Reflection Introduction to the Fall Gatherings Celebrating
the tides -LowTide 2000 Narrative Lesson from
Nature: Disappearing boundaries Moon Gravy - sights
and sounds offshore New Beginnings Running towards
the moon Poetry Echo of a sigh
caling me Orbits Connecting with
Nature Fear Dog Scenes from a
Shoreline Sensible
Incomprehensible Reviews Waterlog - Wild Swimming first you have to row a little boat
- Life as a Cruise |
 Gatherings: Seeking Ecopsychology The Fall Issue: November 2000
Welcome to the November Gatherings This issue moves away from some of the scholarship and history of earlier Gatherings and towards reflections on our direct experiences of nature. The editor, John Scull, explains more in introduction to the Fall Gatherings. We are fortunate to have permission to reproduce E. E. Cummings lyrical poem maggie and millie and molly and may. This lilting verse reminds us that we can approach nature as children, even though we may find more than we expect. ICE began as an email discussion group. Last May we had a chat about our connection to the tides and the theme of this issue of Gatherings grew out of this conversation, presented in edited form in Celebrating the tides -LowTide 2000. The participants in this exchange were writers Amy Lenzo and Harriet Woods, environmental educator Ann Jarnet, and ecopsychologists Robert Greenway, John Scull, and Sylvie Shaw. Project Nature Connect (PNC) is the creation of ICE member Michael J. Cohen. PNC is an experiential program in which Nature is the teacher, so it is sometimes difficult to communicate the key ideas of PNC in words. Mike communicates about Nature's intelligence in verse in Sensible Incomprehensible. Poet C. D. Redman, after attending three community PNC nature meditations, wrote Connecting with Nature. Activist and teacher Allison Weeks attended an advanced training with Dr. Cohen and reflects on the experience in Lesson from Nature: Disappearing boundaries. We learn lessons about ourselves in nature, and we have three narratives about these lessons. In Moon Gravy - sights and sounds offshore Alan Keitt describes his experiences sailing offshore in a storm. In New Beginnings, wilderness adventure guide Jan Brooks writes about contrasts as we cross natural boundaries. In Running towards the moon Australian graduate student Sylvie Shaw describes her connection to her place by the sea. We are blessed with lots of poetry this month. Echo of a sigh caling me by Damian Finn, Orbits by Bob Worcester, Connecting with Nature by C. D. Redman, Fear Dog by Alan Keitt, Scenes from a Shoreline by Tana Worcester, and Sensible Incomprehensible by Michael J. Cohen. These poets speak for themselves. The two books reviewed in this issue are about the self knowledge that comes from doing things in or on the water. In Waterlog - Wild Swimming, Harriet Wood looks at swimming and in first you have to row a little boat - Life as a day sail John Scull considers small boat sailing. About the Writers Most of the contributors to this issue of Gatherings have participated before and you are referred to the earlier issues for their biographical information. We have several new voices in this issue (in addition to E. E. Cummings). C. D. (Dave) Redman is a poet living in Crofton, British Columbia. Allison Weeks is an ecological activist, facilitator, and teacher living on Camano Island, Washington. Tana Worcester is a graduate student in marine management in Nova Scotia. Jan Brooks is a wilderness experience leader in Colorado. Thanks to all of you for sharing your words with us. "maggie and milly and molly and may" from COMPLETE POEMS: 1904-1962 by E. E. Cummings, Edited by George J. Firmage (ISBN 0-87140-152-50, is used with the permission of Liveright Publishing Corporation. Copyright © 1956, 1984, 1991 by the Trustees for the E. E. Cummings Trust. Also in SELECTED POEMS OF E. E. CUMMINGS (ISBN 0-87140-154-1). |
