a journal of reflective environmental practice
The call for submissions for Volume 24: About Time closed on December 31, 2017. The adult mayfly has a lifespan of less than 24 hours, while bristlecone pines can live thousands of years. Geological time works at even grander scales. How do…
Published in 2017. Order a copy of this and other volumes here. The simple act of making bread, from sifting to baking, can evoke a flood of memories, anticipation, and reflection. We anticipate the scent of warm bread wafting through the home,…
Published in 2015-2016. In a quiet clearing among the hemlocks, a boy stands on a hewn log bench, arms folded, eyes closed, his back to two rows of fellow campers. Their arms are outstretched and loosely interlaced. In unison, they count down…
Published in 2014 In nature, the classic example of a caterpillar encapsulating itself in a cocoon and emerging a winged butterfly epitomizes metamorphosis. There is a shifting beauty in three distinct stages merging to form the developmental process of a single creature….
The English word heresy is derived from the Greek hairesis, meaning “to choose.” Although it is now defined as a thought that challenges prevailing orthodoxy, its root simply describes the expression of free will. As such, heresy has the potential not only to dismantle…
Published in 2012 As environmental practitioners, we cast nets to sample nature, to gather knowledge, to provoke action. Ornithologists use mist nets to capture birds for banding, advocates and organizers use social networks to foment governmental and public action, and vast amounts…
Published in 2011 Boundaries represent limits that confine, constrain, or exclude, yet they also provide identity, protection, and safety. Some boundaries are solidly grounded in geographical fact, others are superimposed by political action, and still others are conveyed by culture and tradition. Across political, social,…
Published in 2010 The phrase “think globally, act locally” may have become a bumper sticker cliché, but now more than ever we grapple with questions of scale. Climate change looms as an overwhelming global threat. Despite good intentions, small actions like changing our light…
Published in 2009 It’s all over the news: the environment is the new pet of popular culture. Climate change, once considered a controversial theory, has become a defining issue of our era. For the first time ever, the public is citing environmental quality as…
Published in 2008 With the great variety of landscapes in the human experience, nature’s presence is diverse and elusive. Does nature exist only outdoors, or is it also located within the molecules and processes of our bodies? Is there nature in technology? In the…
