By Pat Tuholske, Naturalist
In a recent trip to the city to run errands and put my mom’s flower garden to bed, I took note of every animal I saw or heard.
In my 100 mile round trip I encountered:
Horse Herd grazing roadside field
Cows munching hay bales in pasture
Black Snake slithering along shoulder
Honey Bee held captive by truck camper
Skunk – road kill
Eagle Pair hunting river bottom
Opossum – road kill
Male Cardinal ablaze on rooftop
Dogs walking their Humans; barking in yards;
riding in cars
Worm and Centipede tunneling flowerbed
Housefly rushing glass door
Bumblebee buzzing late coleus flowers
Cat sunning in shaft of light
Red Hawk harassed by Grackles
Rabbits munching lawn
Chipmunk perched on log
Squirrel stealing birdseed
Wren traversing oak trunk
Humans shopping, driving, jogging, biking
Blue Jay feeding on Caterpillars
Box Turtle nestled in wet leaves
Crows cawing trash collector
Geese stopping traffic
Great Blue Heron gliding riverbank
Deer – road kill
Vultures coasting on thermals
Swallowtail Butterfly feasting on milkweed
Total Species encountered: 30
I challenge you to take note of the Animals you encounter in your day. We share our world with them and so often we take them for granted or completely ignore them.
With the simple act of noticing and acknowledging Animals, you strengthen the strands of the Web of Life. When you open your awareness to them, Animals become part of your reality… part of your “herd”… your kin.
This Irish blessing is given to Animals during harvest celebrations. I recite it often to send gratitude and healing to my Animal Kin. You can substitute flock, pack or pod for herd:
The health of the Herd is the health of the people.
The health of the Herd is the health of the Earth.
The health of the Herd is the life of the people.
The health of the Herd is the life of the Earth.
Healing for all the Animals.
Healing for those who care for the Animals.
Healing for the Land and Sea.
Healing for us All.
Check out Pat Tuholske’s journal “Nature as Healer” for musings on the Human-Nature relationship. Go to elementalearthcamp.com. Pat is the facilitator of Elemental Earthcamp “off the grid” eco-camp and shamanic retreat in the Missouri Ozarks. She is also the crafter at WillowRainHerbalGoods.com.