Margaret Renkl’s “The Comfort of Crows” Is a Call to Action for the Earth
Margaret Renkl’s book, The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year, is a love story to the natural world. And humans are the antagonists. In fact, her final call to action is to use our gifts to prevent the environment’s destruction from climate change.
In The Comfort of Crows, Renkl presents fifty-two essays, one for each week of the year, to highlight the phases and transitions of nature. These mirror beautifully with changes in her personal life. She models embracing impermanence and finding meaning in life’s fleeting moments.
Nature is a teacher in Renkl’s essays, offering valuable lessons about resilience, survival, and the cyclical nature of life. We can learn from nature and apply its wisdom to our lives.
How brilliantly she packages her environmental messages in beautiful writing. It is a glorious read. And her brother Billy Renkl‘s artwork is a perfect complement to her essays. The featured image on this post is from the book.
This is a book to savor, in many ways.
Call To Action: Appreciate Our Natural World
Renkl has a gift for being in the present moment to capture the beauty of the natural world. She finds profound lessons in tiny moments. Simple experiences provide solace and wonder.
“Come to the woods and stand with me in the sunshine beneath the trees. Watch the bluebirds diving for insects. Watch them peeking into the nest holes the woodpeckers carved out years ago. Listen to the cry of the woodpeckers in the echoing woods. Let it lift your heart. Let it still your busy hands and feet, and let it still your worried mind. Listen with everything you are. With all you are, listen for the hum and flutter of the waking world. The upland chorus frogs are singing. It is a song of full-throated promise.”
Pay attention to the natural world around you. You can find beauty and wonder in even the smallest and most mundane creatures and plants.
Call To Action: Enjoy the Present Moment
Be grateful for the simple things. A warm cup of coffee on a chilly morning, the sound of birds singing in the trees, the flower’s first bloom in springtime — cherish these things.
I tend to be in my head rather than just enjoying the present moment. Renkl’s prose helps me understand the importance of mindfulness. Otherwise, I might miss a snake moving in the grass or the color of a crow in autumn.
My gardening style is to scan the landscape to see how each element fits into the whole. The variety of colors and textures complement each other. The varying heights of the plants draw my eye. But I am more focused on the big picture than the details.
Contrast that approach with my late neighbor, AP. AP’s yard was a meticulous and carefully planned masterpiece. Every day, he strolled slowly through his garden, hands clasped behind his back, head down to carefully examine each patch of land.
Recently, my husband came upon me in my yard and pointed out how much I looked like AP. When I realized I had my head down, hands clasped behind my back, and was surveying my domain. I was delighted. Maybe I am getting better at enjoying the present moment.
Call To Action: Protect the Natural World
While The Comfort of Crows does not focus primarily on activism, Renkl inspires us to pay attention to nature and be better stewards of our planet.
Renkl is an avid birdwatcher. Her yard has many different types of feeders and even a heated bird bath. Her funny and poignant stories of her diverse bird visitors remind us of how we can support wildlife in our yards. For example, creating brush piles and not clearing plants at the end of the season preserve habitats. We can protect our small patch of the natural world.
Renkl’s reflections on changes in weather patterns remind us to be more conscious of the impacts of climate change. An avid gardener, she creates pollinator-friendly gardens that contribute to local ecosystems. How skillfully she highlights the intricate connections between human life, nature, and wildlife.
Take action to protect the natural world. Climate change and other human-caused threats are putting the natural world at risk. We all have a role to play in protecting the planet and its creatures.
The Comfort of Crows Offers Hope
Renkl does not shy away from her concerns about the future or lament the losses already occurring in the natural world. But she also stresses the importance of noticing that you can find hope and beauty, even amid darkness.
If environmental activism is the cause closest to your heart, why not get inspiration from The Comfort of Crows? And if you want to take a thoughtful approach, use my 5-Step Activism Path to map out the perfect opportunity for you.
