Inspiration from Kaua’i
When immersed in the beauty of nature, I find it incredibly healing and so much easier to connect. At the end of December, I took the family off to paradise again. Hawaii is ranked as the happiest state and it is hard pressed not to be blissfully happy there.
We treasured the healing of the salt water, sounds of the waves, the grounding of the sun kissed sand, and the undeniable calming of our nervous systems. It was a tremendous and essential reset for us all; we returned to Boulder changed and upgraded.
Highlights of our trip included the days we spent touring two botanical gardens. The pictures speak for themselves, but the history of the land is a tale of human interference and finally a return to respect for Gaia. Nature’s intelligence with it’s healing compounds left for us to discover within the intricate creative matrix is truly awesome. My children and I were in awe over and over again as we toured the National Botanical Garden in Koloa on the south shore of Kauai. The history of the land is old. The marvelous, revered, Hawaiian Queen Emma saw the land as sacred. And Robert and John Gregg Allerton created a whimsical outdoor world. Now, the land serves as an outdoor classroom for visitors and hosts an impressive team of researchers who are making extraordinary impact in conservation and science in an effort to preserve native species, continue biocultural conservation and maintain and expand a critical conservation seed bank.
At the Limahuli Garden on the north shore of Kaua’i in Hā’ena, they are laboriously restoring the land where the indigenous people once flourished in the Limahuli Valley. With a focus on native Hawai’ian plants, those culturally sensitive (canoe plants delivered from Polynesia), and plantation era plants (when settlers thought it was a good idea to convert virgin rainforest to agricultural lands for crops like sugarcane and cattle), the collections are used to educate, perpetuate Hawai’ian culture and for conservation. The garden is beautiful and the task of restoration we observed is honorable.
As we returned to our active lives in Boulder, we carry with us deep connections we witnessed in Kaui’i and continue living mindfully connected to each other and the natural world. It’s an honor to be able to travel and observe, but the real work of stewardship happens at home in the incredible beauty of the ecosystems of Boulder, Colorado. I aim to design sustainable landscapes at Desert Bloom, am an OSMP volunteer and my children have learned first hand about stewardship by serving as Junior and Youth Rangers - What an impactful and engaging experience for youth.
As I continue to learn about the systems in place and my role as a citizen of not only Boulder, but of Gaia, I encourage you to get curious; how can you engage more actively in the preservation and conservation of the beautiful place we call home?
Looking for Ideas? Don’t keep them to yourself - Let’s chat! desertbloomlandscapedesign@gmail.com
Climate Change in Colorado Report
