RIP P22. Species loneliness....
"Philosophers call this state of isolation and disconnection “species loneliness”—a deep, unnamed sadness stemming from estrangement from the rest of Creation, from the loss of relationship. As our human dominance of the world has grown, we have become more isolated, more lonely when we can no longer call out to our neighbors." Robin Wall Kimmerer's book "Braiding Sweetgrass" truly moved me to think about my plant and animal neighbors differently.
At the #p22 memorial today I truly felt how this shift in my relationship to the natural world all around me has changed. Just by starting to learn the names of the native plants I see all around the city (thanks #calnat) I started to feel like I was seeing friends when I recognized a plant. But then by looking at plants you start to notice bugs and birds and curiosity kicks in again to learn more. So I downloaded the Merlin app and started to record birds I hear in my backyard and use iNat to ID bugs. I'm amazed by what had been here all along and shocked that I didn't notice before. The friendship I feel towards non human life deepens my experiences outside and by familiarizing ourselves with the natural world outside our front door we can start a relationship with our non-human neighbors.
LA is a wild place. Our human impact may have many negative consequences for our non human neighbors but we are intertwined with the living being that surround us. Their demise is our demise. Something as simple as learning a few plant names, bringing a magnifying lens to a park, asking questions about what birdsong you hear, paying attention to when the flowers bloom in your yard, these simple things can start to reverse the species loneliness we are all feeling. Once we feel our connection to other living things then we can be moved to care for their survival.
Today I attended the memorial service for P22. The outpouring of love and affection for this mountain lion living in the improbable Griffith Park was truly moving. Our neighbor P22 meant so much to so many and he represented migration, resilience, and survival. RIP P22 and may we do better moving forward.
I made this sticker after the passing of P-22 and now you can show your support for the wild places of LA by buying one here- LA Is A Wild Place
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