I wonder if you are experiencing some of what I have been feeling lately. Doesn't it feel as though the world is noisier and louder? There seems to be so much shouting these days.

 

Then I walk into the solitude of nature, and I start to feel better. I feel calmer as I listen to the sweet sounds around me. Slowly a sense of peace settles in, and I start to hear my thoughts again.

 

Studies show that there is an association between noise and heart attacks, high blood pressure, and stress - not to mention hearing loss. The younger and older among us are most impacted. And recent research also tells us that noise pollution can affect children's learning outcomes and cognitive performance.

 

Are the sounds of your busy life weighing you down?

 

This is one of the reasons why protecting natural, secluded spaces is so important. We need to have places where you can go to sit in quiet and listen to the chatter of the birds, the whisper of the wind in the aspens, or the rustling of a squirrel in the fallen leaves as he gathers nuts for winter. These sounds can soothe us.

 

During this time of changing seasons, here in the Eastern Sierra we are surrounded by a splendor of color. And the soft sounds of fall are spectacular, too. I hope that you can find a place in nature to escape and listen to the quiet.

 

With gratitude,