April Invites Us to Savor and Nurture the Natural World

April is a great month to get outside and watch the natural world come alive after winter. Dig in the garden. Breathe in the spring air. Watch the plants sprout leaves and flowers while the pollinators search for open blossoms. Watch the arriving migrant birds that will set up breeding territories and sing to attract a mate. Let yourself feel the joy in nature and foster other living things that surround us and share our precious planet.

As climate change and weather instability loom in our consciousness, each of us can make changes in our lives that can help. Planting a garden, even one in pots on a balcony, can provide good food grown through your own nurturing. Plant trees, which, through their respiration take in carbon and release oxygen, offsetting the carbon accumulation in our atmosphere. The more trees and forests we have, the better for carbon sequestration.

Create compost from your organic kitchen waste. It, too, can help mitigate the accumulation of carbon in the atmosphere. Spreading your mature compost around your garden plants gives them a natural boost in growth. Composting creates another natural carbon sink, as well as promoting growth without the use of chemical fertilizers. Chemical products can make your soil a chemical soup that is inhospitable to the living microbiota that are needed to make your soil a healthy plant ecosystem.

While doing this work outside, you can watch for birds and know that insect-eating migratory birds will help keep your garden free of unwanted insect pests that might harm your garden plants. Humans can create a balanced ecosystem within our own communities and yards. This natural healthy landscape work benefits us as well as all the co-inhabitants that we share our space with.

Please plug into nature rather than fearing and destroying it. The earth is our home AND home to every other living thing. We need to learn to share and make choices that can sustain us all. Each of us can have some positive impact on the earth with the lifestyle choices we make.

Remember… Let yourself feel the joy in nature and foster other living things that surround us and share our precious planet. Breathe in the spring air!