Finding Balance in the Rhythm of Nature
Sunset over Great Sound
As spring rolls into summer in the most atypical year of our lives, finding balance and normalcy has taken on a new level of importance. In unsettling times, my connections to the rhythm of nature are always the balm that soothes my soul. Despite all that we humans have been enduring, thankfully Mother Nature is carrying on seemingly unaffected by the tumultuous times we all face. I think it’s the perfect time to rejoice in these wonders of the natural world that are such a rich part of the tapestry of what we all love about our shore towns. As our towns reopen to a different reality, a focus on the things we love about the shore that haven’t changed can be the best gift of summer yet.
What are your favorite connections? Is it the first glimpse of the expansive green carpet of the marshes as you make your way to the shore? Is it the smell of the salt air that signals you’re back and it’s summer and things are good? Is it the incessant laughter of the laughing gulls at home in the meadows? Or is it the sound of the crashing waves on the beach? Perhaps it’s the early-morning long walks on the beach when all seems still, or hooking into that striper for the one that didn’t get away. Each of us connects to the shore in a different way, but these connections are so important right now.
The return of spring and the coming of summer provide the fishing community with a renewed sense of optimism as well. If you were fortunate enough to be here in April, tog and stripers helped launch the new season of hope and anticipation. In May, black sea bass is plentiful and fun to catch in the ocean and yield a more welcome type of uncertainty: Will you catch enough for dinner? In late May and throughout the summer, we turn to the most sought-after fish, fluke or summer flounder, to rejoice in the bounty of the sea. The blue claws are the sentinels of warmer waters becoming abundant as water temperatures begin to march into the 60s and throughout the summer. For some, joy comes from their love of crabbing. Perhaps it’s something they did with their parents and grandparents, and it’s time to pass it along to their children. Whatever it is, now is the perfect time to reconnect and rejoice in these gifts of summer courtesy of the natural world around us here at the shore.
Life at The Wetlands Institute has been significantly impacted, with remote work for almost all our employees. Our building and grounds have been closed this spring, but thankfully the wildlife came back right on cue whether we were here to witness it firsthand or not. The osprey returned pretty much on schedule and platforms throughout the area are well tended with nests and eggs, and soon chicks. The chirps of the adults are a welcome sound. The purple martin colonies at the institute and elsewhere are fully occupied. Their inhabitants made their long journey back from the Caribbean and South America unaware of the change we humans were enduring.
Our research and conservation teams continue their work largely outdoors and under executive order exemptions for the work we do. Our staffing numbers are dramatically reduced as we were forced to cancel the undergraduate intern programs this summer for the first time in nearly 30 years. The beaches are open and the stewards are out using appropriate social-distancing measures on conservation-area beaches to help ensure the beach-nesting birds can prosper. American oystercatchers are some of the earliest nesters on the beach and their noisy displays accompanied their nest building and defending their precocious chicks. Black skimmers are back in the areas in fairly large numbers to the delight of all who are mesmerized by the majesty of their feeding techniques. They are among my favorites as they fly low over the water with open beaks slicing through the water in search of the fish that are their prey. Common terns, Forster’s terns and Least terns are all back as well. These jewels of the beach and back-bay waterways are deserving of admiration. They are the masters at hovering and diving for their prey of small fish. Their sleek feathers and stunning coloring remind me that there is form and function in nature.
The dramatic slowdown of life provided many benefits to the natural world by minimizing or, in some cases, even eliminating the stressors that nature endures. Images of cities without air pollution, of freeways without bumper-to-bumper traffic, were a stark contrast and reminder of what things really could be. For a brief time, we were reminded in poignant ways how heavy the hand of our lifestyle can be on the nature around us. I realize this benefit to the natural world was at the expense of the economy and unattainable in the long run. However, working from home made me appreciate how much I could reduce the impact of my own actions on the natural world. It was nice to not need to rely on my car constantly and helped me begin to consider how I could avoid returning to the old ways. We hear a lot about the “new normal” and for most it conjures up images of sacrifice and confinement. The forced change of lifestyle brought many challenges, but it also brought new opportunities for self-evaluation and awareness. Perhaps this is the opportunity to consider how the “new normal” can both be a benefit to the natural world around us and to each of us personally. Maybe this is a perfect time to evaluate our daily routine, and consider how we can reduce our impact on the world around us while connecting more deeply to it.
As the shore comes back to life, we can all enjoy a renewed sense of hope for the future. Our connections to nature and the natural world are the perfect antidote to the uncertainty of this spring. Nature is abundant in the Seven Mile Beach area and the connections we can have with it are a remarkable gift to those who are open to exploring. Now is the perfect time to strengthen and rediscover connections with nature. Perhaps this is the year when you set aside some quiet time to learn or remember how enriching the quiet times are by observing and enjoying nature.
Our quest for another carefree summer is a little different this year. Let’s make that different better.
