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Join us on the path to liberating all by stopping the poaching now People often tell me that I have a dream job that includes traveling to Latin American countries and seeing large rainbow parrots fly over my head, the warm air causing them to soar along with my joy. It is a wonderful privilege, but it is also a great burden. In every country in which I work, I hear stories of chicks lost to poaching, and children unable to escape the poverty, corruption, drug trade, and violence of their communities. My heart is full of beauty and wonder, while also breaking. My body feels the stress of being overwhelmed, and it's like someone kicks me in the gut when I hear almost every day, and often several times a day, stories and evidence of how parrots lose their chance to fly, have families, and flourish. Poaching tears young chicks from their nests and families and dooms them to a life of clipped and often broken wings, poor nutrition, and isolation. Let's not let what happened to Rosa (two broken wings and two broken legs, see below) happen to any more! ​ ​I have an urgent sense that the poaching must stop, now, though the trapping of wild parrots for the pet trade has gone on for a long time. Much of this trapping spiked in the 1980's when the demand for pet parrots in the USA increased dramatically. Thousands of parrots were taken from their homes every year, from each country, and the lucrative trade, although now illegal in the USA, remains entrenched today in many countries. In all but one country in Latin America (Guyana) it is illegal to poach wild birds, though it continues in a challenging context of nearly complete impunity, weak state presence, intimidation, and violence, threatening communities’ current and future opportunities for sustainable development. In many areas in which we work the poaching is 100% - no chicks escape the illegal wildlife trade. Estimates are that 90% of all chicks will die within their first year during transport or in their first homed year. This results in a tremendous loss of life and suffering beyond measure, and much of the forces that result in the wildlife trade are also rendering human communities bereft of opportunity, safety, and health. ​ ​​Whom do we nourish? How do we choose? By helping the people of Latin America, you are helping the birds and the forest, and yourself. When you help the birds, you are helping the forest and the people. Liberating one is liberating all. ​ ​​Because both parrots and people are in peril in these countries, One Earth Conservation has promised to improve the lives of parrots and people in the Americas. We follow through on this promise by acting upon our foundational conservation vision: ​​​One Earth Conservation stands in solidarity and witness to threatened parrot populations and the marginalized human communities that protect them, and through consultation and capacity building, we aim to stabilize and recover parrots while contributing to the overall health of human individuals, organizations, and communities in Latin America. ​​ ​​​One Earth accomplishes this through these goals: ​​To stop the negative impact of poaching on individual parrots and species in Latin America. ​ ​ ​To grow capacity in avian conservation medicine and parrot conservation in Latin America. ​ ​ ​To improve the lives of homed parrots in Latin America. ​ ​To instigate and then initially support parrot conservation projects in the most needed areas. Needed areas are defined as: ​ ​Where there is very little to no parrot conservation efforts or capacity ​​ ​Where communities are marginalized due to socioeconomic factors ​​ ​Where there are endangered birds ​ ​Where we can have the most impact for our size​ ​ ​Where there is little funding​​​ ​ Our projects in Central America (for more information see our Annual Reports) ​ ​ ​To turn around this situation, we need to dream big and make dramatic changes to our relationship with the earth and each other. Please dream with us and join us on the journey - everyone can take some of the following small steps that we invite you to take. ​​ ​1. Nurture yourself and ask others to nurture you so you have the resilience for this work.​ ​ ​2. If you have parrot, or have ever enjoyed one that is far removed from their country of origin, be it in a zoo or on a television show, your joy is tied in with a long history of harm and suffering. The very first trafficked birds out of Latin America went back to Europe on Columbus's ships. Before then, indigenous people of the Americas traded, bred, and kept macaws in captivity to harvest their feathers and to sacrifice them. Do not let this over tax you with guilt, but instead let this guide you in loving the beauty and promise of the birds ever more deeply so that you can tell the story to others, so that together we can do something BIG! ​ ​I am enjoying these recently liberated endangered yellow-headed parrots in Belize. Though I love them close to me, they need to fly free and wild so they can repopulate their decimated pine forests. I use my love for them not to captivate them, but to let them captivate me. ​ ​ ​3. What is this BIG thing? Liberate yourself as you liberate parrots - let's Stop the Poaching, Now! We need to help countries where the parrots come from not keep them in their homes, or trap them so that others can keep them in their homes. It is just another form of privileged colonization, however, if we say it's okay for us to have pets in the USA or Europe, but that Latin Americans cannot have them. It's like saying, "We took your parrots so we could have them. And now that you don't have too many left, you can't have them." ​ ​I am not saying to give up your birds in your homes, or to feel bad about it. Only to do something about it! Help the people of Latin America not poach their birds. You can do this by making amends for having or enjoying parrots. Give back to Latin America by promising to do something for the wild flocks and the indigenous people who have lost so much. One way you can do this is to help financially. For example, for every parrot you have loved, donate what you paid for the bird to a project where the people and parrots are helped simultaneously. If you still have the bird, donate 10% of the cost to care for that bird to a conservation project. In this way you are connected to the reality of the birds and how much you care for them, and have taken steps to heal our relationship with wildlife life by making reparations to the lost flocks and peoples of Latin America.