Category Archives: Nature

Merry Christmas 2010

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Dauphin Island ducks

As oil washes ashore on Dauphin Island, ducks refuse to flee - photographed June 9, 2010

28 years ago, Rosie and I were expecting our first child, Vera. On a mid-December day, not unlike today, I was worried about our child’s future and how Rosie and I might do and make do as parents. A sudden thought crossed my mind: Jesus was born in a stable. It hit me hard – like I had never heard the Christmas story before. Being welcomed by animals, with nowhere else to go, Mary and Joseph wrapped him in rags and laid him in a manger. But the angels sang, “Glory to God in the Highest!” Somehow the paradoxes of it all showed me the path of trust and the knowledge of who to trust in.

Today, I think of so many who are suffering, who like Jesus have not been given a place, and yet I am filled with hope that not poverty, oil spills, wars, or anything else can take away the glorious future that is reaching out to the human family.

Reviewing this past year, I can hardly believe its momentousness. I’ve gathered some pictures below to tell something of this extraordinary year (click on pictures to see larger photo). 

Vera Marries Ryan

Vera and Ryan were married on January 31, 2010 - Ryan is a wonderful gift to our family.

Vera and Ryan were married on January 31, 2010 - Ryan is a wonderful gift to our family.

Vera and Ryan on Dauphin Island beach for Thanksgving 2010

Vera and Ryan on Dauphin Island beach for Thanksgving 2010. Vera and Ryan are now expecting their first child.

More Family Pictures
 

Edward is confirmed - Nick is his sponsor

Edward is confirmed - Nick is his sponsor

Gabriel returning from a summer in Pittsburgh

Gabriel returning from a summer's work with Earthen Vessels Outreach in Pittsburgh. Nick spent the summer there too. Ryan and Vera are involved with this ministry too.

Rosie kept care of all of us and taught yoga.

Rosie kept care of all of us, taught yoga, ...

  

Mignon graduates from Bryant High School and go to Auburn University

Mignon graduates from Bryant High School and goes to Auburn University

Leo and friends representing Poland

Leo and friends representing Poland at the Model United Nation in Mobile

Julita and her cousin Claire

Julita (on right) and her cousin Claire playing in the Mississippi Sound

Responding to Oil Catastrophe
 

Thanks to the clean-up workers who at the risk of their health dealt with much of the hazardous waste

Thanks to the clean-up workers who at the risk of their health dealt with much of the hazardous waste - photographed November 13, 2010

Leo, Julita, and Edward invited people to Hands Across the Sand

Leo, Julita, and Edward invited people to Hands Across the Sand on Dauphin Island's public beach, photographed June 24, 2010

A sand crab too stressed to flee upon my approach

Many sand crabs became stressed and unable to move well, photographed July 22, 2010.

At Future of the Gulf Community Brainstorms, small groups shared experiences, ideas, and plans

At Future of the Gulf Community Brainstorms, small groups shared experiences, ideas, and plans, photographed July 21, 2010

Mapping project using camera-lifting baloons

Mapping project using camera-lifting baloons, photographed November 13, 2010 on Sand Island

  

Oil soaking edge of tidal pool

Oil soaking edge of tidal pool, photographed July 5, 2010

Sharing positive energy after Hands Across the Sand

Sharing positive energy after Hands Across the Sand on Dauphin Island, photographed June 26, 2010 by Theresa Robinson

My brother, Joe, captaining his boat on one of our many trips to the Katrina Cut beaches

My brother, Joe, captaining his boat, Mojoe, on one of our many trips to the Katrina Cut beaches

An animated small group discussion during the Future of the Gulf - Community Brainstorm

An animated small group discussion during the Future of the Gulf - Community Brainstorm, photographed July 21, 2010

People brought proposals to the Coastal Recovery Commission of Alabama

People networked and brought proposals to the Coastal Recovery Commission of Alabama

Loving Nature and Life
 

Dauphin Island sea grass before the spill took its toll on it

Dauphin Island sea grass before the spill took its toll on it

The fragileness and beauty of life - Dauphin Island - photographed by Edward Denton

The fragileness and beauty of life - Dauphin Island - photographed by Edward Denton

We were blessed by many birthday parties

We were blessed by many birthday parties

Dauphin Island children played soccer throughout the year

Dauphin Island children played soccer throughout the year

Gatherings with extended Denton family

Gatherings with extended Denton family

  

Herons making do during the spill

Herons making do during the spill - photograph by Edward Denton

My very old friend the magnolia tree of the Audubon Bird Sanctuary

My very old friend the magnolia tree of the Audubon Bird Sanctuary

We were also blessed by dancing friends, birds, plants, and fish

We were also blessed by dancing friends, birds, plants, and fish

Friends gather awaiting the midnight solstice lunar eclipse

Friends gather awaiting the midnight solstice lunar eclipse

Gatherings with extended Toomer family

Gatherings with extended Toomer family

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Proposals for the Coastal Recovery Commission of Alabama

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Kindra Arnesen speaking from the August 5, 2010 Buras Town Hall Meeting

Time for your voice to be heard!

