I hope you’re still here when I’m older.
To my dearest friend,
I grew up with you. I remember you would whistle different melodies and I would follow. I listened to every sound you made and wondered where you learned it all. I was always amazed by your artistic skills, the colors you would choose were surreal and mesmerizing. Your choice of canvas to display such emotion captivated me every step of the way. Each morning I rose excited to see you yet another day; ready for another adventure at your side. You always had something new to show me or a new way to experience something old and once forgotten. Now that I’m older, I begin to worry if another tomorrow with you will come same as before. I’ve noticed time take its toll on you. Your breath seems more shallow; your temperature I feel is increasing. I’ve watched your health weather many a bad storm. Your glaciers are melting; your waters are rising. Your species are dwindling and your forests disappearing. Your climate is changing at too extreme a cost. When I wake tomorrow, I hope I’ll see you again my friend. I hope you are still here when I am older.
My Mother’s unheard voice.
Dear Traveler,
So you came to see my snow-capped peaks; walk aside rushing rivers from my glacial paths; gaze upon my wooden towers a thousand years old; to be mesmerized by my cascading waterfalls and gain a sense of peace.
Then why bring you these fowl fumes, screeching sounds, stomping shoes, and other toxicities. The Natives before you ate here, played here, survived here, and more importantly respected here. They treaded lightly, took only what they needed, and left with ample peace.
Next time you visit my forests and glacial fed rivers, take heed and listen to my rivers voice, smell my winds perfume, feel my son’s warmth on your cheeks, keep an eye out for my smallest of children, leave behind your trivial pursuits, and take with you an ancient peace.
Respectfully Yours,
Mother Earth at Mt. Rainier
P.S. A friendly reminder: my park rangers ask that you leave as you came, as if you were never here. Stay on the paths, pick no flowers, throw no rocks, leave no trash, and feed no other animals besides your own children. Take nothing with you but all the peace you desire.
Mt. Rainier Field Project
Mt. Rainier is a stratovolcano residing in Washington’s part of the Cascade Mountain Range. It stands over 14,000ft and “is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous U.S.A., spawning six major rivers” (NPS.gov). The Evergreen State College students of Visualizing Climate Change Spring 2016 visited Mt. Rainier National Park. Six sites were observed; Twin Firs Loop Trail, Cougar Rock Campgrounds, Upper Nisqually, Narada Falls, Paradise observing the Tatoosh Mountains, and Paradise observing the Nisqually Glacier.
Team Marshmallow Necromancers consisted of Adelle, Marissa, Miranda, and myself, Eric. We spent roughly 2-3 hours per site taking notes, sketches, and photographs. Roughly 30 minutes was spent at each site focusing as a team on the sites structure, function, and composition. We then independently gathered a sense of place and any signs of climate change through our own perspective. Team members informed each other of whereabouts for safety and to point out any new observations for others to experience. We came to Mt. Rainier to observe as college students studying climate change; we left impacted by the “Icon on the Horizon.”
Works Cited
National Park Services US Department of the Interior. “Icon on the Horizon.” Mount Rainier National Park Washington. 10 May 2016. Web. https://www.nps.gov/mora/index.htm