Memories in green

Years ago, in 1995, I spent some time in a rainforest region of Ecuador.  I had been selected as a Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation teacher grant recipient to visit through Earthwatch. My mission as a team member was to assist scientist, Durrell Kapan, collect field data for his study of evolutionary processes in butterflies.

Today I was reminded of one of my personal transformations in the rainforest while staring into a large palm plant.  First, the burst of green attracted my eye, then the many gradients of color in the light and shade revealed themselves.  As I got deeper into the leaves, I smiled remembering the softness of the earth below my feet and the surrounding space of layers and layers of rainforest lushness.  Just like today, the greens introduced themselves as one entity, and with more time walking and being in the forest. shades stood out with their own identity. It was a beyond precious and invaluable experience twenty years ago, and how wonderful that a moment of light and a local green plant intermingled with those memories.

(Time to search for the summary report I wrote for the G.  In it a poem about green is included.)