February 2025

Nature Gratitude with the Elements

02/28/2025

I have been spending some quiet time in nature in the high desert of Arizona this week. This unique landscape is a perfect reminder of the gratitude that I feel for the natural world.

The Earth element is stunning with granite boulders scattered over the mountainous terrain. It is a reminder of the vast time it has taken for the Water element to erode them into fascinating shapes and patterns. Looking closely at the lichens on the rocks, I can see how the intermittent presence of water pooling in cracks and dips on the boulders creates rings of growth and stasis as the lichen lives and rests with the cycles of rainfall.

I see evidence of the Air element in the abundance of lichens on the rocks and trees. Without roots, they absorb most of their nutrients from the air. The presence of lichens is an ecological indicator of good air quality.

Lichens (a symbiosis of algae and fungi) require sunlight for photosynthesis, bringing in the Fire element. The algae create carbohydrates that feed the fungi. Some lichens can survive in strong sunlight as these desert ones do, while others prefer shade. The colors we see in different lichen species indicate cellular protection from sun exposure.

I am grateful for the presence of this fascinating cooperative relationship and the reminder of the interconnectiveness of all things.

Kris August

Celebrating the Interconnectedness of Life

Nature Gratitude with the Elements

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