Earth Days

Tuesday, April 22nd is Earth Day. I love celerbrating the Earth, because I love the Earth. I don't necessarily think that one day a year is sufficient celebration, but it is a start. I hope that in time Earth Day becomes everyday. If everyone starts thinking about their actions in relationship to the Earth, we'll be leaps and bounds closer to living sustainably.

Part of our celebrations at Royal Roads is the ceremonial planting of three trees. I volunteered to say a few words about this ceremony for those who participate. This is what I will say:

"Welcome to this ceremonial tree planting in honor of the Earth.

This week we are celebrating the Earth; its bounty and our responsibility to it.

This land, where we stand now, and where a lot of us spend most of our days, has supported life for millennia.

It has seen the passing of ages, the ebb and flow of countless tides, the scouring work of glaciers.

The tapestry of the past is woven by the ocean and streams, the wind, and both the inner and the outer fires. And IN the tapestry is all life: the plants, the animals, and even the fungi and bacteria.

And of course, the people, who have also been here for a long time. These are the traditional lands of the Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations. And we pay tribute to them today.

In the fertility of such a rich past, blooms the present. The students, staff, faculty and other community members; all of us visitors to this place of learning, and of discovery. This is a place to become, a place to remember.

OUR future may be uncertain, but this land will persist. The future holds yet untold stories, generations of people, of animals and of the long-lived trees.

It is the trees that represent the eons of this land, and the human qualities which we seek.

Trees represent knowledge, and it seems appropriate that this university is surrounded by them.

They represent wisdom, with roots that hold them strong to the earth, to their foundations. They stretch tall, seeking the light.

And so, in honor of the Earth, we plant these three trees, which represent the past, the present and the future of this land.

Something that Greg Sam said to our class last week stuck with me. He said that his people live with the land. Not ON the land, but WITH it. If there is one thing to keep in our minds this week, while we are celebrating, it is for each of us to try to live with the land."

Although I am slightly pessimistic about the amount of people that will show up for all the events we have planned, I think it is so important to make a big deal about Earth Day. We can provide the opportunity, but we cannot force anyone to learn. I'm happy to provide. I'm also happy that these days of events have the potential to lead to community development. I get so wrapped up in my own cohort and work, that I don't even give thought to the other cohorts on campus. I hope that some of these people will participate and our social capital will expand as we get to know each other. If we cannot be united in our learning, maybe we can be united in our passion.