Initial thoughts

Abstract

Wildfires make the news. On the other hand, planting seedlings for wildfire restoration is never a top headline. Which, though, is a symbol of hope?

Today, I felt the energy of hope in the COP venue. Here were people from all over the world, prepared and energized to share their stories for a single mission: to mitigate and adapt to climate change. This act of meeting and planting seeds of hope together is what will fertilize a restoration we so deeply need for our planet.

Challenge 

(I'm adding this section if you're interested in having your own challenge on how to get involved)

How can you get together with people you know and love to discuss or plan how you as a community can work towards a sustainable future?

Full story

When I walked into the COP27 registration venue, my mouth dropped open. Here were people from all over the world, all here for the same purpose, with the same drive: to talk about solutions to climate change. 

The wildfires in the Western United States are always making the news. These catastrophic events are happening more often because of a history of fire suppression combining with the effects of climate change. 

What is not making the news is the restoration work going on after the fires. At some of the fire sites that my lab group visited, there were small saplings planted by the Forest Service. Planting these small seedlings was no small task, as they were dotted all over the landscape. I'm sure it required them to get down on their knees, and dig in the dirt.

In the news back home, all we hear about is climate change causing catastrophic events. When I hear of these stories, the despair already brewing from the state of the world spirals into a deeper pit in my soul. But the energy inside the COP27 venue today was different - beautiful booths set up from countries around the world, people dressed in their best outfits, people talking and sharing their stories. 

The energy and humility required to plant these seeds of hope surrounding climate change might not necessarily be the top stories on the news. But, many years down the line, when a tree is standing tall where a wildfire once raged through is a beautiful miracle. Planting seeds, getting down on my hands in knees in humility, listening and hearing stories that I can collect and sow in the other places I wander in my life, this is the hope of restoration I'm holding onto as I move into COP27 here in Egypt.