istock.com/Pepe Charlie Photography istock.com/Pepe Charlie Photography
Nature trail in Minute Man Nature trail in Minute Man National Historic Park National Historic Park
BY ABBY GURALL WHITE BY ABBY GURALL WHITE
Our Big Big Backyard: Backyard: Our
“I went into the woods because I wished to “I went into the woods because I wished to live deliberately…” Henry David Thoreau’s live deliberately…” Henry David Thoreau’s words echo my own sentiments while making words echo my own sentiments while making a conscious choice to move back to Concord a conscious choice to move back to Concord years ago to raise my children. As a child years ago to raise my children. As a child living in Concord, I spent hours playing, living in Concord, I spent hours playing, imagining, and creating in the woods. As an imagining, and creating in the woods. As an adult, I continue to seek the solace, reflection, adult, I continue to seek the solace, reflection, and wisdom of nature – both on the sunniest and wisdom of nature – both on the sunniest days and on the cold, grey ones. Concord’s days and on the cold, grey ones. Concord’s open space, comprised of public and private open space, comprised of public and private lands, is one of our most lands, is one of our most treasured gems. Our treasured gems. Our town and its residents town and its residents have chosen over the have chosen over the years to preserve a years to preserve a healthy dose of nature. healthy dose of nature. There is something so There is something so utterly vulnerable about utterly vulnerable about being in nature. It helps Bluebells being in nature. It helps Bluebells me center myself and me center myself and remember the “human”-ness of existence for remember the “human”-ness of existence for all of us. Animals scurry and flutter around, all of us. Animals scurry and flutter around, habitat-making in a confluence of raw talent, habitat-making in a confluence of raw talent, learned behavior, and survival instinct. Trees learned behavior, and survival instinct. Trees stretch majestically toward sunlight in the stretch majestically toward sunlight in the forest, while others are uprooted in wetlands, forest, while others are uprooted in wetlands, are choked by invasive species, or lose are choked by invasive species, or lose branches in a winter storm. I process these branches in a winter storm. I process these images while ambling through the forest and images while ambling through the forest and bring them into daily life beyond the trees. bring them into daily life beyond the trees. 34
Discover CONCORD
| Spring 2020
I am present in the woods, later integrating I am present in the woods, later integrating new discoveries to make sense of the chaos new discoveries to make sense of the chaos of life. The woods feel safe, simple, and real. of life. The woods feel safe, simple, and real. As a Concord resident, my “backyard” As a Concord resident, my “backyard” is Punkatassett Preserve, October Farm, is Punkatassett Preserve, October Farm, Estabrook Woods, Barrett’s Mill Farm, the Estabrook Woods, Barrett’s Mill Farm, the River Confluence, Great Meadows, Walden River Confluence, Great Meadows, Walden Woods, Minute Man National Historical Park, Woods, Minute Man National Historical Park, and the many other trail networks around and the many other trail networks around town. Town residents also share a diverse town. Town residents also share a diverse network of open spaces with one another. network of open spaces with one another. Our own private backyard is Our own private backyard is an extension of our home. We an extension of our home. We look forward to spring, summer, look forward to spring, summer, and fall when we gather and and fall when we gather and eat meals on the patio or play eat meals on the patio or play in the grass. Staying connected in the grass. Staying connected to nature in our day-to-day life to nature in our day-to-day life gives us balance. Our senses gives us balance. Our senses kick in; hearing water flow past kick in; hearing water flow past rocks in a stream, feeling the rocks in a stream, feeling the sun, or watching life unfold in the yard on an sun, or watching life unfold in the yard on an early spring day. My kids and I still thrill at early spring day. My kids and I still thrill at spring sprouts emerging from the ground…the spring sprouts emerging from the ground…the miracle of life. We wonder why one vulnerable miracle of life. We wonder why one vulnerable seed successfully makes it to the surface and seed successfully makes it to the surface and another does not. These ponderings help another does not. These ponderings help us reflect on our own life and what matters us reflect on our own life and what matters for each of us. It helps us look at the myriad for each of us. It helps us look at the myriad of possibilities and choices we undertake of possibilities and choices we undertake in a day and choose a direction confidently, in a day and choose a direction confidently, istock.com/Robert Warner istock.com/Robert Warner
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ExploringNature Naturein inConcord Concord Exploring with purpose. Reflecting on nature helps us with purpose. Reflecting on nature helps us radically accept that our choices are one path radically accept that our choices are one path of many and that we, as humans will make of many and that we, as humans will make mistakes. We need nature to remind us we are mistakes. We need nature to remind us we are human. And as humans, we can head into the human. And as humans, we can head into the woods to find ourselves. We can make peace woods to find ourselves. We can make peace with our choices or find a new path to follow. with our choices or find a new path to follow. “I went to the woods because I wished to “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived…I wanted to live discover that I had not lived…I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms...” reduce it to its lowest terms...” — Henry David Thoreau — Henry David Thoreau ————————————————————————— ————————————————————————— Abby White is a Concord resident and a real Abby White is a Concord resident and a real estate consultant driven by a true passion estate consultant driven by a true passion for the town in which she lives. Abby loves for the town in which she lives. Abby loves to explore Concord’s trails and conservation to explore Concord’s trails and conservation land on foot, skis, or bike – together with her land on foot, skis, or bike – together with her husband, Tim, their three children, and their husband, Tim, their three children, and their yellow lab, Winston. yellow lab, Winston. Proud Supporters Proud Supporters of Love Local/ of Love Local/ Runway to Runway to Recovery Recovery
