Stewardship for Home and Heart
“A society grows great when old men plant trees under whose shade they will never sit.” Variation on an old Indian proverb.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about stewardship and the role it can play in curing some of the discontent currently plaguing our society, not to mention the ills faced by our planet. The word stewardship can be defined as the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care. It’s often used in a pastoral context in faith communities and can have fiduciary meanings as well; however, I use it to refer to stewardship of the earth. I feel it provides a compelling model for our society – indeed, all societies – as we navigate the many challenges facing us in the coming century. Disconnection from the natural world is an affliction with dire consequences for our physical, mental and emotional well-being. The earth as mother is more than just a metaphor. The natural world is the wellspring of our humanity, our intellect, our arts, technology, social structures, and our spirit. Everything from habitat destruction, species extinction, toxic pollution, and climate change are ultimately problems resulting from our disconnection from, neglect and abuse of that wellspring. Embracing an ethic of responsible stewardship may hold the key to not only our personal well-being but our survival!
As I recently retired from a 40-year career leading a community nature center where community stewardship was promoted as part of the mission, I’m now looking into ways I can get involved in local natural area stewardship during my retirement. At Spring Valley Nature Center, staff and community volunteers engaged in decades of resource stewardship to restore, nurture, and transform over a hundred acres of former agricultural lands into something like the native prairies, wetlands and woodlands that once existed throughout northern Illinois. I like to think of it as reweaving the fabric of the land, replacing missing threads, repairing rents and holes in the rich tapestry that once comprised our Midwestern landscapes. Although this work will need to continue at Spring Valley for many years, much of the acreage now not only resembles what it once was but functions much as it did in years past.
Landscapes and Spirits Renewed
These renewed and revitalized landscapes once again alleviate flooding by absorbing rainwater, help cool the surrounding area, sequester carbon dioxide into the soil, and provide habitat for myriad native insects, birds and mammals. Here’s the thing that is often overlooked—in the process of engaging in this restorative work, Spring Valley’s community volunteers often renewed and revitalized themselves, nourishing their minds, bodies and spirits. They also helped to create a place that is loved and celebrated by the local community, one of the motivators for many of these folks. In addition to the above-mentioned ecosystem services provided by the land, it also once again nourishes the minds and spirits of those who visit and spend time there.
Across the country, and particularly in large urban areas like Chicago, hundreds of thousands of citizens step up to get involved with stewardship of our public lands. In addition to the above-stated motivation to contribute to their communities, most of these folks are also motivated by a desire to improve the quality of natural habitats within dedicated preserves, whether public or privately owned. Their efforts support the work of paid staff, usually helping to expand the impact of organizations and agencies stretched thin by budget constraints. This community support is vitally important to these groups in helping to advance conservation goals. It stands to reason that if even more citizens were engaged in these efforts, more land could be managed and maintained, more plant and animal species could benefit, providing dividends not only to nature but to the surrounding communities. Rather than focus on the tangible conservation benefits of all of these hours of volunteer labor (which I wholeheartedly support and celebrate), I would like to focus on the tangential benefits accrued by the people doing the work.
The Work of Stewardship
Let’s look at the work being done by these folks. It takes the form of invasive brush removal, cutting down non-native tree species that are crowding out native plants and wildlife, assisting with controlled prescription burns of natural areas, harvesting of native plant seed to be used in propagation of these species for replanting in other areas, planting of trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and grasses, etc. They also serve as citizen scientists, monitoring local bird, reptile, or butterfly populations or testing water quality in local wetlands and rivers.
People doing this work not only benefit physically from the time spent working outdoors, but they benefit emotionally and cognitively. These benefits are well supported by studies. They also learn about native plants and wildlife, in some cases becoming virtual experts. They mostly do this while working in small teams, providing them with invaluable social connections, especially important in this post-pandemic, social media-driven era when more and more people are languishing in virtual isolation, living mostly within the digital worlds provided by their smart phones and media bubbles.
Much of this stewardship work is physical, outdoor work, done while rubbing up against nature in all of its grimy, sweaty, buggy, prickliness. One might object that this is not for everyone. While I believe many shy away from this work who could do it and would enjoy it if they but gave it a try, I do understand that some people have limitations. Stewardship of nature can take other, slightly less arduous forms with many of the same benefits. This includes gardening and care of public parks, bird feeding, planting pollinator gardens, raising butterflies for fun, monitoring as citizen scientists, etc. These are all things that require us to care for or steward something completely outside of our own self-interest. And that is an important point! The same societal impulses and cultural demands that have people retreating from social engagement in favor of online interaction have resulted in the decline of community volunteerism. This is especially acute for younger generations, even with modest requirements in place at many public high schools for community service hours in order to graduate. I personally would favor the establishment of a national requirement of one year of public service for all citizens after high school, whether that be military service, serving low-income communities or natural areas stewardship; however, that is something for a whole other discussion.
The bottom line for me, and the thing that I have become increasingly passionate about, is the fact that physical engagement with and stewardship of nature needs to become a widely accepted part of our education systems, our faith communities, our workplaces, and our way of life. These things are happening now but, on a scale, far too small to make the needed impact. Not only will we as people and as a society benefit, but the natural world will ‘feel the love’ of our active engagement. Resolve now to make time to improve your physical and mental health and your community. Check the links below for more info.
The following links are for just a handful of the larger groups hosting volunteer stewardship opportunities in northeastern Illinois. There are many more! Just search Google for ‘Volunteer Stewardship Opportunities near [your state or region].’ You will undoubtedly discover groups of wonderful people that would welcome your participation.
Volunteer Stewardship Network | The Nature Conservancy
Volunteer – Forest Preserves of Cook County
Volunteer | Lake County Forest Preserves
