Well I clicked the ‘Like’ button but I ache with the loss and pain you penned about. To be a caring community means we share both the beauty and pain of awareness. Thank you for keeping us together through your writing.
I was stunned when I first read Aldo Leopold: "To have an ecological education is to live in a world of wounds." After all these years, that has only become more true...
It is in these writings on Substack... yours and others... I seek to nourish my humanity in words of thoughtfulness. Thank you for sharing a beautiful and tender exchange with a young reader during this time of grief and loss and fragile hope for a time less cruel.
This was beautifully written piece that shows how children think when the are often not given the credit for really understanding thing. Amelia must be a very gifted child and i would bet she has great parents. I live just about 8 miles south of Tarpon Springs in Dunedin, Florida which is also on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. We had many homes that were flooded and some are yet to be repaired all along the coast of Pinellas County where we all live. I believe that with this county being a peninsula like the state of Florida that if we ever get a direct hit it will flood everything across the entire county. Hopefully I will not live to see that happen. But... whoknkows ?
I have always wanted to visit the northeastern part of the US Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Hopefully one day I will.
We are also living lighter and closer to home--partly from age, but very aware that being old means we'll live to see less of the heartbreak to come. But our kids . . . ?
We are grateful for each meal on the table, each day when fires do not race through our shady jungle habitat, which also provides our only air conditioning.
There are too many trade-offs, and I appreciate your suggestion that we should be named Homo hubris. We are always trying fruitlessly to fix the fixes we previously implemented to correct previous fixes. There's no end to our ill-informed optimism!
I have tears in my eyes for "Amelia," for her future...
I thought about you when I heard there was flooding in Vermont yet again. I didn't realize that Montpelier go hit so badly. So sorry to hear that...I have PTSD, so I can relate to the gut punch of hearing about more flooding.
The way I stay out of utter despair is by doing everything I can to lessen my impact (not trying to brag here, just state). Solar panels; small, hybrid car; minimize water use; energy-efficient clothes washer and refrigerator, and no clothes dryer; wear our cotton and wool clothes until they fall apart. Lessons learned as a child to stay comfortable enough in Connecticut summers in the 1950s (before air-conditioning was common) are relevant now in Maine -- open windows at night to fill the house with cooler air, then shut everything up during the day; cool water on wrists and back of the neck whenever needed; and be strategic with fans. And so on. In order to nurture myself, I plant native plants, a few each year. There is immense satisfaction in seeing my efforts being used by a variety of bees, wasps, hoverflies, and other pollinators, as well as providing habitat for moths and other critters. The presence of fireflies in our habitat means we're doing what they need -- not mowing, and leaving the leaves. The Bobcat(s) who show up 2 or 3 times a year for vole snacks are a special treat. My goal for next year is to plant a tree that will survive deer, clay soil, and ferocious winter winds.
This is great, Kai. Thanks. It's really the beauty of Substack. I didn't want to include those kinds of suggestions in my essay. So I'm glad you did! We're collaborating! 😀
Bryan, once again you have captured the moment we sadly find ourselves in. Climate disasters are no longer rare and are now becoming the norm. I continue to worry that the policies of the federal government will continue to erode the environmental protection progress we were working on. As a household with an EV(not a Tesla) and a hybrid we are doing our best to reduce our carbon footprint as much as possible. Unfortunately, the infrastructure for EV charging stations has been severely disrupted due to the animus towards EV vehicles. The climate crisis deniers are creating a deadly planet for the next generations. I worry about my daughter and her peers who will be impacted as our planet warms, storms become more violent, air quality declines, etc. Thank you for your ongoing thoughtful essays that continue to shine a light on issues that impact our planet, wildlife and ourselves! Be well and stay safe. Patty
Your words are heartbreaking and yet, hopeful. They are hopeful because you connect with others who feel the same way and who have had similar experiences, as you mentioned with Amelia.
The irony is how hard I tried to find a place to rent in Montpelier during the summer of 2022. I never found a place. A bit shattered I made my way to Pennsylvania in search of a rental. However, had I signed a lease with an apartment in Montpelier in 2022, I would have been living there during the flood.
We have other issues where I currently reside which I believe reverberates as environmental destruction here and elsewhere. Military jets (over 100 decibels each) do their practice flights over high density areas. It feels like a war zone and most people here are in denial about the damage to health of humans, animals and to the Earth. This leads me to wonder when will humans awaken to true peace and balance for ourselves and the planet. (The reason I mentioned the jets is because they are currently flying over as I'm typing these words).
I hear that Burlington, VT has a similar noise issue with jets and in another favorite city of mine, Madison WI. I'm in Washington State which has increasingly been taken over by the US military, including state parks and the Hoh Rain Forest.
We're sorry it didn't work out for you in Montpelier, Patricia. Housing is indeed scarce and pricy in many areas of Vermont -- it's a problem. But I hope you might find your way here at some point in the future.