​ Your donations employ conservationists, many who were once poachers, and give them the choice to save and cherish their native birds. With a little help from us, these people and communities can make a difference in their own land (Ometepe Island, Nicaragua - Yellow-naped parrot project with the LOCOs) ​ ​​4. Donate to One Earth Conservation and help us Stop the Poaching, Now! Every dollar you donate for our conservation programs helps us support community patrols that can keep chicks in their nests where they belong. Supporting community patrols also gives people economic choices, so that they don't have to poach, or so they have the ability to resist the complex network of poachers, middlemen, and international traffickers who collude to poach every being within their grasp. Donated funds are also used to promote widespread conservation public relations/education projects that are needed in these countries and to support government agencies to confiscate and then liberate birds that have been poached. We also use funds to visit families with homed birds so that we help them better care for their birds, understand them, and become aware of the consequences to the birds' native flocks of their choice to home parrots.​ ​ ​​In summary, our conservation work includes community patrols; increasing government capacity to protect, confiscate, and liberate poached parrots; education and consciousness raising activities; supporting rescue and liberation centers; ecotourism; education and training of conservationists; and improving the life of homed parrots. These plans also rely on you! ​​Donate today and together let us heal the earth and one another, uncaging ourselves from our past, and liberating our joy to fly free with the many others, in peace, and abundance.​​ And thank you for your contribution. ​ ​ ​​Here is our team in La Moskitia, Honduras in February 2017. We have been camping out in an area that belongs to the indigenous people, but is under threat from narco-deforestation. Though there are risks and hardships, the community conservationists celebrate when they can, as do we. ​ ​​5. Celebrate your, and our, success. In two years in Honduras we went from having not one scarlet macaw chick escape the wildlife trade to having no chicks entering the trade. From 2016 to 2017 we doubled the number of nests we are monitoring and protecting, making the Honduras Miskito Apu Pauni (Miskito for scarlet macaw) effort the biggest macaw community protection project in the world! Our success was due to team work, being in relation with the families and communities that are poaching, and asking them what they would like to do. We come with a promise to work for 25 years in each region, for we know that is the minimal amount of time it takes. With a mutual commitment and desire that all people and parrots flourish, we together organize a conservation plan that is always adapting to on-the-ground circumstances. Conservation is an art and a science. It is a creative process that connects us to one another and the winged life around us. By liberating birds, they liberate us. May liberating wings so grace your life. ​ ​They who bind to themselves a joy ​ ​​Do the winged life destroy ​ ​But they who kiss the joy as it flies ​ ​​Live in eternity's sunrise (adapted from William Blake)​ ​ ​ ​ Video of Dr. Joyner explaining the perils of parrot poaching, and the mission of One Earth Conservation ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (adapted from William Blake) #poaching #illegalwildlifetrade #Ometepe #Honduras

Santiago Lacuth combining his passion for others as minister, musician, conservationist, and excellent tree climber (so as to monitor parrot nests) Often when in the field, my work as a minister remains at the stealth level, infusing the work with care for earth and earth's beings and how we are to have a life of meaning in our work. Recently while in La Moskitia, Honduras, I was honored to give a sermon at the church in Mabita, enjoying the integration of how conservation is a ministry. I gave a sermon called "Parakeets and Paracletes" in Spanish, which was then translated to Miskito, while lifting up the original meaning of the Greek word, "paraclete" which means comforter, advocate, spirit of truth. I have an English version here for you to watch: The hope of the sermon was to talk about the beauty of parrots and how we can help them by witnessing to and telling the story of their lives and conservation status. We can do the same for other humans as well. By not being quiet, we help to liberate all of us. This is the goal of One Earth Conservation - to be chattering like a parakeet and build up our flock to call out injustice so that there may be more flourishing for all. After the sermon we sang and played music, which you can join along with by watching this video. You can also join our flock in other ways - volunteer, donate, and spread the word of the beauty and tragedy of parrots and people in peril as documented in this blog. #Honduras #church #paracletes #parakeets #music

