Sotto Voce is a term used to express undertones in music and speech, but I feel it also suggests the quiet voice of nature. The land has many voices; some that whisper to us, some that bellow in the form of fires or flash floods. Noise is what usually gets our attention. This softer voice of nature is easily shouted down by demands of our busy lives and the trappings of human society. Our wild neighbors—plants and animals—go about their daily business of survival discreetly, often in ways unknown to us. Reconnecting with our grasslands, forests and wetlands awakens our senses and spirituality. We are reminded that as humans, we too are knitted into nature’s complex and beautiful fabric. The quiet voice tells a story of renewal and eternity. We need to listen.
"This earth which is spread out like a map around me is but the lining of my innnermost soul exposed." - Henry David Thoreau