The edge is where we work as landscapers and educators. At Helping Nature Heal, we engage in healing and restoring the edges between human activity and our ecosystems. These edges are often challenging, but we see them as places of growth and opportunity: the opportunity to plant a tree that will capture carbon, to reintroduce a plant that has been pushed out, to help people reconnect with the ecology of the places they inhabit.
The edge is a physical space where we begin to pay closer attention and ask: what can we do here? How can we respond to the needs of our environment, which, these days, seems metaphorically on the edge—in crisis. How can we make our places both beautiful to us and sustainable?
The edge can also be a dynamic and diverse space. Karen York writes, “Among the liveliest microclimates are those on the ‘edges,’ that is, the areas where borders meet… the transitional area btween meadow and wood; the shoreline between land and water; the slope between mountain and valley… Edges often contain the best of both worlds in a world of their own, with a vibrant mix of conditions, habitats and species.” That’s what we hope to create with this blog: a happening interface between HNH employees, clients, and supporters. With this blog we hope to cultivate a collision of ideas, experiences, wisdom, and visions, as well as keep you up-to-date with our work at HNH. It is our belief that by paying attention to our connections and resources as individuals and organizations that we become better equipped to meet the challenges of sustainability.
Read, respond, contribute. We look forward to hearing from you.
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