Anatomy of the Earth

I came across this piece that I wrote for Earth Day 2002, my pre-blogging days, and I think it is worth sharing, accompanied by various photos I have taken on backpacking trips and hikes:

Anatomy of the Earth

The veins and arteries of the earth are her rivers pouring into the ocean.
The heart of the earth is in her oceans.

Sunset and Pacific Coast

When rivers become polluted, rivers and the oceans become diseased, just as arteries can become clogged placing dis-ease and stress on the heart.

Earth, pebbles, rocks, and boulders create a filtering system for water and act like kidneys purifying blood .

The trees are Earth’s lungs! Earth’s skin is her soil, in some places rich, fertile and moist,
but in other places scarred, parched, and cracked.

Absorbing Tree Energy

Mountains are the earth’s profile seen from various perspectives.

Mountains as Profile (taken at 7 Lakes Basin)

The forests are earth’s hair, clear-cuts are like patches of baldness.

Forests are Earth’s hair

Earth’s brain center is found in the very core of the forests and her
nervous system runs intricately through every hill, mountain, valley,
desert, and rain forest.

Growing hands

Sol Duc Forest

Earth’s very spirit is manifested in the birds, in the diverse animal world, in the flowers and plants.

Just as a sick person can become healthy, so earth can renew herself-given
time and given a chance to become a healthy functioning eco-system of purity and
harmony. Given a chance, she can heal and support life.