Well, as time so often works, it was slow while it was happening, but looking back, it went incredibly fast. Though I savored each moment of my time on Saba, I can’t believe that my two weeks on the island are already over. By the time I left last Saturday morning, I had already promised …
Last week, I boarded a plane to fly to an island I had never heard of until recently. I discovered the island in August on a job listings site – they were looking for an intern for a month-long environmental event in October. Saba? Where on earth is that? The more research I did, the more …
Part 1: The Beginning of Two Weeks on a Tiny Dutch Island Read More »
You light me up like arsenicon the teeth, sparks on slate,rising like the sun. Dawn bredthe start, like an epic. Like a house,we rose it. Wings on a moth,we moved closer. Strong as an oak, sparks – slight static – ignite mothsflying too close to the light of my house.Like that, I am attracted to you. …
When evening comes, a heavy blue has fallen over the valley where we are renting a house. From where I wash dishes in the kitchen, I look out over a wide field. On the far side a stream runs along the base of a small mountain covered in pine trees wearing coats and hats of …
For some, COVID-19 meant time and energy; it led to a surge of creative output. For others – and I fell into this category – the pandemic has been stifling. I hid away from the virus in my house, but I couldn’t hide from its invasion as a subject. Every time I sat down to …
In summer 2018, I interned at an environmental radio show called Living on Earth. Towards the end of the internship, I was assigned to write a 300-word segment on the Azolla fern. Simple enough. But the more I researched the tiny aquatic fern, the less possible it felt to write only 300 words about this …
It’s already dark when Deivid drops the volunteers off on the side of the road and drives away. In fact, it’s pitch black, because we’re in the middle of the Atlantic Rainforest, and there are certainly no streetlights lining the sides of the dirt roads. The six of us laugh nervously, our faces partially visible …
Happy Easter, to all those who celebrate! Easter is one of my favorite holidays. I love the distinct week-long anticipation set by the presence of Holy Week, during which I keep the 1970 Jesus Christ Superstar soundtrack on repeat. I love the time of year – April with its showers, crocuses & daffodils, and the …
Oh, but sing! I have saved another beetle. And a bumblebee, and two inchworms. Ryan and I try to climb the gnarled spruce, The one with the bulbous knot halfway up. It’s sticky. We pretend the sap will hold our palms. Oh, but look. We plant seeds under the swingset in the dirt. On top …
The ingá tree drips pods like water running down its arms. At night, the moths lick the clothesline. In the school one town over, the children learn that people drink hot chocolate in the winter (inverno) in the United States (Estados Unidos) where there is also snow (neve). Rainy season falls out the window because …