Mountains

I was on a scientific field trip, collecting data from plant species living in a beautiful, remote upland valley that had once been mined for manganese. There was a lot of manganese contamination still in the soil and the tailings were still in situ. This was reported to be making the cows which graze upon it sick and shortening their lives by a few years. This is why we came in, as the ecological toxicology unit of the university was hoping to collect enough data to assess if the manganese was in fact to blame.

Of course, at this stage it is impossible to confirm if the contamination is responsible. The valley itself however is clearly recovering from the mining in terms of the landscape damage that has been inflicted. Spoil heaps tower above the plain, shake holes dot the area around a wild marsh where pyramid orchids grow and semi-wild herds of horses canter, tailings have spilt over almost half of the area, causing river contamination.

But beauty was everywhere: we recorded no less than 90 species of plant! Some of these rare and beautiful. A spring issued from a sheer limestone rock escarpment, home to a single mother duck and her eight ducklings. And even the mining remains, the shadows left in the landscape from human endeavour and human tales that must have been born there, began to cast a spell over the team. We stayed there for two days in all and we each of us found and blessed the beauty in that wounded place.

We had no time sadly to make the RadJoy bird, but instead, we were given and indeed encouraged to stand and watch the valley in its present state. To observe and appreciate how such a wounded place is still home and beautiful to many, many beings. To learn the lesson of how not to tidy up after mining, but also to appreciate that this wounded place is not forgotten. Many thanks, Trebbe for all that you do with RadJoy. We did indeed bring that valley into the fold. Thank you for putting it up. I’ve just had a look and the pic really does look beautiful. I can’t explain how magical that valley was in the end. Utterly spellbinding.

And, yes, the idea of finding beauty in wounded places is becoming something of a tic! Part of it is the archaeologist in me, used to seeing shadows of human activity in the landscape anyway, but I am a prehistoric archaeologist by training and experience, I used to lose interest in the industrial era sites, specifically BECAUSE they tend to be so ugly, dirty and unpleasant sites to spend time on! But, that is changing, because of the work that RadJoy has done in me. 

So, when we go out and about it isn’t surprising to mentally peel back the layers that are just below the surface, but now the scientist and archaeologist is also the healer and radjoy participant. Hopefully this is what the RadJoy message is, wounded places are everywhere, everyday, but beautiful.