Pair of wild scarlet macaw chicks - coveted around the world, and so the poachers take them, and so the conservationists protect them It began in 2014 when a man died climbing a scarlet macaw nest in the Moskitia region of Honduras, and I beheld the grieving family and village members as they wept beneath the tree from which he had fallen. Seeing their love and memory of this man naked before me, it opened up a deeper understanding of the ways of poachers. The poachers surviving family came to me with the remaining macaw nestling (one had died at the base of the tree with the man) and asked me to examine the chick and make recommendations for its health. I did this despite knowing that the bird was doomed to captivity and the illegal wildlife trade. That year I visited several village homes where parrots lived that had been snatched from the wild. I spoke with these people, who loved their birds, though they did not treat them very well, due to ignorance and cultural traditions. In the following years more and more villages have quit poaching parrots and more and more of them have confessed to me that they were once robbers of nests. These are the same people who are working with me for the conservation of their endangered scarlet and great green macaw, and yellow-naped amazon. Some tell me that they don’t need to take a nest or two every year because they receive stipends for their conservation work as nest and population monitors and rangers. The son of the man who died told me that working for conservation “allows me to love the birds.” Now it is 2017 and I find less and less difference between myself and poachers. Yes, some poachers and their extended poaching families do so as a business, hardened to the needs of the parrots and other wildlife, and to their own village community who asks them to desist, but they won’t. One family can literally take out hundreds of endangered parrots in an area in a year, causing much damage. But people do not poach just for monetary gain. There are a host of other needs they meet when they tear apart avian families, and sometimes burn or chop down trees to gain access to the towering nests. The work of this conservationist is not so different from that of a poacher (notice the multiple artificial entrances to the nest made by poachers with hatchets so they can extract chicks from deep nests) Understanding their needs helps us have choice on how to connect with them and develop conservation strategies that have greater chances of success as we seek to value the needs of all involved. Understanding the needs of others, helps us understand and accept not just ourselves, but all of humanity. We need this understanding and acceptance for the long haul of nurturing ourselves and all of nature. People who poach are also meeting their needs, for: Respect – climbing trees is a difficult and dangerous task, and the climbers are admired. They also gain respect from their families who appreciate the income. Meaning – poachers are making a living, or supplementing their living, and find meaning and purpose in the goals of hunting wildlife. In some instances, they are carrying on a multigenerational family tradition, as well as thousands of years of a culture that has always had parrots and their feathers in trade, as well as in the cooking pot and adorning their clothes and headdresses. Flow – poachers spend a lot of time attuned to wildlife and nature as a whole, and such a focus allows one to flow with the pursuit of doing something you are good at, and which has meaning. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi defined flow as the "state of concentration or complete absorption with the activity at hand and the situation. It is a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter." Kinesthetic joy – using one’s body to move through the forests and savannas, often hiking many miles in one day, climbing trees, and sometimes running from rangers brings one into full use of one’s body interacting with the world Connection – trading in wildlife gives you something to talk about with and connect to prospective buyers and other poachers. Some, but not all poachers, also connect, if not consciously then in an embodied way, to the birds they must handle and feed. It is not often an empathetic connection that considers the needs of the animal, but it a connection none-the-less. Touching, listening to, talking to and feeding these birds is all part of the connecting experience. This family rescued this green parakeet from a wildfire. Multiple needs of theirs is met by rescuing and then liberating the small parrot, much the same as if they had poached the chick to be a pet. Nurture - though poachers do not always nurture their birds, they must feed them, which meets the need to nurture the birds. They realize that the people who will take care of the young birds, their families at home, potential buyers, or others to whom they gift a bird, will also enjoy caring for the bird. They are also nurturing their family by having an income. Beauty – there is nothing like a flying scarlet macaw, whose long tail continues rainbow colors beyond reckoning. How can there be that much beauty in one bird? The poachers, I believe, are hunters of beauty made incarnate in flesh. Three eggs in a scarlet macaw nest. What is more beautiful than this? Stimulation, fun, entertainment – there is a thrill to hunting and interacting with the unknown and mysterious world of wildlife. Contribution and efficiency – poachers earn income for their family and are pleased with how many birds they can take in a season. Looking over this list of needs I see that it is not so very different from those of bird owners, veterinarians, and conservationists. The pursuit of wildlife, either to protect or to ravage, meets similar universal needs that exist in all of us. So it should have been of no surprise to me when one of the local fire fighters told me of a low nest that is easily climbable, which they did, and how he and the other wildfire patrollers commented that they wanted to take the birds and have them in their home, I exclaimed, “So do I!” (and quickly added that I could not because it is not good for the birds). Someone did end up taking those chicks a few weeks later, and I mourn for them, and for all of us. For when I see pictures of chicks in nests, especially young yellow-naped amazons, I find myself wanting to hold them and have them around, all the time, and that desire has dangerous consequences. Two sibling yellow-naped amazon chicks in a nest. What is more beautiful than this? Understanding our needs and the strategies we take to meet these needs, as conservationist or poacher, helps us move on to choices where the needs of either need not trump the other, nor the birds with which we are so strongly entwined. Maybe there are other ways we can meet these needs in people, such as training them as conservationists, that might also mitigate their desire to poach. With different options, maybe they can, and us too, choose liberation, not just for themselves, but for the parrots they covet. #Honduras #Poaching