And, yes, the F-35s have been noisy and controversial in Burlington. I heard them today inside an office building during a visit near the city -- they were loud though bring walls.
I once read comments by a woman who moved to Burlington and she was surprised to have to deal with jet noise in Vermont. For some reason, the military likes to have their pilots practice in beautiful locations, that would otherwise be peaceful.
The woman told me that the jets flying in Burlington are the loudest of the military jets. What does this do to the natural world? Animals and birds don't have the option of wearing ear protection. I know that birds where I live are definitely being impacted and so are the orca whales.
When I used to swim in Lake Superior (a half century ago), I would drink the lake as I swam. I wonder if we can do that as confidently and safely anymore. Hope so!
Thank you for writing to Amelia, Bryan. I can still remember so clearly how I felt when I was 13. A letter from someone like you would have been epic. Probably life-changing. I'm not exaggerating. At that age - heck, at any age - when your passion gets acknowledged and supported by someone you admire and respect, it's heady stuff. And I'm guessing the feeling is mutual. I hope you will stay in touch and that Amelia's love for Nature and science thrives.
Thanks, Jessica. That means a lot to me. I'll never forget the people who guided me as well, as a teen-ager, toward the long, green path. They were pivotal in my life.
My state, my Hermit Thrush. As if the ethereal song of Catharus g. was singing through ‘Amelia’, she put a face on all of it. She gave heart and soul. Beauty and kindness. I would have wept too.
Thank you for laying down the truth so eloquently.
BTW, doesn’t that cool breeze feel incredible! We each have our eyes closed, heads up, letting the cool wash away the steam of the last few days. (no AC at camp). Our dog does it best of course.
The heartbreaking truth.
... and so unnecessary.
Thank you Bryan for your beautiful was of speaking. You always get me....a little weepy.
You welcome, Micki. I only wish I didn't need to write stuff like that.
Well I clicked the ‘Like’ button but I ache with the loss and pain you penned about. To be a caring community means we share both the beauty and pain of awareness. Thank you for keeping us together through your writing.
I was stunned when I first read Aldo Leopold: "To have an ecological education is to live in a world of wounds." After all these years, that has only become more true...
Thanks for the quotation, Kai. A wounded world, to be sure, but it's the only one we've got. So I guess we'll take the joy and the pain.
Thanks, Sue, for helping to keep me together as well amid the loss and pain.
This is as eloquent as it is painful.
Thanks, Julia. That means a lot to me.
I read this essay with tears in my eyes, and yet I feel strangely comforted by your writing. Thank you Bryan, for all your work and care.
I wrote with tears in my eyes as well, Kerstin. Thanks so much!
It is in these writings on Substack... yours and others... I seek to nourish my humanity in words of thoughtfulness. Thank you for sharing a beautiful and tender exchange with a young reader during this time of grief and loss and fragile hope for a time less cruel.
I am as well finding solace here on Substack, where I'm spending more time reading my curated writers and less time reading daily news.
This was beautifully written piece that shows how children think when the are often not given the credit for really understanding thing. Amelia must be a very gifted child and i would bet she has great parents. I live just about 8 miles south of Tarpon Springs in Dunedin, Florida which is also on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. We had many homes that were flooded and some are yet to be repaired all along the coast of Pinellas County where we all live. I believe that with this county being a peninsula like the state of Florida that if we ever get a direct hit it will flood everything across the entire county. Hopefully I will not live to see that happen. But... whoknkows ?
I have always wanted to visit the northeastern part of the US Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Hopefully one day I will.
Thanks for the kindness, Teri.
As I understand it, Idalia took an unusual path that year, hitting the Big Bend area. Luckily, it was at low tide.
We'll be here to welcome you upon your visit north!
Thanks.
We are also living lighter and closer to home--partly from age, but very aware that being old means we'll live to see less of the heartbreak to come. But our kids . . . ?
We are grateful for each meal on the table, each day when fires do not race through our shady jungle habitat, which also provides our only air conditioning.
There are too many trade-offs, and I appreciate your suggestion that we should be named Homo hubris. We are always trying fruitlessly to fix the fixes we previously implemented to correct previous fixes. There's no end to our ill-informed optimism!
Thanks for your writing, always!
So kind of you, Ann. Thanks. Those are my sentiments and practices as well -- living lighter and closer to home.
I have tears in my eyes for "Amelia," for her future...
I thought about you when I heard there was flooding in Vermont yet again. I didn't realize that Montpelier go hit so badly. So sorry to hear that...I have PTSD, so I can relate to the gut punch of hearing about more flooding.
