The human instinct to explore is infinite
To explore is to investigate the unknown, to learn about or become familiar with something. It happens through travel, research, observation, or introspection. We explore the Earth to understand its life force. Indigenous people around the world explore sustenance and spiritual connection. Astronomers and space scientists explore the human place in the universe. In our own backyards, we explore the places we live. Sitting with sacred places in nature, we explore our inner landscapes. The human instinct to explore is infinite.
My own desire to explore nature began at the age of three, standing alone beside the Moisie River in Quebec. The glistening, rushing, sparkling, dancing water transfixed my spirit and wrapped me with a sense of solace and serenity. I was mesmerized by this place, intuitively knowing myself to be safe there. This river was the first place that called me to come. It activated a knowing that the natural world could shield me from harm. This early relationship led me to explore a sense of place through personal experience in many areas throughout my life.
Growing up in an isolated community
Our family lived in the isolated community of Holberg on northern Vancouver Island in the late sixties. There was no internet, cell phones, city life, or urban sprawl. We benefited from a lifestyle of exploring nature. Salmon, cod, halibut, crab, prawns, trout, and deer were diet staples. Mom baked huckleberry pies after my sister, brother, and I picked enough of those small, tart, scarlet berries to fill them. Building bush forts and being outside was common practice.
My life path has led to many places in nature that influenced, motivated, and shaped me. Always curious, always observant, always exploring. My Earth awareness grew with each new experience and place: commercial fishing all over the west coast of BC; researching forest industry impacts on salmon; studying ancient forest ecosystems; discovering secluded eagle bathing habitat. All done with the spirit of exploration, collectively amassing a depth of knowledge.
Youth and Ecological Restoration
My vision for sharing Earth wisdom with Comox Valley vulnerable youth came in 2002 and was funded in 2004. Youth and Ecological Restoration (YER) celebrated 20 years on July 1, 2024. As digital technology has advanced, youth have disconnected from exploring nature. YER immerses young people in the natural world for them to learn alternative ways of being.
My favourite YER activity was to put youth in chest waders and explore a creek. This was best done in the fall during salmon spawning season. Young eyes widened as they began to view through an ecosystem lens. Douglas fir, cedar, spruce, maple, and alder trees in vibrant green hues gave shade, insects, and leaves to nourish salmon. Spawning activity, led by females, whose tails slapped the gravel to dig perfect holes for their eggs, while males competed for position to fertilize them. Bears, birds, and small mammals carried salmon carcasses to fertilize the forest. It was magical to witness youth explore stream ecology.
As elders, passing on our knowledge and wisdom goes with having lived a full life. In the spirit of exploration, we open young minds. There is a veteran Douglas fir tree in a forest, beside a river, at the bottom of a canyon. He is a wise elder in his community. With respect, I have sat with him many times to feel and absorb his lived knowledge. It is the same with us.
