Wetlands are one of the most biologically diverse and productive ecosystems on earth. Their transformative properties can alter the chemical composition of substances including pollutants. They often serve as transition zones between open waters or rivers and terra firma. They are magical places.
I studied wetland ecology as part of my Master’s Degree many years ago. I now spend time each day at the wetland on our farm. Sitting in silence.
In winter, wetlands don’t look like much. Dry stemmy stalks poke up from the ground, the brown grasses lie flat, and hues of beige cover the land. As I stared out at the wetland’s edge today, it reminded me that even the most productive systems need to rest. High productivity is not a constant state in nature. It is cyclical. And all of nature understands that quite well.
Except for humans. We tend to keep pushing. We punish ourselves for not being “productive enough.” We compare ourselves to others and to our own previous success. We expect to always do “better.”
But productivity is not linear. Explosive production often occurs after a long restorative rest. It ebbs and flows like the tides. Seeds take time to germinate. Often, just below the visible surface, a whole new world is opening.
Observe nature. It’s been here longer than any human.