Honor the Landscape
Fireside Talk Rocky Mountain National Park: "Honor the Landscape"
J. William T. Youngs
October 16, 2012
“Leave it as it is,” said Theodore Roosevelt while visiting the Grand Canyon. “You can not improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it.
The Organic Act of 1916, creating the National Park system, said much the same thing. The purpose of the parks “is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”
“Leave it as it is.”
I love that sentiment whether in the words of Theodore Roosevelt or the Organic Act. But one evening, a few weeks ago, as I was driving my RV through Rocky Mountain National Park, I realized that there is yet another dimension to the story of humanity and nature in the parks.
I came through the south entrance to the park and I was driving up through a lovely forest. Along the way, I recorded this thought:
Climbing through this forest in Rocky Mountain National Park, I have a feeling of the numinous…going deeper and deeper into mystery and wonder.
J. William T. Youngs
October 16, 2012
“Leave it as it is,” said Theodore Roosevelt while visiting the Grand Canyon. “You can not improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it.
The Organic Act of 1916, creating the National Park system, said much the same thing. The purpose of the parks “is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”
“Leave it as it is.”
I love that sentiment whether in the words of Theodore Roosevelt or the Organic Act. But one evening, a few weeks ago, as I was driving my RV through Rocky Mountain National Park, I realized that there is yet another dimension to the story of humanity and nature in the parks.
I came through the south entrance to the park and I was driving up through a lovely forest. Along the way, I recorded this thought:
Climbing through this forest in Rocky Mountain National Park, I have a feeling of the numinous…going deeper and deeper into mystery and wonder.
The glad tidings of nature were abundant that evening.
But my sense of appreciation did not end with Mother Nature. As I drove on, up and up into the mountains, I looked at the carefully-crafted stone walls lining the road here and there on its ascent to 12,000 feet, and my heart rejoiced to see that man also had made his mark here – made it in a spirit of deep appreciation. The spirit of those stone walls resonated with the spirit of the forest and the mountain. Those who built these walls had honored the landscape. I was reminded of prayers the Indians here must have offered to the mountains and forests.
These walls were prayers in stone:
But my sense of appreciation did not end with Mother Nature. As I drove on, up and up into the mountains, I looked at the carefully-crafted stone walls lining the road here and there on its ascent to 12,000 feet, and my heart rejoiced to see that man also had made his mark here – made it in a spirit of deep appreciation. The spirit of those stone walls resonated with the spirit of the forest and the mountain. Those who built these walls had honored the landscape. I was reminded of prayers the Indians here must have offered to the mountains and forests.
These walls were prayers in stone:
And this thought came to me:
Leave it as it is. But if you choose to leave a mark, honor the landscape and leave your mark with reverence for what the ages have done here.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
1. Sometimes we gain new ideas through the analytical mind, sometimes through the feeling heart. In what ways was either (or both) involved in the experience described in this essay. Which words indicate that the "heart" was engaged?
2. Consider your own experiences of the natural world. Have there been moments when a new idea came to you through intuition, through a heartfelt experience in the place you were visiting?
3. From our readings and the Burns-Duncan film, what statements or moments demonstrate "the heart" encountering the natural world?
Leave it as it is. But if you choose to leave a mark, honor the landscape and leave your mark with reverence for what the ages have done here.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
1. Sometimes we gain new ideas through the analytical mind, sometimes through the feeling heart. In what ways was either (or both) involved in the experience described in this essay. Which words indicate that the "heart" was engaged?
2. Consider your own experiences of the natural world. Have there been moments when a new idea came to you through intuition, through a heartfelt experience in the place you were visiting?
3. From our readings and the Burns-Duncan film, what statements or moments demonstrate "the heart" encountering the natural world?
