“Acts of creation are ordinarily reserved for gods and poets, but humbler folk may circumvent this restriction if they know how. To plant a pine, for example, one need be neither god nor poet; one need only own a shovel. By virtue of this curious loophole in the rules, any clodhopper may say: Let there be a tree - and there will be one.”
Aldo Leopold, "A Sand County Almanac"
As gardeners we know we can nuture small seeds into towering trees or tiny bits of creeping thyme. But have we ever considered that we possessed a power - a power to transform one state of being into another?
Aldo Leopold was one of the most ardent proponents of the movement to preserve the wilderness. An early incident in his life changed his perspective on nature, seeing it as a community where all things have value. His book “A Sand County Almanac,” highlights some events of nature that are important parts of the natural community.
Here’s a quote that moved me to find out more about him:
"A half-dozen other [wolves], evidently grown pups, sprang from the willows and all joined in a welcoming melee of wagging tails and playful maulings. In those days we had never heard of passing up a chance to kill a wolf. In a second we were pumping lead into the pack, but with more excitement than accuracy...
"We reached the old wolf in time to watch a fierce green fire dying in her eyes. I realized then, and have known ever since, that there was something new to me in those eyes -- something known only to her and to the mountain. I was young then, and full of trigger-itch; I thought that because fewer wolves meant more deer, that no wolves would mean hunters' paradise. But after seeing the green fire die, I sensed that neither the wolf nor the mountain agreed with such a view."
If you are interested in learning more about Aldo Leopold, one of the top 12 environmentalists
Top 12 Enviornmentalists You Should Know
Aldo Leopold Foundation
Aldo Leopold Nature Center
About Aldo Leopold
Aldo Leopold WIlderness Research Institute
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