The power and the majesty of Nature.
Human beings from every region of the world and throughout every era of recorded history have been compelled to document their own encounters with Nature.
Entire libraries and galleries could be filled with writings and paintings meant to pass along the artists’ best efforts at preserving the natural wonders they experienced in their lifetimes.
But what is it about Nature that evokes such strong feelings in us? Short of perhaps spiritual faith, nothing brings out such strong reverence and evokes such deep emotion from within us.
I personally witnessed the importance of preservation and experienced the power of natural reverence on a recent afternoon visit to Angel Oak outside of Charleston, SC. On a humid Thursday afternoon in mid-September, along with some friends and a few dozen strangers, I walked through the gate and into the shade of this majestic Southern Live Oak, estimated to be between 300-400 years old.
I immediately noticed that, without being told, everyone there was talking very quietly, almost whispering to speak. It reminded me of walking into an ancient cathedral, gazing up at the limbs and branches as if they were the support beams and carved statues of an ancient chapel. Afternoon sunlight passing through the Oak’s branches and leaves just as beautiful as any church’s stained glass windows.
After 15 minutes of walking around the site, carefully stepping over branches that extend so far they went underground, then emerged again a few feet later, I realized that the miracle of Angel Oak is not just that it has managed to survive over the centuries. The miracle is the power it has to hold the attention of everyone who encounters it. Angel Oak is a tremendous example of Nature’s ability to show us just how short and precious our lives are. Natural beauty and wonder were here before us, and they will continue to live on after we are gone.
The need to preserve natural beauty is innate within all of us. And I think that’s part of the reason why we’re so passionate about how our landscapes are cared for. Whether it's a tree that’s older than the country itself, a walking trail around a manmade lake in an office park, or our own front yards - we have an embedded desire to protect and preserve whatever little bit of Nature we find around us.
For those of us in the green industry - landscape management, lawn care, tree care, sports field management - we see the beauty of Nature and experience the benefits of this need to preserve the natural world every day.
And our clients, often without fully understanding why, know that their investment into their green places is important and worthwhile. They allocate large percentages of their properties’ budgets to landscaping, lawn, and tree care to ensure that their version of the Angel Oak is preserved for future generations. Whether the space is used for relaxation, for contemplation, or for athletic competition, green spaces matter to us - a lot.
As stewards of the land, Landscape Professionals have dedicated our careers to finding new ways to prolong the life and promote the health of the natural world, even as the built world encroaches ever closer on it. The right commercial landscape partner can help any client preserve their landscape, no matter how big or small the green space is.
Preservation matters because without it, we lose the ability for future generations to go to these places and feel our wonder and reverence for themselves. We want them to know what we felt, so in some small way, we can connect to them and they can connect to us, with a little help from the natural world.
This is usually the part of a blog post where the call to action starts. Something like, if you care about preserving your property’s natural beauty, then call us today. But this time it doesn’t feel right to do that.
Instead, I’d like to conclude by encouraging you to go outside and find a place where you can experience that wonder and feel some of the reverence that Nature brings for yourself. Quiet moments in Nature are some of life’s greatest gifts. So go outside and receive your gift today.
