“All life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
– MLK
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable.”
-JFK
I can’t recall a time that I have been more concerned about the families we work with and about our team. And concerned about us all, as a nation.
I’ve struggled with finding the words to express our position as an organization, while trying to balance the fact that Wildwoods is not inherently a political organization, and remembering that my own personal opinions should not be superimposed upon the organization.
But what is happening now is not and should not be political. There are clear issues of right and wrong. Of morality, human dignity, and compassion vs. hatred and cruelty. Saying nothing is not an option.
Black Lives Matter.
I feel compelled to acknowledge my own white privilege, and at the same time recognize that most of our staff are people of color. They are the true face of the organization and are the ones on the ground doing the work in the community. And I do not have the right to speak for them.
In her incredible book “Understanding White Privilege,” Frances Kendall makes the critical point (which I’m paraphrasing) that those of us who have white privilege can’t deny that we have it, nor can we relieve ourselves of it. But we can decide what we do with it.
I believe the programs and services Wildwoods provides is inherently our statement. Day to day we strive to bring equity and opportunity to people throughout our city. Bringing the lessons of nature to all, because each of us has a divine right to that knowledge and all the opportunity that living as a human on the planet affords.
Yet it is painfully obvious (as we are reminded day after day after day) that people of color not only have less access to nature and open space, but also less access to the very right of drawing a breath.
I always try to look to nature as a guide for a path that is forward-looking and harmonious, especially when the way forward appears dark and challenging. So, for our organizational position statement, I’ve decided to let nature speak for itself.
Which brings me to the concept of fire ecology.
Simply put, fire ecology is the idea that naturally occurring fire is an essential part of some ecosystems, like the chaparral and coniferous forests that we have here in California. Clearing out the old growth is the only way to make room for new life. And there are some plant species whose seeds will not germinate until ground temperatures reach burn levels.
Years ago, I had the opportunity to hike and camp in the Sequoia National Forest along the Kern River about 5 years after a fire had scorched the mountainsides. Up high, in the snow, trees stood like burnt matchsticks in a blanket of cotton balls.
But down in the valley, closer to the water, life had begun returning. Charred Manzanita bushes formed gnarled skeletons, holding new life bursting through. A force that could not be released until the old-growth had burnt away.
Let me be clear: I am NOT connecting fire ecology with the literal fires that are burning in our streets.
But, it’s been obvious for a long time that there is some “old-growth” in and among our nation’s institutions that should be replaced with new life. It is long, long overdue.
Whether the fires that accomplish that are literal or figurative matters little in the long run. I prefer figurative fires, though that choice is not mine to make. This is not my fight to lead. But I can follow and I can stand in support.
As for Wildwoods, we will continue to do what we do. Connect people with nature and with each other. We will be here to support the communities that are most afflicted. We will listen. We will try to be of service.
Stay strong. Stand together.
Dwain Wilson, M.Ed.
Executive Director