When was the last time you were awestruck by the beauty of wild nature – by the intricate dance of plants, fungi, and animals alive on their own terms? Manicured gardens, no matter how beautiful or meticulously tended, fail to embody the interdependant reality of the wild. Nature is not scenery; nature is alive. We are nature, too.
Since this entire newsletter is devoted to Earth, I’m going to make this one relatively short. Especially since I’m still recovering after visiting my dear friend Encar Vila, biologist and Founder/COO of the Jaguar Rescue Center. It was an intense trip — the biodiverse beauty of Costa Rica, too many animal rescues, and immense feelings of solastalgia (a feeling of despair when a familiar natural environment is profoundly changed).
The JRC's dedication is truly non-stop. Their 24/7 rescue hotline, endless care for injured animals, and unwavering pursuit of primary rainforest protection – it's awe-inspiring. While their Instagram showcases the adorable animals they rescue, the hard work, emotional toll, and constant fundraising realities remain unseen. But their dedication in the face of deforestation paints a stark picture of the challenges they face. In future newsletters, we'll delve into the La Ceiba Primary Rainforest Foundation and how you can help protect animals' homes.
Encar's mission at the Jaguar Rescue Center embodies the essence of rewilding - Rescue, Rehabilitation, Release. It's a philosophy that extends to all animals — humans included — and inspired the framework of my forthcoming book, Earthly Bodies: Embracing Animal Nature. The cover reveal is now official with an incredible blurb from one of my favorite nature writers: Sy Montogomery.
I see rewilding the self as a powerful form of holistic healing that may ask us to examine our belief systems, peel back layers of conditioning, shed tears, release trauma, and reintroduce aspects of our mind, body, or soul that have become endangered. When we learn to navigate the inner and outer wilderness, we may realize much of what we seek is already within us and directly under our feet. When we fall in love with ourselves and with the land, we come home to our true nature and engage in a peaceful act of resistance. Where our energy and nervous system may be scattered and short circuiting in the mind, Mother Earth holds us against her body where we can plug into fertile ground. Despite our trespasses against her, she is always holding us close.
Happy Earth Day, fellow earthlings.
INVITATIONS:
Nature Writing with Atlas Obscura begins tomorrow! Would love for you to join us.
The spring Rewilding Through Writing Group begins next Saturday, April 27th. We have 2 spaces left.