Crux
Re: doing something for Mother Earth
First--do no harm! This can’t be repeated often enough.
- constantly appreciate, give thanks
- observe, learn, keep eyes open and mouth shut (little bit walk, too much look - Ishi)
- management, but only to right our mistakes, and only to keep processes functioning, not glorified gardening (by management, I mean taking weeds out, by various means; and nothing else)--”management” of noxious plants, and simply over-vigorous plants that threaten others by fire grazing, manual removal, even in some cases with chemicals
The biggest mistake well meaning people make recently--and it is a recent development, it to arrogantly and ignorantly start playing God, as usual, by planting things. This takes you right back to the control-freak trap and does Ma Nature no good whatever. (cite Fremontia ad.).
When we start getting somewhere is when we realize we aren’t in control--and when we try to control things, the harder we try, the more havoc we wreak. This is how we get Kesterson, Love Canal, and straight rivers. Dust Bowls.
Trying to control everything leads us not only to despoil the beauty, but eventually, inevitably, to hate nature--might as well hate God. “Evil nature,” after all, is what kills millions with earthquakes and floods, isn’t it? No. Stupid people trying to control things is what kills millions with earthquakes and floods. If you respect and follow nature (e.g. don’t put a heavy roof over your head, or build houses in the floodplain) then earthquakes become fun rides and floods become sublime shows, both bringing positive changes to the landscape and keeping life interesting. How many Indians ever got killed by earthquakes and floods? I would bet circa zero. How many farmers/city dwellers did they kill? Millions. Natural wonder or cruel heartache. Take your pick. Could Ma Nature/God be trying to send us some kind of lesson here?
(Add fire as a 3rd common California “disaster” that can be sublime or horrendous, depending on whether you build houses on chaparral ridges and suppress small fires, or don’t).
