A Solstice Salute: Gratitude, Nature, and a Reminder to Keep Speaking Up

As the year winds down, it’s worth taking a moment to celebrate the wild, wonderful forces of nature that shape our landscapes—from fire to flood to beetle outbreaks. These natural disturbances, often demonized in mainstream narratives, are actually the rhythms that sustain resilient forests and ecosystems.

We’re also grateful for a little legislative good fortune: the Fix Our Forests Act hasn’t become law… yet. But the fight isn’t over, and every comment, every call to your senators, and every email matters. Your engagement is what keeps public lands protected from policies that would harm rather than help.

So this holiday season, whether you’re lighting a candle, enjoying a quiet snowfall, or just taking a walk among the trees, give a little nod to nature’s wildness—and to the collective action that keeps it alive. Let’s enter the new year ready to defend the landscapes we love, with gratitude, determination, and maybe a dash of irreverent joy.

From all of us at the John Muir Project: happy Solstice, happy holidays, and thank you for standing with our public lands.

Washington, DC, shortest days, longest shadows, circa 2022 © Jennifer Mamola