Image by James Barker

Writing about Nature is a sacred act. As we muddle about eliminating species, land and now modifying our very climate upon which all life depends, each word we write about Nature is precious.

In his book Writing Naturally: A Down-To-Earth Guide to Nature Writing, David Petersen makes us aware of what I call the moral significance of these writings. Petersen grounds us in the need to be in Nature, in the wild, more than at our desks and computers. While many of us who care enough to be writing about Nature cannot spend 80 or 90 percent of our lives outside, no matter where we are or what we are doing we can at least take time to pay attention to whatever snippets or blocks of time we do have in Nature.

So breathe in this significance of  your sacred work as a person who writes about Nature. Don’t let it scare or block you. Rather let go of ego and fear and open to the sacred task before you.