A scarlet macaw parent leaving nest where she just fed her chicks. Because of our presence, her chicks will fly free! What happens when you mix not having a truck for conservation, criminal elements hiding out in your conservation area, being short on funds due to truck repairs, and scarlet macaws nesting 1.5 months later than usual? The amazing answer is success! This time last year we had only 17 nests registered, active, and patrolled. This year we have 33! This is nearly double! And it's being done through walking and bicycling, and using the motorbikes of the villagers. Imagine what we could do with proper funding and transportation! We are imagining, dreaming, and working hard, with still 3 months to go in the nesting season. Please join our teams, and check in for news , stories, and photos here as the nesting season extends. #Honduras

This week I interviewed one of One Earth Conservation’s founding Board Members, the Rev. Dr. Meredith Garmon. Meredith loves education - both learning and educating. He holds Masters’ degrees in communication studies and philosophy, and a PhD. in government from the University of Virginia. He completed his theological studies at the Meadville-Lombard Theological Seminary in 2003 and was ordained a Unitarian Universalist minister in 2004. Since 2013, Meredith has served as the senior minister at the Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains, NY. He is also a Zen practitioner in the Soto tradition. Meredith is pleased to be married to Rev. Dr. LoraKim Joyner, where their goals of a shared life together include intentional community households, teaching multispecies courses at the university level, and dedicating all they can to the growth and flourishing of this one earth. Below are Meredith’s answers to the questions we’ve been exploring the past three weeks, which are: 1. Do you have a practice of nurturing yourself? 2. How are you nurtured by nature? 3. What do you do to nurture nature? 1. Do you have a practice of nurturing yourself? I've thought a lot about spiritual -- i.e. self-nurturing -- practices. They fall into four categories: 1. The basics. These include basic health practices: get enough sleep (I do OK on that one, usually), exercise (some weeks better than others, but, yes, many weeks I get to the gym several times), and diet (I'm big on green smoothies, but otherwise not particularly health conscious on my diet). The basics also includes these three daily practices: a. Journal b. Study (of wisdom literature) c. Meditation I recommend 10-15 minutes of each -- every day or at least every other day. 2. "Keep in mind" practices. These are reminders to carry around with you throughout the day. Things like: be patient; enjoy humility; say yes; take pleasure; slow down. 3. "Worth a try" practices. Try these once, and if you find them fun, stick with them. If not, it was still beneficial to do just once. Examples include things like: create a home altar; the mirror exercise; simplify; make a pleasure and pain list. 4. "Might be your thing." These practices aren't for everyone, but one of them may be just the thing for you. Examples would be gardening or playing a musical instrument. These aren't necessarily spiritual practices, but if engaged with the intention of cultivating presence, then they can be. For a list of all these practices, with links to full descriptions of each, see: http://www.voicesofliberalfaith.org/p/spiritual-practice.html My own morning practice begins with Zen practice in a dedicated space in my home. This includes bowing and an incense-lighting ritual, a 25-minute sit, about 5 minutes of chanting aloud one of the basic readings/sutras in my tradition, about 25 minutes of Zen study, and a closing 10-minute sit. So I go well beyond the 10-15 minutes on the "meditation" and "study" basics. I also journal almost daily -- and here I'm pretty much right at the 10-15 min recommendation. I also occasionally engage in some other practice -- the kind that would be on the "worth a try" list -- and these, collectively, enrich my life and my presence. Between my regular basics and occasional forays into various other practices, I have a good foundation for developing the habits of the "keep in mind" practices. This is still a work in progress, of course. Always will be. 2. How are you nurtured by nature? The great works of photography and painting I've had the chance to see haven't made me a visual artist, but they do teach me new ways to see my world -- and I don't mean just new ways to see the objects depicted, but new ways of looking at whatever I might happen to be looking at. In the same way, walks in the woods or along a beach teach me about the richness, diversity, and interdependence of all things, so that I bring that to my experience of buildings and interiors. It's ALL nature. The challenge is to look at it that way. Time spent in "natural" settings helps teach me that way of looking. 3. What do you do to nurture nature? Support One Earth Conservation. Compost. Support legislation that curbs carbon emissions. Keep the thermostat at 66 (lower at night) through the winter. Hug trees (consensually -- to the best of my ability to tell). Get all my outerwear clothing second-hand. Live within walking distance of work. And mostly, as per answers to the first two questions, understand that I am not separate from nature, and that self-nurture therefore IS nurturing nature. #nurture #selfhelp #nature #spiritualpractices #meditation #Zen

