I am inspired by viriditas.

For Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179 CE) German writer, philosopher, visionary and Christian mystic, viriditas encapsulated the divine force of Nature. In many of her writings, viriditas was the greening power of God - present in everything living and non-living. This “greenness” was an expression of heaven and the creative power of life, which can be witnessed in the gardens, forests, and lands all around us. She saw viriditas as something to be cultivated in both our bodies and our souls. Viriditas was meant to reflect Nature’s divine healing power, a constant force.

This combination of Spirit and Nature inherent in viriditas speaks to me powerfully as I lay on the ground watching leaf cutter ants or gazing up into tall tree canopies while watching the white clouds roll by in blue skies. It speaks to me during forest meditations and while listening to the sounds of Nature in silent dawns or in midnight thunderstorms. While standing on a prairie in the Big Cypress Swamp miles from the nearest road, watching the Fall leaves flutter in the mountains of Shenandoah National Park, or sitting quietly in a Costa Rican cloud forest with eyes closed - I have experienced a deep connection to all beings - animate and inanimate. And as I put my eye to the camera's viewfinder, I continue trying to capture that elusive feeling of oneness with Nature that I have come to cherish so much.

Being "in the zone" with camera in hand has been some of the most ecstatic times of my life. And through my experiences of cultures and other bioregions, I'm just now beginning to understand the fundamental unity that underlies all things.