There is loss and grief in a natural disaster, but is there more?
The Hand of a Giant
Our grandkids make an annual trip to a Bird Sanctuary on the Gaetz Lakes in Red Deer, Alberta.
They love adventuring on the five kms of walking trails on 188 hectares set aside as a home for plants, mammals, birds, and other wildlife. The bird blind and viewing decks are always a hit.
This summer we noticed a plaque in an area new to us. The forest floor was covered with a multitude of felled trees. The info on the plaque served as a memorial to a disaster that took the lives of over 1,800 trees in 2017. A freak storm with winds up to 110 km/h changed the Sanctuary.
Todd Nivens, the executive director of the Waskasoo Environmental Education Society said “It looked like the hand of a giant had wiped the landscape clean.”
Disasters
There was a question on the plaque. “This was a sad event but was it all bad?”
Kathryn Huedepohl, Program Lead with the Nature Centre, answers that question with a “No.”
Even though the area is known to bring tears to the eyes of some young hikers when they hear the story, she reminds them that every “natural disaster” isn’t a disaster. The experience gives them a better overall picture “where they can see this is a natural process and actually a good thing.”
Balance
Natural disasters are the earth’s way of restoring balance. They play a crucial role in maintaining the equilibrium of the planet.
These events, although devastating, serve as a necessary mechanism for the earth to regulate itself. Hard to believe? Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, forest fires, floods, tsunamis, landslides, droughts, tornadoes, and avalanches all have a way of giving back.
What do you think? What have you observed? Please join the conversation and leave a comment below.
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