Dear Wigleaf,

Humans have a long history of allegiance to false hierarchies and arbitrary divisions. I've heard the Common Grackle called a "nuisance bird," but have you ever seen one up close? Feathers iridescent as a peacock'sÑcobalt blue and bright violet, patinaed copper and teal. There is no botanical difference between a flower and a weed. Spiders can fly across an entire ocean on a strand of silk. Sperm whales have an alphabet. Chimpanzees and orangutans practice medicine. Bumblebees play with balls for fun. Honeybees dance maps to each other. Coyotes and badgers hunt together and afterwards share the meal. Earwigs care for their young. Dogs have a sense of humor. Crows give gifts. Bears appreciate beauty and often stop to take in the view. Butterflies retain the memories from their caterpillar bodies despite dissolving into soup inside the chrysalis. When a tree is felled, its neighbors funnel nutrients to the stump through the roots. In this way, the stump survives. Let's believe thereÕs hope for us yet.

Love,
Maria