The past couple of weeks, we began an exploration of how some of us nurture ourselves through nature. This week I’m excited to introduce you to one of One Earth Conservation’s Youth Advisory Team Members, Katherine Kim. Katherine graduated in 2016 from Bronx High School of Science in New York City. She is enrolled in the Army Reserves, so she has been and will be working and living at home until she attends the State University of New York at Binghamton as a freshman in the fall of 2019. Katherine is interested in biology, wildlife conservation, and medicine, and has done some volunteer work for One Earth Conservation. I asked her to share with us the answers to the same questions we’ve been exploring the past two weeks, which are: 1. Do you have a practice of nurturing yourself? 2. How are you nurtured by nature? 3. What do you do to nurture nature? Do you have a practice of nurturing herself? I am very conscience to nurture my physical and mental wellness. I believe that taking care of one often benefits the other. I try to workout on a daily basis (running and muscle training), which helps me have a more energized and positive start to my day. When I am feeling low or mentally strained, I often direct my negative energy towards exercise. If physical activity is not an option, I try to surround myself with those close to me. How are you nurtured by nature? Nature has a very calming, yet strengthening, effect on me. Most notably, the scenic trail I run on and the fresh air allow me to focus on myself and release any worrisome thoughts. This helps me clear my mind and keeps me grounded when I am overwhelmed by stress. My family and friends who are dear to me also nurture me. I am able to rely on them when I am feeling self-doubt or in need of emotional support. They also help me become a more attentive and empathetic friend or family member in return. What do you do to nurture nature? An instance I can think of when I nurture nature is maintaining a small garden in my balcony. I grow some tomatoes, peppers, and herbs when the weather warms up. Not only does my family enjoy fresh produce because I do this, but seeing the plants flourish on my barren concrete balcony brings me great joy. I also believe that I nurture nature through my job as a teacher. Although my main role is to help the students with homework and the subjects they are struggling in, I try to spread positivity and kindness to them as well. I make an effort to teach them the importance of treating others with equal respect and understanding. #nurture #selfhelp #nature #nurturenature #empathy

Last week I began an exploration of how some of us nurture ourselves through nature, starting with myself. This week let me introduce you to one of One Earth Conservation’s Advisory Team Members, Eleanor Leyden. First, here’s some background info about Eleanor that focuses mainly on her great love for animals: Eleanor's career as a cat lady began at the age of three when she got her first kitten. As an adult this blossomed into a series of cat rescues in Bangladesh, China and Qatar where she worked teaching languages. She co-sponsored both a Roots and Shoots Chapter and an Animal Rescue Club in a high school where she mentored students in the nurturing of plants and animals and thus had the opportunity to meet Jane Goodall twice! Her love for animals has led most recently to volunteering with Pegasus, LLC, a non-profit that seeks to promote wellness in children and adults via horseback riding and horse care activities. Her dreams include the possibility of creating a cat therapy lounge/shelter for retirement homes and fostering service dog puppies. In the meantime Eleanor feels it is essential to promote good stewardship of ourselves and the animals with whom we share this planet and thus found her way to join One Earth Conservation's Advisory Team, specifically focusing on education programs. I asked Eleanor to share with us the answers to the following questions: 1. Do you have a practice of nurturing yourself? 2. How are you nurtured by nature? 3. What do you do to nurture nature? Do you have a practice of nurturing yourself? Yes, and on many levels – physical, mental and spiritual. I make sure to sleep when tired and get exercise but I also believe in caring for one's spirit and feeding one's soul. I find many ways to relax, such as doing yoga, meditating, taking warm baths, and cooking up interesting recipes. I also try to feed myself with good information, such as good books and films, intelligent news reporting, and visits to interesting museums or cultural events. In addition, I make an effort to create and maintain good relationships and most importantly have good conversations. I give myself permission to enjoy these activities and my life even when everything is not going 100% the way I would like it to go. I strongly believe there is always something to be thankful for and there is always a simple pleasure to be had. How are you nurtured by nature? I need the natural world to keep balanced and to keep my sense of place in this amazing universe. I walk in the woods and parks often, which really energizes me at a very deep level. The chance to spot wildlife on my walks is always appreciated. Sighting woodland creatures or birds is a notable event that I share with everyone. Sometimes it interferes with civilized life. I was watching two hawks do something interesting while I was stopped at a red light and I was not happy when the light changed and the other cars honked at me to get a move on! My favorite sports involve being in the heart of nature – kayaking, swimming, biking and hiking. In the past cross country skiing and trail riding have kept me happy. I love dogs, cats and horses, so being around them is very enjoyable and keeps me tuned in to other living beings. The volunteer work I do with therapeutic riding lets me focus on the needs of a horse and rider while facilitating their interactions, which in turn lifts me up. I always crave the beach; the sights, smells and textures of the seashore are relaxing and rejuvenating. I have been lucky to create two little gardens where I could sit surrounded by the freshness and beauty of plants. I am very attached to this planet and all it's life. What do you do to nurture nature? I love caring for animals. I take good care of our two household cats and try to satisfy their needs for stimulation and affection, as well as taking care to feed and brush them. Family members of mine own dogs, chickens and horses, who I also enjoy caring for. I love to watch animals and try to understand what they are experiencing and what they need and I like responding to or anticipating their needs. I have been learning how to garden and taking care of plants is so