We need the tonic of wildness, to wade sometimes in marshes ... and hear the booming of the snip. ... We can never have enough of nature.
Henry David Thoreau, "Walden" (1854)
Christmas lists abound with "stuff" that is usually manufactured, bought, discarded, and ultimately piles up in landfills. With the current economic downturn, what about a gift list centered on special places in nature that inspire and nurture our souls?
Many special natural places are close to home and essentially free; others require a veritable expedition outfitted to reach remote destinations. But near or far, the natural world engages our five senses and restores our spirits in ways that are difficult to equal in dollars and cents. Here is a survey of some North Carolina residents and their favorite natural places - some local, some global. On behalf of Nature's Secrets, please enjoy your favorite spots in nature with loved ones this holiday season.
"I love any place with water ... especially along our beautiful Pamlico River." - Carol Bilbro, board of directors, Triangle Community Foundation
"I'm partial to Florida mangroves partly for the beauty and tranquility, but equally because it evokes fond memories of times spent among them as a child." - Dan Solomon, dean of physical and mathematical sciences, N.C. State University
"My single favorite place in nature is a small creek that winds past my father's family house in Kerala, India." - Vivek Pisharody, N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences Teen Advisory Board and Panther Creek High School, Cary
"My favorite place in nature is in the middle of an isolated forest where I cannot see or hear any signs of civilization. It is during these times that I feel closest to nature." - Antonio Baines, assistant professor of biology and the Cancer Research Program, N.C. Central University
"The rim of Diamondhead Crater at sunrise." - Tom O'Brien, head football coach, N.C. State University
"My favorite place is being alone, on a deer stand in the woods on our family property in Anson County on the banks of the Pee Dee River, for the first couple of hours of the breaking day. Or my other, equally, favorite place is being in the water, in waders, or in a duck blind, at Lake Ellis Simon in Craven County, alone, for those same magical hours of a new day!" - John McAlister, community leader-turned-granddaddy, Charlotte
May your holidays be filled with greenery and the wonders of nature.
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