Category Archives: Notes

A Great Pause

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Jonas

In a January 28th article in the New York Times, author and journalist David Quammen, whose 2012 book Spillover examined emerging diseases, wrote: We are faced with two mortal challenges, in the short term and the long term. Short term: … Continue reading →

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A Diminuendo of Birdsong

Posted on June 8, 2019 by Jonas

The increasing numbers of species that have become extinct or threatened with extinction was the main message delivered by the recent report from the  Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Here are some of its findings specifically … Continue reading →

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Our Nation’s Changing Views of Nature: An Exhibition

Posted on April 22, 2019 by Jonas

We love art because we enjoy the beauty of what artists create, but art can also be appreciated as a record of human cultural values and beliefs. An excellent example of this approach is Nature’s Nation: American Art and Environment, … Continue reading →

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And how are the children?

Posted on March 14, 2019 by Jonas

Forms of greeting vary around the world. In India, you would say “namaste” and bow. In Ukraine, it’s the triple kiss, left-right-left, etc. Masai warriors in Kenya, even those without children, greet each other with “Kasserian ingera” which translates as … Continue reading →

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She walked in the world to love it . . .

Posted on January 26, 2019 by Jonas

Soon after her death on January 17th of this year, the loving eulogies and appreciations began appearing in the media universe. Whatever critics might think about the plainness of her style (which she consciously aimed for), many readers of Mary … Continue reading →

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Moments of Grace

Posted on January 15, 2019 by Jonas

Those of us in the Northern Hemisphere have recently experienced the longest night of the year. A few nights later, many of us celebrated the birth of Jesus, Son of the Creator, whose coming was signaled by an astronomical sign. … Continue reading →

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Teilhard in the Trenches

Posted on December 12, 2018 by Jonas

A few weeks ago, people around the world observed the 100th anniversary of the end of hostilities in World War I, one of humanity’s most devastating conflicts with 8.5 million deaths, 21.2 million wounded, and 7.6 million missing. When the … Continue reading →

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Hemlock Hospice

Posted on October 31, 2018 by Jonas

Until recent years, eastern hemlock trees (tsuga canadensis) have been an enduring presence in our cultural and natural environments. Hemlocks can grow for hundreds of years to more than 150 feet tall on trunks measuring six feet in diameter. They … Continue reading →

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The Patron Saint of Ecologists

Posted on October 12, 2018 by Jonas

October 4th is Saint Francis’ feast day, but the weeks of late September and early October might as well be Francis’ feast month. On any given Sunday during this period, people in many denominations bring their pets to church to … Continue reading →

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“Something we’re just learning how to see”

Posted on September 17, 2018 by Jonas

When I take a walk in the woods, I’m entering a complex ecosystem of trees, shrubs, ferns, insects, birds, in other words a dynamic community of a variety of life forms. Like the research participants walking through green spaces in the … Continue reading →

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