satisfying. They can't tell you what they need so you have to be attentive. My family is very committed to recycling so we sort our trash and have a compost bucket. I love composting because you participate in a life and ecological cycle with each scrap you put in the earth. Creating my latest urban garden spot resulted in the following miracles: a bird built its nest in the tree I planted and a butterfly appeared in a place where I had not seen one for two years. Build an ecosystem and the life will come! My sister and I recently put up an insect hotel to help all sorts of flying insects survive over the winter and we don't use any chemicals in our yard and garden because we want life to flourish naturally. When I skim the duckweed from our two frog ponds, I search through the net for the tadpoles and throw them back in the pond. It seems it is the little things that count. #connection #Gratitude #nurture #selfhelp #animalhumanrelationship #nature #nurturenature #empathy #urbanwildlife

In January I joined the Women’s March in DC. Last weekend I Marched for Science in NYC. This weekend I’ll be returning to DC for the People’s Climate March. That’s a lot of marching for humanity, Earth, nature, and other beings. It’s not always easy to keep up all this marching (and other activities). Sometimes it’s just easier to get discouraged and crawl into a corner. But somehow I always get myself back up, dust myself off, and start all over again. How do I and other people accomplish this? This week and in the next few weeks, I’ll be exploring how some of us nurture ourselves through nature, so we can keep doing what we can to make this world a better place. Specifically, we’ll be answering the following questions: 1. Do you have a practice of nurturing yourself? 2. How are you nurtured by nature? 3. What do you do to nurture nature? This week I’ll begin with myself and in the following weeks members of One Earth Conservation’s Advisory Team will also answer these questions. Do I have a practice of nurturing myself? Well, yes, I actually have a few different practices that I’ve developed through the years. They vary as to how often and when I do them, but they all help to keep me energized, focused, and motivated to do what I want, or have, to do. One of my favorite practices is also one way that I nurture myself through nature (question #2), which is by taking morning walks. When the weather is mild and clear (or at least not stormy), I love to take a 30-minute walk to, through, and from a local greenway near where I live in Queens, NY. The fresh air, the lovely trees and plants, the birds, the small mammals, and the diversity of other people who are also walking all provide me with a wonderful way to start my day (not to mention to get my minimum amount of aerobic exercise!). I often wear headphones and listen to digital books or music, and by the time I get home, I’m raring to go. Another way that I am nurtured by nature is to take “Dusty” breaks. Dusty is a 26-year-old cockatiel (and honorary avian member of One Earth Conservation’s Board of Directors). He lives in my home office and we keep each other company during the day. When I need a break from the computer screen, all I have to do is swivel my chair around and converse with my feathery friend. His sweet birdy talking and singing also provide a fun and soothing background for my work. Dusty I was interested to learn recently that being in and around natural beauty has been proven by science to be good for you! It has been demonstrated that it can improve your health, your mood, your attention, and reduce stress, among other benefits. To nurture nature in return, I provide “hands-on” care for Dusty, my houseplants, and, from spring through the fall, my organic garden. I am also a long-time and active advocate for and educator about environmental issues, especially those related to the climate crisis and wildlife conservation. In fact, in addition to caring for my family and friends, I consider nurturing nature my life’s work. Perhaps you’ve found some ideas here that resonate with you. Or maybe you have your own way of answering these questions. We’d love to hear your stories, so please feel free to post comments with your answers to the questions. And check back in the coming weeks for other people’s stories about nurturing themselves and nature. Let’s all learn from each other. #birds #nurture #selfhelp #nature #nurturenature #urbanwildlife

If we don't love and care for ourselves fiercely, we cannot be fierce advocates for this wondrous world and her beings. Taking time and energy to understand oneself, and to then to manage the outcomes of this understanding is not a selfish act, but a self-full blessing that nurtures us, and hence the many others to whom our souls are deeply connected. Self-empathy means identifying and considering our feelings and needs without judgment, and it is no easy task. We all grew up in a culture where blame, domination, judgment, bullying, and power over others were the methods that were modeled for us as ways to meet our needs. If our needs were not being met, it was surely the fault of someone else – someone fundamentally wrong, at least in some aspects of their being. The tools we have for thinking about others are also the tools with which we think about ourselves: so we also see ourselves as basically flawed and lacking. These negative judgments harm our well being, sap our energy, divert us from our goals and dreams, decrease our happiness and effectiveness, and affect our health. Self-empathy is necessary for our individual flourishing, and is a hallmark of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the awareness of one's emotions and the ability to manage them. While a person’s emotional intelligence is influenced by genetic predisposition and by encouragement (or discouragement) in the early years, almost all of us, whatever our genes or age, have the capacity to increase, at least a little bit, our emotional intelligence – and thus our self-understanding and care. As animals, we have emotions. Almost constantly, we are having one or more emotions. The fact that we are having them, though, doesn’t mean we know we are having them. Nor does it mean we know which one(s) we are having. We have to bring to higher consciousness the emotions, feelings, moods, and body states our mind and body is communicating. The limbic system, the location in our brains through which emotions communicate to our mind, body, and higher cognitive functions, is a slow learner. It takes repetition and practice to grow awareness of emotions and to manage them. If we can do this, we have greater choices on how to think, feel, and act. To be fully alive means feeling everything – the comfortable and the uncomfortable. Don’t push any of it away. Whatever you’re trying to ignore or deny or suppress, that’s what you’re dead to. Life isn’t about what you like. It’s about what you can open yourself to – attend to, learn from, love. The more honest you can be with seeing yourself for who you are, which means not suppressing your feelings, the more tenderly honest you can be with others. You can also more clearly communicate what you really mean to in a way that helps build connections and trust with another, and can help you be precise, open, and curious about requests you have of others and how they respond to you. If you suspect that your honest message will be painful, be ready to offer empathy to the receiver. Also, couple your honest messages with clear and doable requests in the moment. Being honest with others helps us live authentically and be more deeply connected to life, not matter how the other people around us react. Honesty, authenticity, and connection most likely communicate self- and other-acceptance, which makes it more likely to be listened to and understood. In summary, honesty and empathy helps us live better with ourselves and with our world, and in so doing, nurtures our relationships and communications so that all have a greater chance for flourishing. #emotions #emotionalintelligence #nurture #nurturenature #selfhelp #empathy

We are just now wrapping up our field season on the twin volcano island of Ometepe, Nicaragua. Maderas Volcano, Ometepe This is our first season to monitor nests and to find out what might be keeping this flock of yellow-naped amazon parrots from flourishing. We also worked with community members to patrol the area. We monitored nests in the near sea-level forest patch known as Peña Inculta, and the cultivated and forested slopes of Volcano Maderas in Merida (whose nests reached over 400 meters!). We also did population monitoring of these two study sites on the island. Some of us folks need a horse to get up to the higher nests Horse resting under a nest tree Here is what we are learning so far: 1. This is probably the most dense population of the endangered yellow-naped parrot in the world 2. This population suffers heavy nest poaching so people can sell the birds into the illegal wildlife trade. 3. With such heavy poaching, along with continual edging away of natural habitat that supply food and nest trees, this population is at risk. 4. We have put together a great team that is consistently improving their commitment and capacity to protect these parrots. Team member Emerson happily climbing a nest tree After first nest tree climb of 2017 Sometimes we don't find parrots, but find...(can you see the owl?) But this is what we are looking for (two yellow-naped parrot chicks about 6 weeks of age) Would you like to help? One thing you can do is visit this island. It is a great place to see lots of parrots. In one evening at Peña Inculta we counted 381 yellow-naped parrots, and 597 Pacific Parakeets. You can walk to this location from your hotel on the beach. While there, look up one of the team members (LOCOS) who make their living as guides. By supporting them you are supporting conservation. Pair of yellow-naped amazons and large flock of Pacific parakeets flying by volcano Concepcion Pacific parakeet leaving a cavity they were inspecting in Peña Inculta If you are from the USA, I ask you keep in mind what I heard while there this month. One of the community members, Julio, told us how there used to be so many more parrots on Ometepe, but that the trade in parrots really hit the birds hard in the 1980's. It was legal in the USA then. I asked why the sudden uptick in capturing wild parrots, and he said it was because in the 1980's there was a huge market to sell the birds to the USA. Boats took baby parrots off the island by the hundreds. For myself, a keeper of parrots in my childhood and young adulthood, I feel that I need to pay back in part what I took from here, and so I commit my resources of time and funds to offer what reparations I can. ​ Julio counting parrots at Peña Inculta with volcano Concepcion in the background I am pushing this location as a place for parrot reparations and as a tourist destination not just because your dollars support the people, but because it reinforces their idea that parrots in the wild matter. It also helps them change their cultural expectations to it NOT being okay to take birds from the wild and place them in homes and the trade, both of which are physically devastating to individual birds. In addition, the people need options for economic viability if they are not to poach, illegally clear land, or even sell or use drugs. Pair of yellow-naped parrots flying over Peña Inculta Come share your resources, your heart, and your solidarity with these people, and go to this island. It will give you hope, and in turn, you give it to others. You can also support these people and parrots by donating directly to our conservation work there, as we plan on working with this team for 25 years to insure that they parrots keep on flying free. Thank you! Thanks too to the Ometepe Team: Loreros Observando Conservando Ometepe (LOCOS) Flora y Fauna Internacional Marena Policia Navales #conservation #bird #parrot #Nicaragua #Ometepe #poaching #illegalwildlifetrade

