Yardening

North Carolina knows how to do tourism. Two thirds of our state is a magnet for vacationers, from beautiful, and, thanks to early conservationists and (very) wealthy (read the Vanderbilts and other robber barons) benefactors, accessible mountains to a sprawling coastline made even more of a playground by our barrier islands.

Now, having seen other coastal areas of the world, it doesn’t seem quite so amazing. I’d rather not swim in water when I can’t see what’s swimming with me. The Outer Banks are rife with undertow, riptides and sharks. The construction lobby has made it so it’s impossible for communities to limit how much of the coast is covered with homes and condos. For all of these reasons, and more, I have not been to an NC coastal town in almost 10 years.

I just turned 50 and our 27th wedding anniversary is today so we decided a nice long weekend was in order. I’m not sure what made me opt for the beach over the mountains. It was an impulse, but one I knew that my spouse who grew up closer to the beach than I did would fully endorse. And here I sit, feeling not just nostalgia, but a true pull to this coast. The ocean has a way of forcing acceptance. Its unchangeable nature reminds us how little control we have over the natural world.

Yesterday we took a nice long hike through a state park close to where we’re staying on a beach near Wilmington, NC. There were many times that one of us was certain we saw an invasive plant on the trail, but a quick shot on my plant identifier app showed that it was right where it was supposed to be. It really made me pause and wonder what forces have brought plants from all over the world, touting their specialness, when there are native species that look just like them, act just like them, and happily grow here with minimal help.

It’s yet another example of humans thinking they’re so smart to “find” things in other parts of the world and tout them as this amazing thing that everyone must have. But our separation from the natural world around us means that we don’t even know what’s in our own yard/region/state. We’re so caught up in our indoor lives that we miss what’s special all around us.

Let this be your reminder. In a changing world, both things we can control and things we cannot, go out and experience the beauty and complexity of nature. In your yard, local parks, and wide open spaces. You won’t regret it.