We crept into their habitats
to take a peak at camouflaged
bodies; to see buried in the muck
is also hidden beauty, and every
piece of nature has its place.
To observe the power of the
snapper’s jaws, length of his
neck, and strength of his will to
survive; to understand the box
turtle who eats death cap
mushrooms is poisonous itself
because it sequesters their toxins;
and snails who eat lichens can
use their pigments to form
intricate patterns on their shells.
To see up close the darters we
often view as silver glints streaking
across the water, when still, are
ornate rainbows each colorful and
unique, and the wood frog who cries
out from the forest is the color of
sunset with big powerful legs giving
us quite a chase. We see these
fragments of our earth – indicators
of a healthy pond, woodland, stream,
habitat – and we hope by sharing
their secrets we pass on a deep
understanding and love for just
how important they are.