Many families in coastal South Alabama depend on a sound coastal environment for their livelihoods. The coastal communities in south Mobile County have been assaulted by the oil catastrophe. Many families are still recovering from Hurricane Katrina and the ongoing oil catastrophe. These proposals provide needed tangible benefits for these communities.

The proposals have emerged from several community brainstorms held in Coden and on Dauphin Island. These proposals are sensitive to community needs and the goals of the Commission. The set of proposals are not meant to be comprehensive but to be included in the comprehensive plan being developed by the Commission.

Ecological Needs 

  • Clean, restore, and enhance gulf and bays
  • Build and enhance 100 miles of oyster reefs and 1000+ acres of coastal marsh and seagrass – see http://100-1000.org/
  • Ensure that water, air, and food are safe with ongoing long-term testing – data should be fully and immediately available to the public
  • Develop comprehensive, fail-safe regulations to prevent future oil catastrophes – prevention is a great deal better than the cure

Coastal Community Participation 

  • Enlist local decision making and employment in coastal recovery efforts
  • Invest in coastal economic opportunities to support sustainable coastal recovery and enhance Alabama’s coastal areas and waters
  • Train south Alabama medical professionals to diagnose and treat environmental health conditions potentially related to the oil catastrophe
  • Immediate public transparency on all issues relating to public health such as the use of dispersants in area waters and the ongoing presence of oil and other health threats in area waters
  • Listen and learn from coastal communities in order to improve future responses to coastal disasters such as oil spills and hurricanes

Education and Support Initiatives for Oil-Affected Families

  • Grant full scholarships for children of low-income, oil-affected families to local universities, community colleges, or technical schools
  • Provide job training and a support system for coastal workers and others who have lost their livelihoods due to the oil catastrophe
  • Enhance science curriculum at all levels (K through college) to better appreciate Alabama’s coastal environment and to provide appropriate service-learning programs to support the environment (see service-learning resource center at the University of South Alabama http://caslce.usouthal.edu/)

 Coastal Fire Protection 

  • Develop a unified, comprehensive plan for coastal fire fighting resources
  • Several coastal communities need multipurpose fire engines with 75-foot ladders and with storage for water and foam
  • Fire and rescue response boat powered by twin engines and capable of pumping water from sea
  • New bunker gear capable of protecting the well-being of the firemen and providing self-contained breathing for firemen
  • Radio communications for hazardous-materials quick response needs that connect Mobile, Baldwin, and neighboring counties in Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida

These proposals will be submitted to the Commission this evening at the Bayou La Batre Community Center. This is a public meeting for the Commission to share its plans and receive input from the public. Meeting starts at 5:30 P.M.

The Rainforest Dream

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You are walking through a beautiful rainforest. The forest is filled with tropical plants, bright vibrantly colored flowers, and huge magnificent trees. Birds are filling the air with their calls and there is the rushing sound of a nearby river. You are walking with a good friend from a far off land and culture, a special person who embodies the inner goodness that is in all people. Together you are thrilled to be in this tropical paradise. Soon you see a huge tree with a curved trunk. Because of the way it is curved, you and your friend can walk right up the trunk. On the trunk, you walk up to a huge branch as wide as two elephants standing side by side. The branch is quite long and goes out over the river. Excitedly you run across the branch taking in all the beauty of the leaves, flowers, birds, and small animals among the branches. Pausing you look below and see the river, a gorgeous, sparkling-clear, large river. You’re about 50 feet above the river, and the river is about 40 feet deep, but it’s so clear you can see its white sandy bottom. You and your friend are taken by the sight and without talking you know just what to do. You jump and when you jump, you and your friend turn into eagles, beating your wings vigorously as you soar straight up above the forest and into the beautiful blue sky. Still together flying high above the immense green forest, you fold your wings and let yourselves fall rapidly though the forest and toward the river. Crashing into the river, you regain your human forms and in a curved motion go deep into the water and turning with tremendous momentum pop up to surface. Thrilled and smiling at one another, you and your friend tread water and begin to notice that the rushing waters of the river have ceased to be rushing. The waters are now gently swirling around you. Looking around in wonder, you feel something mysterious coming. You sense its friendship with the whole rainforest. Without sound, color, or anything else perceptible, but with unmistakable power, a deep message begins to reverberate within the forest: “For a reward this great, you have to work hard! For a reward this great, you have to work hard! For a reward this great, you have to work hard! …” The message impacts you deeply and wakes you from your sleep.

This dream from 1997 still fills me joy. Now it’s your dream too. All is gift but our hard work is needed too. Our communion with the Friend of All requires communion with nature too.

Here are two videos about different kinds of rain forests.

Citizen Rain Water Tests in Louisiana Show Unsafe Levels of Toxins

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Many people, including Kindra Arnesen and the Coastal Heritage Society of Louisiana, are doing great work in Louisiana. The video below with Kindra speaking from the August 5, 2010 Buras Town Hall Meeting about the gulf oil catastrophe is powerful and informative. The video includes the importance of bio-remediation as well as the serious problems with toxins in the environment including the rainwater. The level of denial shown by the official (see the 9:15 point of the video onward) who Kindra speaks with is also illustrative of what many face when trying to realize common sense care for the gulf.