Past Letters from the Director
Are We Listening?
Dear Friends,
The dramatic temperature swings of this past winter and current spring are reminding us of an important lesson - when nature speaks, are we listening?
I'm not a scientist. I'm merely one of the curators of the living collection we happen to call Reeves-Reed Arboretum. Yet, even I can tell that unless we do a bit of hard work and ask ourselves some difficult questions about what we're collectively doing to respond to the effects of climate change, these fluctuations and erratic conditions soon become the new normal.
My colleagues and I look at the daily changes on the grounds, and balance these dramatic shifts with our past experiences and expectations for a showy, splendid and flower-filled spring, and realize that we have a teaching opportunity before us. It takes knowledge and grace to be able to deal with the unpredictable and the unknown. These shifts, these newly balanced expectations, are nature's most compelling call to action. We must change history for all of us... for mankind. It is a time for a renewed respect for the land, and for each other.
And with this exhortation, as always, I will see you in the garden!
Cheers,
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