was writing this I was thinking of you and the situation of the Great Barrier Reef. Is there any headway on working to save that?
Not that I know of! They are prioritising coal above all else.
I hope they are putting in the necessity for the proper scrubbers so it won't be adding to the pollution.