My compulsion and curiosity to find what lies around the next riverbend is unending. I’m reminded of this whenever I visit a new river or creek. My eagerness to explore carries me ever upstream across states, countries, and even continents. While my dedication to find the many unique species that swim in the currents beyond the next bend often has been accompanied by single mindedness to my task at hand, I have regrettably overlooked the beauty that encompasses me. With age, my ability to become more aware in the moment has improved. Having the patience to pause and find yourself in the singular moment of space and time allows you to fully appreciate and understand the intricacies of our environment.
It was during a particular outing to a high elevation lake in northern Turkey that I had a revelation that would stick with me for years. Our fishing adventure involved a five mile hike through one of the most scenic valleys I have had the pleasure of visiting. While there wasn’t a tree in site for miles, lush grasses covered the rolling peaks and valley along our hike. Swaths of wild flowers in purple, yellow, blue, and red carpeted the hillsides. Once we summited the far ridge we were greeted by a scenic cirque lake that perfectly mirrored the cloudless blue sky during the stillness of the morning. We spent several hours fishing for the Abant trout, a beautiful native of Turkey’s northern coast.
It wasn’t until we began our descent through the valley, passing a pair of local sheep herders and their large flock, that a new thought left me feeling slightly troubled. I asked myself “Did these herders truly understand the beauty of the valley where they’ve spent their entire lives?” It was very likely they had never left the shelter that the confines of the surrounding peaks provided. From their life experiences, what other landscape would they have to compare with the undulating sea of rolling green to truly understand that its magnificence was one of a kind? Do they take it for granted?
Upon this final question, I nearly had to pause and take a seat. Did I possibly take the appeal of my home streams in Georgia for granted?I’ve always appreciated the humbling aesthetic of the dense, rainforest-like canopy that shelters Georgia’s most picturesque trout streams. If the sheep herder’s and my circumstances were switched would they see the same beauty I see in their backyard? If I could convey to them my feelings about their home would they find a greater sense of pride? Would they understand why they should protect its pristine beauty?
Through this contemplation I found a deeper respect for the stewardship of our local streams and public lands. Though we may take our local streams for granted at times as their normalcy allows them to become mundane or even an afterthought, it is only we who can protect their intrinsic charm.
I know I am not alone when it comes to the eagerness to find what’s lies within the greener pastures just beyond the next bend in the river. I do hope that other anglers, hikers, mountain bikers, and visitors of our great outdoors need not to visit the other side of the planet to recognize just how special our own backyards may be. Realizing what makes these places so unique is imperative to growing the self awareness needed to promote their protection so our future generations can enjoy them as much or more than we do.
