The delicate balance of all living creatures that cohabitate and make life possible on our planet is breathtaking. Much like our existence depended on the union of minute embodiments of our parents, so too does our life depend on much that we can’t see.
Microorganisms are needed to digest dead flora and fauna, returning them to the cycle of life. Mycelia make it possible for evergreen trees to stand tall, having extracted minerals and shared them with their tree friends. Even humans are more bacterial cells than anything else.
When we are unwell, it is often only what could be viewed under a microscope that is the culprit. When gut microbiome, for instance, gets out of balance, disease sets in.
Cures, too, that come from the earth herself, can seem insignificantly small when compared with their healing effect. We are tied to mother earth with an umbilical cord that is only severed when we pass from our physical form.
From the moment of conception, we rely on nourishment that comes from the earth, through our biological mother. Most apparent of these substances is the fruit from the trees and plants of the earth that sustain us.
Beyond these is the food of the air, filling our vessel with life force and releasing what is stale. The very sun itself generates vitamin D upon contact with the body, enlivening our cells as it shines through earth’s thin atmosphere. Even these seemingly invisible forces are responsible for our very existence.
Spring is a time of hope, where we witness tiny seeds nudging out through soil, making known the miracle that had already begun to unfold underground. While some are more green-thumbed than others, anyone can grow from seed. Placed in the soil and watered, seeds are given the opportunity to do what they are destined for – continue the generations of their kind who came before them with the help of mother earth’s food.
Just as the seemingly small contain the power of growth and healing, so too can microdoses of toxins poison the earth and all creatures relying on her.
When choosing what to do with household hazardous wastes, it’s best to become informed of proper disposal practices. For managing paints, pesticides and many lubricants, refer to Product Care’s website (productcare.org) for direction.
Oil and antifreeze are accepted through BC Used Oil Management Association at Sunshine Disposal (4484 Franklin Avenue) for free.
Invasive plant species are also accepted at Sunshine Disposal during the month of May on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays between 10 and 4. We have gone through the trouble to bring these materials into our lives, and to respect our mother earth, we need to ensure they don’t poison her.
No matter who raised you, there was a hand behind the hand that fed you. The earth is the mother of us all and deserving of honouring through right action.
Let’s Talk Trash is contracted by qathet Regional District to deliver its waste reduction education program. For more information, email [email protected] or go to LetsTalkTrash.ca.
