It hasn’t rained for days. Summer is turning into autumn. There are a lot less mosquitoes around- a relief. But it’s sad to see less and less butterflies. I truly enjoyed watching them darting from flower to flower and dancing over humid areas in intricate displays, seemingly coordinated by an ancient choreography. Getting lost in their beauty and fluttering grace. I’m making a mental note to plant more flowers next year for them.
This was my first complete summer in Sayulita, which I passed mostly on the ranch thanks to a global pandemic and the economic restrictions it placed on my life. I don’t think I could have been in a better place. The magic wilderness has become a good friend who is lightly taking my worries away just by being there, surrounding me, providing music for my soul to dance and making my heart pound with fear through epic thunderstorms. It’s incredible to watch the young trees we planted double in size every few weeks with all the water around. Wildflowers everywhere and the low hum of bees and other critters coming from them. Birds fighting over their territory, by dropping songs not bombs- there might be a lesson learned here. Once they raised their young they give it all up again to join together in flocks.
While I perceive paradise here, I also feel panicked by the worrying rate of biodiversity loss. Summer is also the time the Military Macaws visit. Another example of an endangered species because we use too much land unsustainably and additionally poach them for our entertainment. Douglas Adams wrote his “Last chance to see” 30 years ago. He and the co-author Mark Carwardine, a biologist, tracked down endangered species around the world. I wonder how many chapters their book would have today in relation to then. I recommend all of Adams’ books and he most likely influenced some of my life choices- like carrying around a pareo, a beach towel everywhere I go. I can sometimes hear explosions on the ranch coming from the construction of the new super fast highway connecting to Guadalajara. And at night I consider the improbability of a spaceship hiding among the flickering lights of the fireflies that is a safe haven for the last of their kind. But that is only fiction.
Meanwhile, the IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) report finds that around a million, yes 1,000,000 species (plants and animals) face extinction in the next decades. More than ever before in human history. My personal opinion is that this number is far too high, even if all mosquitoes and tics go extinct as well, it wouldn’t be worth it. They also find that it’s not to late to turn the ship around, so conservation projects like Natikari are important and a step in the right direction for a healthier environment. This blog will keep you updated with what we are up to here at Natikari, how we do things and why. We are always open for a constructive discussion so don’t be shy to get involved. Whatever you do, don’t forget to hug a tree from time to time.
As I’m writing these last words the first drops of rain are falling. The rainy season is not over yet.
Comments