A couple of weeks ago we had a blog about empathy and emotional intelligence where I suggested that we translate the actions of others into sentences about what they might be feeling and needing. This could not only help us understand others who differ from us politically, but might also nurture us because we diminish the negative energy of blame and judgment. As we open our hearts to others, we connect to our common animality with all of life. Opening our hearts to others though is not an easy practice. It causes us to feel, and often this means having uncomfortable sensations. Connecting to life is not about feeling comfortable, it’s about feeling everything. Being present to life, then, means we need to nurture ourselves as much as possible so that we process with choice the emotions that arise in us and others. We can nurture ourselves by growing our own emotional intelligence. Let’s continue our practice emphasizing with current events. What has happened around you that you find challenging to either open to, or in reflecting on it, seems to sap your energy and presence? Sit quietly for a minute and then consider what you are feeling and what are your needs. Then insert these feeling and need words into this sentence: No wonder I am feeling_______________, I am needing________________. This practice helps with self connection, empathy, and understanding, and also helps us connect to others (humans and other species). The current event I'm focusing on right now is the gassing of civilians (well, anyone and any species really) in Syria. My nurturing practice would be to write (or say to myself or share with another): No wonder I am feeling angry and frustrated, I long for the well-being of others. My feelings about this situation are anger and frustration, and the universal need I seek is that of well-being, for others and also for myself. I also seek the needs of contribution (to the people of Syria) and connection. This need of connection is a met need, for the people of Syria seem closer to my life now because I have taken some time to slow down and consider them. This practice reaffirms in me the value and beauty of human life, and how important the well-being of others is to me. Connecting to that understanding connects me to life and brings clarity. Maybe I am not sure of what to do next, or why the gassing happened in the first place, but I am sure that I want to stay on the path of compassion and working towards the flourishing of all. This emotional intelligence practice is a spiritual practice, because it promotes connection to others and a lightening of emphasis on our own daily concerns as we see how we are connected to the many others. It is also a practice that can take less than a minute a day, although for lasting and deep impacts, I suggest doing this as much as you can throughout the day. Translating everything into feelings and needs connects us to self, others, and to life. Feelings and needs are the seeds to compassionate deeds. If you'd like to know more about how emotional and social intelligence can help you react positively to the needs of our communities, please join us for our free upcoming webinar next week, "Nurturing Our Resistance, Resilience, and Solidarity in a Time of Peril." For more information and to sign up, go here. #emotionalintelligence #nurturenature

Photo: The author, a committed climate activist, marching for the climate at the Women’s March in DC this past January. It just seems like it is becoming more and more difficult being a climate/environmental or any other kind of activist these days. I dread looking at the headlines to see what new drastic action is being taken to undo decades of environmental protection regulations and progress that has been made in the United States. Even so, I remain committed to doing all I can to leave a live-able world for my daughter and her generation, as well as for other generations to come. I am sure most, if not all, of you reading this blog feel the same way. So, how do we stay the course when the ground beneath our feet keeps shifting on a daily basis? Just as getting a good night of sleep is essential to one’s being able to function when awake, committed activists (or even concerned citizens who don’t have the time to do more than sign a few petitions) must take care of themselves so they can function when standing up for our environment. There are many ways to nurture oneself, such as meditating, exercising, engaging in creative activities or psychotherapy, or praying. And, of course, none of these excludes any of the others. Another important part of one’s “self-nurturance toolkit” can include understanding and being in nature. In fact, research has demonstrated repeatedly that being in nature is good for us all. Among other things, it improves cognition and mood, reduces stress, promotes healing and contributes to overall happiness. One Earth Conservation’s Nurture Nature Program is all about this. As never before, humans feel disconnected from nature and the beings that co-inhabit the earth with us. The Nurture Nature Program is a lifelong discovery of nature with practices that provides resources and resilience for nurturing oneself and Earth and Earth’s beings. Learn how to build community and foster relationships through slowing down, sharing experiences, and co-­designing activities that nourish each other and all of nature. Learn, practice, and discuss foundations drawn from science, psychology, communication theory, and mindfulness practices that clear the way to nurture oneself, others, and the earth. If you are in the metropolitan New York area, I will be giving a free presentation this coming Sunday, April 2, 2017 on “Addressing the Climate Crisis Through a Journey of Self-Discovery” as part of a Climate Justice Festival at the Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock. The Festival begins at noon and the presentation is from 1:15pm to 2pm. The address of Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock is 48 Shelter Rock Road, Manhasset, NY 11030. All are welcome! You can also learn more about our programs by clicking here and visit our new Nurture Nature Academy by clicking here. There is much to learn about how to gain a sense of belonging and inspiration through experiencing connection and beauty in nature. As one’s wonder and awe increase, so does one’s ability to do what must be done to ensure these experiences will continue to inspire generations to come. #climatechange #nurture #selfhelp #nurturenature #resistance