Category Archives: Reflections

“Whether wings and feathers or hands and fingers”

Posted on April 23, 2023 by Jonas

It’s Earth Day today and I’m thinking about J. Drew Lanham, Alumni Distinguished Professor of Wildlife Ecology at Clemson University, the subject of a post I wrote a couple of years ago. I was happy to see that he received … Continue reading →

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“This is a fossil fuel war”

Posted on April 2, 2022 by Jonas

On February 28th, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its sixth assessment. According to Conservation International CEO M. Sanjayan, “This IPCC report marks a turning point in the fight against climate change. It forces us to reckon … Continue reading →

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We Are All in This Together

Posted on May 18, 2021 by Jonas

Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux as a “wild garden” within New York City’s Central Park, the Ramble has long been appreciated as a sanctuary offering a quiet respite from the big city since its opening in 1859. … Continue reading →

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An Earth Day Litany

Posted on April 22, 2020 by Jonas

Today is a day for reflection and prayer – gratitude for the beauty of the earth, grief at all the species we have lost. This time of pandemic and climate crisis calls for a unified response from the many often … Continue reading →

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Gratitude for our “little blue marble”

Posted on November 22, 2018 by Jonas

Fifty years ago, Apollo 8 was launched as the first manned spacecraft to leave Earth orbit in order to circle the moon. Astronauts Frank Borman, Bill Anders, and James Lovell had an extensive list of tasks to perform during the flight which would … 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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Learning to see

Posted on June 27, 2018 by Jonas

In November 2016, I attended a retreat at the Garrison Institute, a renovated former Capuchin Monastery in a scenic setting by the Hudson River. Presentations by Thomas Keating, a Trappist monk and priest, provided a contemplative approach to exploring the … Continue reading →

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