The Joy of Immersion in the Nature
Map
Map
Story & Experience
After participating in pro-democracy rally and march in Buffalo, New York, my wife Laura and I felt the need to spend some time immersed in a more natural environment. Reinstein Woods was on our way home. I carried my Radical Joy for Hard Times flag, (coordinated by Dr. Jennifer Fendya and produced by Stitch Buffalo) with me for most of my excursions from June 13th through June 23rd. It was a joyful experience to pull it out from time to time and just ponder the joy and privilege of being able to experience nature and, especially, to observe the kind of recovery that is possible, like that we experience at Reinstein Woods. Other visits included Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo and Point Abino, Ontario, Canada.
After participating in pro-democracy rally and march in Buffalo, New York, my wife Laura and I felt the need to spend some time immersed in a more natural environment. Reinstein Woods was on our way home. I carried my Radical Joy for Hard Times flag, (coordinated by Dr. Jennifer Fendya and produced by Stitch Buffalo) with me for most of my excursions from June 13th through June 23rd. It was a joyful experience to pull it out from time to time and just ponder the joy and privilege of being able to experience nature and, especially, to observe the kind of recovery that is possible, like that we experience at Reinstein Woods. Other visits included Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo and Point Abino, Ontario, Canada.
Why this Place?
Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve, Depew, NY (Erie County, USA)
Reinstein Woods was highly impacted by human activities since the colonization of Western New York. The present landscape, though successfully recovering in many respects, is full of the evidence of human intrusions, however well intentioned. That said, it is beautiful and is an oasis of wildlife habitat in the developed suburbs of Buffalo, New York. Even the pink waterlilies are non-native, and quite invasive.
Act of Beauty
I chose to add an image of my Radical Joy for Hard Times flag to various photos and videos over the last few weeks, and to share those on various social media platforms, rather than creating any even highly ephemeral objects or marks on the landscape. Sharing the images was an “act of beauty” in its own right, without any “footprint” on the sites we visited. More examples are in this Dropbox folder.
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