Finding Peace in Nature: Where Will You Go?
“A good traveller has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving” -Lao Tzu, philosopher
Dear Friend of WV Rivers,
It’s been said the journey is more important than the destination. My, oh my, what a long, strange trip these past two months have been.
Doesn’t March feel like an eternity ago, some past and foreign land full of maskless shopping and care-free interactions?
Let’s recap where we’ve been, and where we’ll be going next.
This weekly blog series started as a way for me to share special moments spent with my family in the great outdoors with you, but grew to be so much more than that.
Every week, we heard back from people like you thanking us for these stories, for their uplifting message, and for reminding us that even though we are apart, we are all connected as one on this big, blue planet.
Each of the places we traveled to had their own unique story to tell, including:
- Yankauer Nature Preserve – WV Rivers’ role as state lead in WV for the Choose Clean Water Coalition, as well as our work protecting drinking water supplies
- Sam Michaels Park – the impact of climate change on the sources of our drinking water, and WV Rivers’ work to protect source water by implementing conservation practices in the Elks Run Watershed.
- Cacapon State Park – importance of the Land & Water Conservation Fund for protecting public lands
- Happy Retreat – trees & forests are critical for protecting clean water
- Your Own Backyard – issues with accessing nature across West Virginia
- Devil’s Nose – WV Rivers’ work “protecting drinking water through land conservation” as host partner for the Safe Water Conservation Collaborative.
- C&O Canal – updates to our state’s water quality standards and human health criteria
Although as a community we have yet to arrive at that ultimate place of health, safety, and prosperity, we have all hopefully found something along the way – peace in nature. And in doing so, we have also found each other.
Following the wisdom of Lao Tzu, our ragged team of merry travellers will be ditching our fixed plans and hanging up our weekly blogging hats. (Rest assured, you’ll be hearing from us more this summer & fall, just not weekly.) It’s been an honor to share our stories with you, but now it’s your turn.
We want to hear your stories of finding peace in nature. Send us an email, or tag us on Facebook or Twitter, use the hashtags #WVRivers and #PeaceInNature.
Until next time, be well, happy trails, and above all else…peace.
To clean water and clean hands,
Tanner Haid, Eastern Panhandle Field Coordinator
PS – There are so many awesome adventures that didn’t make this series (…yet!). You can find all of these, and more from across the state, on the WV Trail Inventory Map:
