Sir David in the Classroom

After a year and a half teaching high school biology, I’ve finally showed an entire episode of a David Attenborough documentary to my students–the first episode of Our Planet. I sat there with them and watched, not just the documentary but my students. Were they watching? Were they listening? Were they allowing themselves to be wrapped by wonder? Were they imagining how on earth all of this is possible? Or were they distracted, texting, snapping, DMing, playing games on their phone, looking at UFC videos?

I expected more of the later. I got more of the former.

Eyes glued to the projector screen, mask-covered mouths agape at birds diving for mackerel, flamingo chicks racing 30 miles for freshwater, wildebeest running from wild dogs, birds dancing for mates in choreographed splendor. 75% of the class was fully invested, more than in any other video shown so far. Most teachers would agree–that’s a resounding success in a pandemic classroom.

Sir David has captured the hearts and minds of tens of millions of people throughout the years, maybe more. I’ve been no exception. He’s showed me how beautiful the world’s complexity and power is, and made me want to help mitigate the disruption caused by mankind. Being able to share one of my greatest inspirations with my students was nothing shy of magical.

Thank you, Sir David, for never failing to help us see the beauty around us.

A Fermata

There is a moment
before your world ends
and after you thought
it would that everyone
takes a breath, deep
and quiet. You hear
birds chirp and kids play.
It breaks your regular
existential delusion
and nudges you back
to here, the place you
never left, your home
now and always,
shared with beasts not
of burden and mirages
as real as you, or more.

You are more than
what worries you
but less than the world
in which you reside—
you live in it and it in you,
a perpetual, gentle reminder
that you are here and here
is good and you are, too.

You are a note
waiting to be played
in a song no ear
has ever heard.

The problem with Earth Day

It’s one day. There have only been 50 Earth Days. On these days trees have been planted and environmental groups have demanded action, all to save this one planet we call home. On April 22 humans come together and honor the land that sustains us, the water that nourishes us.

But we should be doing this every day. Environmentalism should be a way of life.

One day you’ll be in charge of a home and you’ll have to care for that home because it’s the right thing to do. That means power washing the siding, painting the foyer, and trimming those hedges. It’s what we do, period.

But we dump toxic waste in people’s backyards and tell them it’s safe. We crack holes in the earth and pollute clean water. We avoid climate change because it means we can have an expansive economy (and, therefore, nicer things). Our future is ignored while our resources are exploited.

Practicing gratitude is a step towards waking up and treating our Mother like she deserves. Being aware of our habits can have massive impacts on our footprint. And taking responsibility can change things for the better.

Gratitude, awareness, and responsibility. This is how we can make every day Earth Day.