Cooperative Living September 2015 - 16
I've made an effort ever since this discovery to chase
these alluring beings, to indulge my need to escape to the
woods, to the coastline, to the shore. As my boots sink into
the mud of coastal Virginia marshes, I take the deepest
breath I can manage. I fill my lungs with a precious breeze
that creeps softly through the sharp grasses, providing solace
to the very core of my being. All of these wonders are
celebrations. They are songs.
My grandmother shared Virginia's coast and its sensational
rhythm with me. I've chased Clapper Rails and
Seaside Sparrows through the salt marshes of the Eastern
Shore. I've cherished the coo of an Eastern Screech-Owl harmonizing
with a chorus of Spring Peepers in an earnest
effort to greet the night. I've wallowed at the brilliance of a
Prothonotary Warbler's golden feathers, contrasting sharply
with the young green needles of a cypress tree. I listen as he
sings to claim his lovely territory. This land is rich, and its
song spectacular.
All of these wonders fill me with gratitude for a perspective
that was shaped by many things, but especially by my
grandmother, and by the birds.
When I look out over the moonlit coastal marshes of
Virginia, the water extending as far as my unknowing eye
can reach; I see mystery, majesty: a vast liquid desert. On
calm days this tranquil habitat may even restore lost faith. A
blue heron whooshes its powerful wings as its dark silhouette
glides smoothly into the quiet distance. Virginia is
home to the things I've cherished most in my life: my
grandmother, the coast, and the birds.
This home, a show-and-tell of sorts, is undoubtedly the
most marvelous song to have ever graced my ears.
PEYTON SMITH - COOPERATIVE
LIVING AWARD WINNER
Elizabeth Peyton Smith is the winner of this
year's Cooperative Living Award, part of the
Virginia Outdoor Writers Association's (VOWA)
annual writing contest.
A Richmond native, Peyton is a rising senior
at the College of William & Mary, majoring in
environmental science and government.
Peyton's interests include bird watching, photography,
spending time outdoors, gardening, and
music. She is also particularly interested in
Virginia's geography, especially the lower
Chesapeake Bay, the Eastern Shore, and other
coastal areas and ecosystems.
She says, " After school, I hope to gain farming
and livestock experience, so that I might one day
work on a farm or start an operation of my own. "
If you're a high school or college student and
would like to enter the 2015-16 VOWA writing
contest, visit the VOWA website at www.vowa.org.
and click on the Contests tab.
14
Cooperative Living/September 2015
http://www.vowa.org
Cooperative Living September 2015
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living September 2015
Cooperative Living September 2015 - 1
Cooperative Living September 2015 - 2
Cooperative Living September 2015 - 3
Cooperative Living September 2015 - 4
Cooperative Living September 2015 - 5
Cooperative Living September 2015 - 6
Cooperative Living September 2015 - 7
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