A final musing from Marilyn

Marilyn’s Musings Hello to all from pretty Southampton, on the shores of Lake Huron, renowned for its sunsets and breezes. I moved here in September and have a new partner in life, a big change for me, having been in Stratford since 1973, and on my own since 1991. For nearly 40 years I worked in health care service, retiring in 2012 from Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance [HPHA]. When I turned 40, I had a mid-life upheaval, became a single mother, raising two children, and over the past 25 years, obtained an undergraduate and degree in nursing. In addition to working, child rearing and studying, I began a new hobby, thanks to the Stratford Field Naturalists, and members such as the Browns from St Marys, knowledgeable birders willing to share their expertise with a beginning birder. Meeting new friends such as the Rausers, Cooks, Fergusons and Proudloves and participating in outings, walks and meetings, I eventually joined the executive. Friends included Joan Daynard who by generous osmosis widened my circle of friends, and my knowledge base to include other flora and fauna. These many connections were helpful in centering me and helping me grow and enjoy life in Stratford. I am very grateful to you all. Over the years, SFN continued to evolve and welcome new members who enrich our collective experience of the natural world. Most exciting are young members like Jonathan and Delaney who are important to the club’s future and a joy to have on an outing as they see and hear things older eyes and ears miss…and though, I remain a member of SFN, I think being a few hours away necessitates that I step down from the executive and other roles. Hopefully, some of you reading this will step forward to take on some club work. As happy as I am in my new life and relationship, I miss my Athlone buddies like Joan, Nick and Linda, Dorothy and Peter and the Sunday Dolan walkers, Val and Mike, Don, Chris, Steve, Ken, Harald, Tom, Jean and Ali, Bernie, Judy, Ian, Ann, David and Sharon, to name a few. I would be remiss not to mention that in retirement, I also joined the Avon Trail, which has many members in common with SFN. I also miss my new Avon Trail friends, especially the Tuesday morning rambles along parts of the 110 Km trail from St Marys to Conestogo, which helped me develop a deeper appreciation of the wild areas in and near Stratford. I have often described a walk in the woods as my church, in that there is a spiritual connection deepening when one walks in wild areas. I learned about such areas from fellow SFN members and Avon Trail hikers and was reminded about this spiritual connection to the land when the Bruce County Museum hosted an event by the Bruce Grey Woodlot Association on ‘The Ecological Ethic’. First, a documentary called ‘Greenfire’ was shown. This was about the life and legacy of Aldo Leopold and his background in discovering the importance of an ‘Ecological Ethic’ with supplemental presentations by Doug Larson and Eric Davies, about the influence of Leopold on their work. Larson discussed the creation of a Storyteller Guitar, and his music, and performed some of it for us, showing how art and science intersect with the beauty of nature in his lyrics. Davies talked about research on the importance of native trees over non-native, and how we can participate in the wilding of our urban centers. Davies’ research shows that non-native trees are barren in our ecosystem; they are not host to native insects, thus do not attract birds and insect eaters. One of the worst offenders is the Norway maple because it spreads like a cancer out of urban areas into wild areas. I had never heard about Aldo Leopold, an American conservationist and author. I learned that Leopold realized that as people were beginning to leave forests, farms, they were losing their spiritual connection to the land. Ethics guide people to do the best for each other, their families, groups and communities, and develop out of these connections and relationships. We therefore need to nurture our connection to the land, and in order to do so, we need to honour and respect it, as we do other relationships. It is not just a monetary resource, but also food for the soul. Appreciating the science, beauty and art of the natural world, adds to the reasons for tending and re-wilding the land. Through it, we develop an ecological ethic, an ethic much shared by the original peoples on the land. SFN is a group, full of people through whom such relationships and connections are established for an ecological ethic. Please share your valuable time and join us. So this is both a hello and a goodbye, miss you all. I will see you likely on a walk in the woods or along the shoreline. Best wishes, Marilyn