The way I stay out of utter despair is by doing everything I can to lessen my impact (not trying to brag here, just state). Solar panels; small, hybrid car; minimize water use; energy-efficient clothes washer and refrigerator, and no clothes dryer; wear our cotton and wool clothes until they fall apart. Lessons learned as a child to stay comfortable enough in Connecticut summers in the 1950s (before air-conditioning was common) are relevant now in Maine -- open windows at night to fill the house with cooler air, then shut everything up during the day; cool water on wrists and back of the neck whenever needed; and be strategic with fans. And so on. In order to nurture myself, I plant native plants, a few each year. There is immense satisfaction in seeing my efforts being used by a variety of bees, wasps, hoverflies, and other pollinators, as well as providing habitat for moths and other critters. The presence of fireflies in our habitat means we're doing what they need -- not mowing, and leaving the leaves. The Bobcat(s) who show up 2 or 3 times a year for vole snacks are a special treat. My goal for next year is to plant a tree that will survive deer, clay soil, and ferocious winter winds.
This is great, Kai. Thanks. It's really the beauty of Substack. I didn't want to include those kinds of suggestions in my essay. So I'm glad you did! We're collaborating! 😀
Bryan, once again you have captured the moment we sadly find ourselves in. Climate disasters are no longer rare and are now becoming the norm. I continue to worry that the policies of the federal government will continue to erode the environmental protection progress we were working on. As a household with an EV(not a Tesla) and a hybrid we are doing our best to reduce our carbon footprint as much as possible. Unfortunately, the infrastructure for EV charging stations has been severely disrupted due to the animus towards EV vehicles. The climate crisis deniers are creating a deadly planet for the next generations. I worry about my daughter and her peers who will be impacted as our planet warms, storms become more violent, air quality declines, etc. Thank you for your ongoing thoughtful essays that continue to shine a light on issues that impact our planet, wildlife and ourselves! Be well and stay safe. Patty
This is so kind of you. Thanks, Patty. I so wish I didn't have to write stuff like this. It's all so senseless, so tragic sometimes.
Your words are heartbreaking and yet, hopeful. They are hopeful because you connect with others who feel the same way and who have had similar experiences, as you mentioned with Amelia.
The irony is how hard I tried to find a place to rent in Montpelier during the summer of 2022. I never found a place. A bit shattered I made my way to Pennsylvania in search of a rental. However, had I signed a lease with an apartment in Montpelier in 2022, I would have been living there during the flood.
We have other issues where I currently reside which I believe reverberates as environmental destruction here and elsewhere. Military jets (over 100 decibels each) do their practice flights over high density areas. It feels like a war zone and most people here are in denial about the damage to health of humans, animals and to the Earth. This leads me to wonder when will humans awaken to true peace and balance for ourselves and the planet. (The reason I mentioned the jets is because they are currently flying over as I'm typing these words).
I hear that Burlington, VT has a similar noise issue with jets and in another favorite city of mine, Madison WI. I'm in Washington State which has increasingly been taken over by the US military, including state parks and the Hoh Rain Forest.
We're sorry it didn't work out for you in Montpelier, Patricia. Housing is indeed scarce and pricy in many areas of Vermont -- it's a problem. But I hope you might find your way here at some point in the future.
And, yes, the F-35s have been noisy and controversial in Burlington. I heard them today inside an office building during a visit near the city -- they were loud though bring walls.
I once read comments by a woman who moved to Burlington and she was surprised to have to deal with jet noise in Vermont. For some reason, the military likes to have their pilots practice in beautiful locations, that would otherwise be peaceful.
The woman told me that the jets flying in Burlington are the loudest of the military jets. What does this do to the natural world? Animals and birds don't have the option of wearing ear protection. I know that birds where I live are definitely being impacted and so are the orca whales.
I hope to someday visit Vermont again. There's so much that I had on my bucket list to see.
Thanks Bryan Pfeiffer, your words, "...and I wept" says all.
I just went swimming early this morning with two loons and a blue heron on a northern lake in Michigan.
Somehow, a small town Michigan Lake community has kept the environment "safe" for the wildlife.
When I used to swim in Lake Superior (a half century ago), I would drink the lake as I swam. I wonder if we can do that as confidently and safely anymore. Hope so!
Thank you for writing to Amelia, Bryan. I can still remember so clearly how I felt when I was 13. A letter from someone like you would have been epic. Probably life-changing. I'm not exaggerating. At that age - heck, at any age - when your passion gets acknowledged and supported by someone you admire and respect, it's heady stuff. And I'm guessing the feeling is mutual. I hope you will stay in touch and that Amelia's love for Nature and science thrives.
Thanks, Jessica. That means a lot to me. I'll never forget the people who guided me as well, as a teen-ager, toward the long, green path. They were pivotal in my life.
Well said. We must fight hard for our children's future. And for all the other beings
Oops let me finish. Ans all the other precious beings we share our home with.
Well said (in both comments!) (Beats errant texting!) 😀
My state, my Hermit Thrush. As if the ethereal song of Catharus g. was singing through ‘Amelia’, she put a face on all of it. She gave heart and soul. Beauty and kindness. I would have wept too.
Thank you for laying down the truth so eloquently.
So kind of you, as always. Thanks, Lor.
BTW, doesn’t that cool breeze feel incredible! We each have our eyes closed, heads up, letting the cool wash away the steam of the last few days. (no AC at camp). Our dog does it best of course.