Photo by Michael Collier, June 2018. Art by Robert Chambers and Ponderosa High School students.
Terra BIRDS Lessons Blog is intended for students of all ages (Shoshin - Beginner’s Mind), at any place on Earth, and for all time. Specific to the present time and place (Flagstaff, AZ, USA), the title of this post refers to the fact that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are not in school. We are ordered by our elected leaders to stay home, and following this directive by our own common sense and agreement about the right thing to do. Terra BIRDS stands for hands-on interaction between people and nature, so our work does not lend itself to digital delivery. But digital we must be for the time being. One benefit of interacting from a distance is that it requires us all to be individually accountable for serving our daily needs and maintaining order in the immediate world around us. Meanwhile, the broader world of nature is ‘getting a break’ from the intensity of human impact due to our usual mode of heavy consumption and travel. To truly transform humans’ relationship with the natural order back into balance, we must all take individual responsibility for our actions. Stewarding from home is the most important ‘starting place’ for global stewardship. The habits we develop in our home life are the foundation for how we learn and interact with, and therefore affect, the natural environment and each other.
When we are confronted with problems, Terra BIRDS tries to find ways to convert them to opportunities. The problem of the current pandemic is one of the largest and most all-encompassing ever faced by humanity. So too are the problems of climate change and gross social inequities across humanity. If we look at and address these problems holistically, are there opportunities for solutions and transformations across all of these challenges? What can we learn from the present situation? How can we use this time at home to reset our habits? As we re-start our economy, can we do so in a way that is less destructive to our environment?
Terra BIRDS Lessons Blog entries are often directed to specific schools and/or partner organizations and projects, but we hope that all of these may be helpful to anyone or everyone. Thank you for joining on our quest to be innovative, resourceful, dedicated stewards.