Take Time for Driftless Past
Once again I find myself in the role of student. This time embarking on the studies of nature through the Wisconsin Master Naturalist volunteer training program. It is a University of Wisconsin program currently offered through the efforts of Valley Stewardship Network and the Kickapoo Valley Reserve.
The ten week program, is a forty hour course guided by several local naturalists, a HUGE binder of reading material, and boasts a class full of very capable and interested students from the Driftless Area.
The first reading covered Wisconsin’s geology, landscapes, watersheds and, of course, the glaciers - or lack there of in the case of the Driftless. After I gave myself permission to not panic over Latin names I will never remember or dates with far too many zeros, I settled into the rhythm of a time before people walked the land.
Let’s be clear. I chose to live in the Driftless because of its immense beauty. And it is fun when visitors say, “Wow, you get to live here? It’s so beautiful!” But I am beginning to feel like I have just scratched the surface on this appreciation thing. I mean, when you begin to compare the time it has taken to create this amazing place we call home - each spring, each valley, each hill, each sandstone outcropping - to the amount of time that we have been here, well, it is humbling at the least. And when I come to terms with the fact that the continual transformation is happening in this moment and will continue long after I am gone, it makes me smile.
Science at its core is about observation and we can all be observers of this incredible spaceship called earth. Here in the Driftless, we get to explore and appreciate one small morsel of its immensity.
So now as spring approaches, I walk the trails and witness the bulging streams, and I allow myself to bare witness to the extraordinary pulse of life here. The robins are back, so are the sand hill cranes. Greenery has begun to shoot through the remaining ice and mud. And curiosity and appreciation are at an all time high.
You don’t have to commit to a naturalist course to take advantage of the scenic trails or to catch the sweet songs of the birds on their return. You don’t need a degree to become a skilled observer. All that is needed is a willingness to be aware and an appreciation that there is so much to learn. Luckily, there are also wonderful people who have taken the time to study the nature of the Driftless and are most happy to share what they have discovered.
Take time to dive into a rich history that is not always written in a book. Take time to explore the Driftless past to present. There are ancient stories to be discovered and new stories being told everyday. The dance of life is on and we have been given front row seats in a land still largely untouched. Enjoy it!
Contributing writer Dena Eakles is the founder of Echo Valley Farm in Ontario, Wisconsin. Founded in August of 2002, the community of Echo Valley Farm has moved towards sustainability. They celebrate and learn from the land and one another, living what is possible when peace is the foundation and the earth is sacred. in addition, Eakles publishes a blog called Let kindness win, and authored the ebook “The Peace Warrior” (2013).
Dena Eakles
Founder of Echo Valley Farm-Ontario, Wisconsin
