#instauration

« Demander la victoire et n’avoir pas envie de se battre, je trouve que c’est mal élevé. Les croisés, entre tous autres saint Louis, qui faisaient une guerre sainte, qui se battaient littéralement pour le corps de Dieu, pour le temporel de Dieu, puisqu’ils se battaient pour le recouvrement du tombeau de Jésus-Christ, ne s’y fiaient pourtant pas. Ils ne priaient pas comme des oies, qui attendent la pâtée. Ils priaient, mieux que nous, et ensuite, et si je puis dire en exécution de leur prière, et presque déjà en couronnement de leur prière, ils se battaient, eux-mêmes, tant qu’ils pouvaient, de tout leur corps, et eux-mêmes de tout leur temporel. Car dans le temporel et pour la conquête du temporel, il faut aussi engager le temporel. Aide-toi, le ciel t’aidera, ce n’est pas seulement un proverbe, de chez nous, et une fable de La Fontaine, c’est une théologie, et l’ordre de marche, et la forme même du commandement »

Charles Péguy, Œuvres en prose, 1909-1914.

When researching a topic and looking at definitions of the word Instauration, I kept thinking of the nature reserve I volunteered at and spent a lot of my childhood at called the Wye Marsh. In addition to this, my mind was still thinking about some of my major projects from last semester and the research I did for them. One was an institutional critique of the Ontario moose hunting regulations and lottery/raffle system, while the other was a thumbnail thesis and bibliography regarding current fishing regulations and how hard it is to read/understand. Both of these projects are close to home for me and made me reflect on personal experiences and my family's traditions, which have been rapidly decreasing or disappeared in recent times or in my generation.

For example, the moose hunt used to be a significant tradition not just for getting food for the winter, but also for fellowship and connection between family members. When my Grandparents and Dad would talk about the moose hunt, there were stories of mishaps, traditional tools being passed down, how each person played their part, old photos of the cleaning and preservation process, and more. When this project was in process, I was surprised that nobody had any idea of the significance of the moose hunt to those further north in Ontario. Most classmates didn’t know anything about local hunting, how it impacts lower-income families, and on a few occasions, comments were asking, “Wow, people still do that?” Going back to my topic here of local ecosystems and sustainability, there are many elements of my upbringing and lifestyle growing up that were more unique/blessed than I realized. While I don’t have much passion for shouting to the world about global warming or littering, through projects last semester, I realized that I do have passions and interests in sustainable living, which just differ from what I commonly see as topics of conversation around me.

The Wye Marsh

Growing up homeschooled, the Wye Marsh was a big part of my childhood and education all the way up until the end of high school. The local homeschool group would get together and do adventure tours, walks, scavenger hunts, day trips, and more. Often, we had books or topics we would research and learn about, then go see and experience in person. One example of this would be the trumpeter swan. We had a book club where many of us read The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White, then would learn educational facts about swans and ducks to go along with the reading and so on. Then, when we finished or neared the end of the book and study, we went to the Wye Marsh and saw all the Trumpeter Swans in person. We could see and feed them, identify different behavioural patterns, point out which were older/younger in relation to points in the book, the different sounds being heard, the environment they’re in, and so on.

When I was older, I spent a few summers volunteering in the Wye Marshes Jr Naturalist program. This program allowed us to learn about the natural environment around us, basic survival skills, and provided hands-on experience in caring for wildlife and animals in rehabilitation. We did everything from maintaining trails, cleaning animal tanks, basking the snakes and turtles, cleaning Indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, helping with animal food distribution, assisting in handling, and more. I loved the program and participated until I aged out; this experience fostered a love and respect for our wetlands and the animals that depend on them. I saw firsthand how pollution and human destruction impacted local wildlife, and was part of groups helping educate others in how to go on their walks/activities while still respecting and not interfering with the natural environment.

(Image is the members of the Jr Naturalist program + a younger children’s program summer 2015/2016)

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