Lia Keener

Realizing that nature will always be there, at least to some extent no matter where I go, is deeply comforting.

My sense of closeness with animals and wildlife has changed dramatically as I have grown up, but I feel as though my guiding principles have just matured, becoming updated versions of what they once were.

If weather is so powerful in shaping our physical and emotional landscapes, why, then, is it often so deeply overlooked?

As life got more complicated, I felt the ease of my connection to the Oregon Coast gradually slip away.

It’s almost as if draping a binocular strap over your shoulders marked you as a member of an exclusive club, and in some ways, maybe it did.

I am sheltered from the heat my parents and grandpa endured just weeks ago, and I am sheltered from the lifestyle my grandpa and dad lived when they were younger.

Domestic animals bring a lot more to the world than their cute cuddly selves that we adore so much.

How often do you think about the insects that play a role in sustaining the food you eat, the plants you appreciate or the backyard animals you admire?