Wasted Time?
A strenuous hike or treacherous climb might be required to get wherever we're going. Upon arrival, we observe. We listen. Then, quite often, we wait. We're probably tired. Maybe hungry. We wait some more. But on this morning, nothing happens. There is no photograph. Was the exercise a waste of time? I don't think so. I'd still consider it a good start to the day. Would it have been nice to walk away with a photo? Sure. In my view, though, making a photograph isn't the only thing to be gained from the experience. It's never a bad morning when I'm out in nature to witness the world waking up as darkness gives way to daylight. This is a magical thing no matter where I am, but there's something truly magnificent about watching the Teton Range as it begins to glow with the first rays of sunlight. Because I live near the mountains, I'm fortunate to experience this over and over again. It never gets old, though, and I never take it for granted. There's something profound about connecting with nature (whatever the time of day): not just passively being there, but being fully aware of your surroundings and letting the place envelop you. I find it to be peaceful. It fills me with a sense of wonder. My head is freed from extraneous clutter - deadlines, pending projects, worries - and I simply focus on what's in front of me. It's even better when I'm out of range, rendering the phone unusable. I make a conscious effort to stay off the bloody thing, but when all it can do is tell me the time of day, so much the better. Not only is spending time in nature good for your mental health, but the more we allow ourselves to get in sync with a location and listen to what it has to say, the more we'll find interesting things to photograph. That saying about enjoying the journey as much as the destination applies in a way to landscape photographers, too. Enjoy the experience of being in nature as much as you do the making of the photograph. Keep that in mind and every outing will be a good one. In Other News Last week, the House of Representatives passed an appropriations bill for the Department of Interior (narrowly) which contains provisions and riders that will, among other things, undermine the protection of gray wolves in the Lower 48 and completely eliminate the protected status of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. As with so much of what occurs in Washington, this was done quietly. Also, because bills are often hundreds or even thousands of pages in length, and since it's not unusual for them to be released to the rank and file at the 11th hour, members of Congress often vote on legislation they have not read. This, too, is by design. Before they were added to the Endangered Species list in the mid-1970s, grizzly bears had been extirpated from Grand Teton National Park and there were only a little more than 100 remaining in Yellowstone. It has taken decades to stabilize the population; grizzlies do not have large litters, do not give birth every year, and cubs don't always survive long into adulthood for various reasons. Ironically, the states which are home to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are among the most hostile to the grizzlies. Wyoming, Montana and Idaho have been actively seeking to remove protected status from the animals for a number of years. Congress is well on the way to granting that wish. Stealthily. HR 8998 has now moved on to the Senate. I've spoken with staffers on the Hill; as of a few days ago they did not yet see the vote on the calendar, but it's imminent. If you are so inclined to want to help 399 and the other bears of the GYE (as well as the wolves nationwide), please call your Senators to let them know you oppose this bill. Don't use the email form on their websites; telephone their offices. Time is of the essence. Please call today. Comments
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