Reigniting the Spark

Author: Jill Curry

“Not till we are lost, in other words, not till we have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves, and realize where we are and the infinite extent of our relations.”
~Henry David Thoreau (in Walden)

For years Upstream Alliance has taken environmentally passionate folks on amazing expeditions in nature. I was lucky enough to join the first trip that was geared at those in the education field. Our guiding question for the 3-day expedition was: What must we do to graduate environmentally literate students? With a wealth of experience and expertise on board, our group was prepared to tackle this dilemma.

I had a lot of mixed emotions to start off the trip. Was I physically fit to endure the weekend? Would the weather be a blessing or a test of our resiliency? Did I have something to contribute to this group of accomplished leaders? How would this experience contribute to the work I do with students, teachers, and administrators?

However, the moment the group got together at Nomini Creek, we were immersed in stories from many folks, all of them inspiring. Don shared the evolution of the eel industry; Jeff told us how American Indians had used the trees at the site; we heard from a crabber preparing his pots for the fishing season. Each had a different perspective on the local environment, and together they showed how it had changed over time. I couldn’t wait to get out on the water.

Moments after paddling out into the creek, we were greeted by several bald eagles and osprey. It was awesome watching them soar, and then dive to catch a meal. We had a gorgeous paddle to a small beach where we stopped for lunch and also squeezed in a little fun.

We used a net to catch several species of fish, as well as a crabs and a shrimp. We were able to begin telling the story of the creek’s health, and things looked promising.

We continued down the river to King Copsico Farm. Our hosts, Tayloe and Helen Murphy, met us shortly after we brought our kayaks ashore. Once our tents were set up and dinner was ready, we had a chance to sit and reflect on our day together.

I was enamored of the stories that Tayloe and Helen told of their life on Northern Neck. They made it possible to imagine life there as it once had been, the good and the bad. Again, the theme was change.

At one point someone asked Tayloe: “What important message would you send to our young people about the bay?” His answer turned out to be the most important thing I took away from the trip. To paraphrase his response: “I want our young people to aspire for more than what we currently see with the environment. Although we’ve made a lot of progress, we still have so far to go. Our goal should be to restore the environment back to what it once was, not just protect what we see today.”

My first thought was: How do we do this? How can we help students imagine something they’ve never seen before? Tayloe, along with many in the group, was also stumped.

As I lay in my tent that night listening to the water hit the shore, I grappled with some important questions. How do we ignite in others what we’ve been feeling? How do we inspire individuals to feel they can make a difference? How can I help teachers find themselves again and reconnect with the natural world in a way that can inspire their students?

Our second day on the river was even more inspiring than the first.

We meandered through Helen’s favorite place to kayak, Cat Point Creek, where the only evidence of humans was a few duck blinds. Again, we were able to use signs of life to tell the story of the area. There were lots of positive signs—and also lots of room for improvement.

We went ashore for lunch at the Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge, where Jeff shared stories of how American Indians in the area were so in tune with their environment that every living thing was considered a relative. When stories bring to life the history of not only our ancestors, but also the wildlife, water, and air, we are able to personalize our connection to the environment. This can lead to action. When we see our connection to the Earth, we will realize our responsibility to care for her just as we do our human relatives.

The profound lessons didn’t end there. We wrapped up the day with a tour of the Menokin House, which reinforced our connection to the history of the area and how the environment played a role in our nation’s history.

Our last day was spent at George Washington’s Birthplace, where we paddled along the sharp cliffs of Pope’s Creek.

I could write pages of all I saw, heard, and felt while kayaking each day. But what is most important are the connections and relationships built between everyone who was on the expedition. I value being able to connect with people who shared a dedication to not only protecting the environment but restoring it. We experienced nature together; stripped of status and titles, we were allowed to build relationships that will extend far beyond our three days together.

I’m excited by the possibility of working with these people in the future to continue the work of restoring the Bay. I left with a renewed connection to nature and a sense of responsibility for telling the stories of not only the human history of our area, but also the stories of those with no voice—the plants, the animals, the air and water. I left with a clear plan for bringing the environment of the Chesapeake Bay to life for our students.

There is no substitute for being immersed in nature and experiencing it firsthand. It feels like coming home.

I left the experience feeling more connected to nature, to my work, to our goal of restoring our natural home, and to my new colleagues. When dealing with conservation efforts it’s easy to get caught up in the ‘what’ and ‘how’, but the expedition reinforced for me that we must start with the ‘why.’