Poet Sean Prentiss has shared a new poem, “World Grow Wild”, written during his time in residency at Woodbury Mountain Wilderness Preserve. Woodbury Mountain Wilderness Preserve protects vast, carbon-rich forests and wetlands in Vermont and more than 39 miles of headwater streams. At 6,098 acres, it is the largest non-governmental wilderness area in the state of Vermont. This area also falls within Vermont’s only ‘Important Bird Area’ of global significance, according to Audubon and BirdLife International. Preserving a large core wilderness within a largely-managed landscape ensures birds like Winter Wrens and Blackburnian Warblers, who thrive in large blocks of old forests, continue to find good homes in the Green Mountain State. Sean’s poem boldly highlights the depth and wisdom of Nature when given the freedom to be wild.
“World Grow Wild” appears in the anthology, Writing the Land: Channels (McLoughlin, L. 2023. Northfield, MA: NatureCulture) produced as part of a series by Writing the Land, a collaborative outreach and fundraising project for land protection organizations, published by NatureCulture, a member of Northeast Wilderness Trust’s Business Alliance.
Through Writing the Land, poets use their art to help raise awareness of the importance of land conservation, ecosystems, and biodiversity. “Writing the Land is an attempt to honor nature and our relationships within it in a way that is as equitable and transparent as it is deep and entangled,” Lis McLoughlin PhD, NatureCulture CEO, said. “As poets and advocates, we declare our intention that the scope of this project be as inclusive—to humans and places—as we hope the mantle of protection that land trusts offer can be. Our work in writing the land will never be complete but rather gains strength, depth, beauty, and energy from a multitude of voices.”
Learn more about Writing the Land, where to buy past anthologies, about related projects from NatureCulture, and consider participating in NatureCulture’s free online Authors and Artists Festival with the theme of ReWilding November 4th and 5th, 2023.
Artwork: Martin Bridge | www.thebridgebrothers.com
Film by: The Nature Imaginarium | www.natureimaginarium.com
Photos by: Jerry Monkman | www.ecophotography.com