Rain has emphatically returned to Beechmont in the last few days. Overnight we received 167 mm!

I don’t like to complain about the lack of rain here, since we still tend to receive far more rain than many drought-ravaged places in Australia. But I guess it’s all relative – this landscape is typically wet, verdantly green and draped in mist. In 2019 it was largely dry, crispy, the lush green grass even started to yellow off, and it was often smoke that wreathed the hills, not mist.

So it’s interesting to compare annual rainfall figures, measured at our home near Binna Burra:

In 2018 we received 1394.5 mm. (A local park ranger tells me the average annual rainfall for the ranger station at Binna Burra is about 1500 mm.)

In 2019 we received 661 mm. That’s less than half the expected annual rainfall.

In 2020 so far we’ve received 200 mm. That’s nearly a third of the total rainfall for last year!

Perhaps it was the rain that finally allowed me to start nature journaling again. Since the fire last September I haven’t felt like nature journaling at all. But I have been inspired by Jo Beal’s practice of keeping an every-day drawing diary. I’m not sure how long it will last, but I am really enjoying it so far. Focusing on nature and slowing down to reflect on it makes me feel calm and grounded. Of course I’ve written about this before and led countless workshops on the subject. It’s funny how at times we can be reluctant or unable to take care of ourselves, even though we know the remedies that work for us.

So please take care of yourself, find your remedies, and…

…I was going to say ‘treat yourself’, but it’s more essential than that. Staying well and happy and kind and calm – especially if you care about nature – is not easy right now. If you can do it, it’s a great achievement. And perhaps it’s the best thing you can give back to the world.