Rooted in Rhythm: Celebrating Forests & Poetry

Author: Megan Natoli, Challenge America Program Director

Today is International Day of Forests AND World Poetry day! 

Research shows that spending time outdoors can promote a sense of healing, connectedness, and lower anxiety and depression by generating more positive emotions, including feelings of calmness, joy, and creativity. 

We invite you to celebrate by taking some extra time to be out in nature in the way that feels right to you today. Whether that’s taking a leisurely stroll, doing some pre-spring time garden work, going on a hike, listening to birdsong, or simply sitting outside in the fresh air appreciating the wonders of nature with a good book in hand, we invite you to look for and savor the beauty of the outdoors around you today. 

If you’re not able to get outside today, perhaps take an extra self-care moment to write a poem or create a drawing of the most beautiful place in nature you have been to or can imagine. 

Whether you are able to get outside today or not, we would also like to share an incredibly powerful archived video performance with you entitled “More than One Story”, a collaborative performance by military women. This performance was held in 2021 and was a collaboration between The Military Women’s Memorial and Community Building Art Works. Over two days in May 2021, 9 military women from across the United States of America gathered virtually to weave their stories into a collaborative performance. 

This work is addressed to the women they came from, the women they were, the women they are becoming, and the women who will walk the trail they blazed: 

The Military Women’s Memorial honors and tells the stories of women, past and present, who serve our nation. We are the leading memorial and education center honoring women’s contributions to the service of the United States of America. As the only historical repository documenting all military women’s service, we educate and inspire through innovative and interactive exhibitions, our world-class collections, and engaging programs and events for all generations. We honor the commitment, contributions and experiences of every woman who serves in, or with, the Armed Forces.

Community Building Art Works is a non-profit organization that helps the ordinary people we ask to be heroes tell their stories through workshops led by professional artists. Our programs reach thousands of people annually, and were featured in the 2018 award-winning HBO Documentary “We Are Not Done Yet.” CBAW’s prestigious faculty include award-winning writers, artists, and musicians who have lectured and taught at institutions from Columbia University to Stanford.

Wishing you a wonderful day savoring the wonders of nature, poetry, and the beauty of your own creativity!