So, here’s a fun story: in the mid-90’s, park managers, biologists and various environmentalists finally succeeded in a 50-year campaign to reintroduce gray wolves into Yellowstone National Park. The wolves had been gone for about 70 years, hunted by tourists and poachers in the early days of the park; then by the Park Service itself until 1926, when they were basically eliminated. Not long after, the elk population exploded, and Park Rangers began hunting them in an attempt to control overgrazing. Over the years, the elk population rose and fell dramatically a few times, coyotes moved in, aspen and cottonwood trees began dying out, and soil erosion continued to be a huge problem. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 opened the door for the legal reintroduction of the wolves, but it didn’t actually take place for a couple more decades.
In 1995, 14 gray wolves were released into the park, with 17 more the next year. After that, they were pretty much on their own, but their effect was immediate, widespread, and very surprising, even to the most optimistic environmentalists. The experiment produced what biologists refer to as a “trophic cascade”, the short version of which is a massive overhaul in the ecological balance. The relatively small number of wolves not only began hunting the deer & elk, but quickly caused them to change their grazing habits, allowing trees and other vegetation to begin replenishing the valleys. Birds, beavers, foxes, eagles, otters, weasels, bears and lizards all moved back in. The rivers themselves were stabilized by the new vegetation, and soil erosion lessened significantly.
We all know, of course, that relatively small changes can produce big results, but we are consistently surprised when it happens. We have a tendency to look at big problems and assume that they call for big solutions. A failing relationship, a growing health problem, a bunch of high school-era dreams fallen by the wayside. The problems feel too big to tackle, so we watch tv instead.
I want to be a productive artist, a good friend, a healthy person. So I built a little table on my front porch where I can have a cup of coffee, read the Bible, pray and journal a bit first thing in the morning. I’m riding my bicycle about 6 miles most days (that one’s by necessity, but it’s no less valuable to my cardiovascular system). I’m working on my communication skills, maybe being a little less judgy. I started this blog to stay in the habit of writing. If doing the right things was always easy, we’d already be doing them. But taking a few small steps to create space for the right things doesn’t have to be that big a deal. And maybe a few of these things will take root in my life and become habits.
Let’s bring it home with a Bible verse. In Revelation 2, Jesus addresses a church that had a reputation for hard work and good theology, but had abandoned the love they had at the beginning. He had this advice for them: “Remember how far you’ve fallen; repent, and do the first works.” People smarter than me tell me that the phrase “first works” can be translated either as “most important works” or “things you did at first”. Both possible translations carry a helpful bit of insight, I think. The problems in my life probably don’t require new solutions, but a return to the things I used to focus on when my life/relationships/career/health were more in balance. These were the first things chronologically because they were also the most important. I’m created to live in balance. Maybe I just need to bring back the wolves. So to speak.