We have a native plant nursery here at Stillwaters that is a part of our fulfillment of our mission — to assist and to support people to learn to live sustainably on Earth. The more we can use native plants in our landscaping, and the more we can restore disturbed areas with native plants, the better our natural ecosystems can sustain themselves over time.
But sometimes we have the debate — what’s a native?
This came up recently when talking about the beautiful redwood tree. We happen to love these magnificent trees, and they seem to love our climate. So we planted one here, even though we did not think they were native. We recently discovered that they were indeed native here at one time.
Redwood trees used to cover the entire Northern hemisphere. After the last glacial period, they were reduced in area. Humans cut down quite a few, also, of course, and now there are just remnant forests of them in China and California.
What a delightful discovery! Now we know why they seem to enjoy our climate. We can now encourage the planting of redwoods here, too.
It is a matter of stretching our minds to think beyond the here and now. If something is not here in the present tense, or in our limited concept of history — say, the last 100 years — we tend to think it never was. But if we think like a mountain, we change our perspective considerably.
Aldo Leopold wrote about thinking like a mountain in his famous book, “Sand County Almanac.” The concept never ceases to amaze me. I try to remember it often when dealing with day-to-day decisions, petty annoyances, and any “long-term” planning. In general, we humans are not good at this.
The point is that it is very easy to think primarily in the present tense, or only with the very near future in mind, and perhaps to only remember our immediate history. If you think like a mountain, you see the larger picture — larger in the size of the ecosystem you consider and larger in the time frame you are concerned about.
If we set our human-centric time frame aside, we can think in geological time frames, which are well beyond our human scale. In fact, human habitation of Earth is a just a very miniscule portion of the history of Earth.
So try thinking like a mountain when you make a decision about planting your yard, or choices in the things you consume. Think of the bigger ecosystem, and the ramifications of your decision centuries from now. The mountains, and the rest of Earth, will be grateful.
Stillwaters Events
Stillwaters Events
Backyard Farming Open House
Ever been interested in starting a small farm in your backyard? Stillwaters is hosting a Backyard Farming Open House from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 27 at Stillwaters Environmental Center, 26059 Barber Cut Off Road. Local farmers will have tables and will give short presentations about what they do. It may be raising wiener pigs or starting veggies from seed or keeping chickens for eggs or meat.
Pre-register at (360) 297-2876. Suggested donation of $5- $10 at the door.
Native Plant Course
Stillwaters is offering a four-week class on native plants and their uses in garden, landscape and shoreline. This class is brought to you by WSU Extension. Different topics will be covered each week.
The class runs 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. over four Tuesdays, beginning March 9 at Stillwatres Environmental Center. Pre-register at (360) 297-1226. Cost is $80 for the series, $25 per class. Includes materials and snacks. Contact Joleen Palmer at joleen@stillwatersenvironmentalcenter.org
Poetry and Essay Contest
Stillwaters is sponsoring a poetry and essay contest. The theme is Earth Day. Write a poem or short essay about the Earth, Nature or a favorite outdoor experience. Kids of any age are welcome to enter. A few submissions will be chosen to be read by the authors at EcoFest on April 25 at Stillwaters. There will be a display of entries at EcoFest as well. Contact Kari Golden at (360) 297-1226 or info@stillwatersenvironmentalcenter.org.
Earth Day EcoFest
EcoFest is a community celebration, with a selection of more than 40 exhibitors and displays to delight with all kinds of enviro-education and eco-friendly products, from electric scooters to bamboo floors. The event runs 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 24. There is great music, food, and entertainment all day. We welcome Earth-friendly education or vendor booths.Contact Naomi Maasberg at (360) 297-1226 or info@stillwatersenvironmentalcenter.org.
Stillwaters Environmental center is changing phone numbers. As of March 1, the new number will be (360) 297-1226.
