Where Ecology and Spirituality Meet

For many people, being outside in nature is where they find a spiritual connection. On the next episode of WINDOWS TO THE WILD, host Willem Lange paddles alongside a group of modern-day pilgrims down the Connecticut River. This 400 mile  journey is meant to reinvigorate their spiritual life and gain a new perspective on ecological conservation.

 Reverend Steve Blackmer, the Episcopal priest who launched the flotilla, cites three inspirations for the trip - the thrill of adventure, the awareness for conservation and using prayer to celebrate the beauty of the river.

 This is a different type of conservation, one that goes inward not out. "The deepest part of the conservation challenge is to transform ourselves, so that we are aware of the need to live in harmony with the rest of the world," says Blackmer.

 The group grows in numbers as the pilgrims float down the river towards Essex, CT. Two guides, Lisa and Mark, lead the trip, creating the environment for spiritual openness to nature and to God. "It's not about going deep into the wilderness to get away," says Mark. "We're paddling with the intention of changing our relationship with the natural world, to be more aware of God's presence and the presence of our impact on the land."

 For Blackmer, being in the wilderness is an organic part of spiritual life. When not sailing down the Connecticut River, he holds a service every Sunday morning in the woods near Canterbury, NH. The parishioners gather among the trees to say prayers, read from the Bible and spend quiet time in the woods.

 Part of the pilgrimage passed in silence. "This was an unusual experience," says WINDOWS TO THE WILD producer and videographer Steve Giordani, "the group keeps quiet during the first hour of paddling. Working the camera, we don't fully appreciate the nature around, but this practice really made us stop and listen to the sounds of the natural world."

 A new episode of Windows to the Wild featuring the adventures of present-day pilgrims premieres on Wednesday, April 11 at 7:30pm on NHPBS and online at nhpbs.org/windows.

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