Embracing Silence

By Anna Lee

The first time I stepped out on to the boardwalk overlooking the wetlands of Palo Verde National Park in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, I was met with silence. Not from the dozens of water birds strutting on the foliage or calling from the trees near shore, but instead, from my classmates. For once, this crew of extroverts had nothing to say. We were all so taken aback by the sudden appearance of acres of water and rings of mountains around us that we forgot to continue our conversation. For once, we weren’t asking each other questions or joking with people we had met only 72 hours before. We just listened to the world around. The overpowering natural beauty equaled us out as people. Nothing anyone said could have been as exciting as the stories unfolding all around. No one’s life was more colorful than the red, green, and purple dragonflies skimming the water or carefree as the spiny tailed iguana blocking the entire pathway. I think in that moment we all realized that no matter what brought us to Costa Rica, we  all arrived with the same purpose: to use our skills and passion to better understand and preserve the breathtaking landscape around us.

            While that silent moment didn’t last, I keep it as a reminder I’ll carry with me for the next 13 weeks as our program unfolds. Nature will not let itself be silenced by loud voices or careless conversation. Nature is not passive. It demands attention with grace. And when it is ignored, it has the potential to become violent. The day after my first encounter with silence in the wetlands, a classmate and I were walking along the shoreline completing an assignment. Suddenly we heard a splash, a snap, and alarm cries rise from the water. In the midst of our superficial discussion about our home universities, a crocodile had come up to eat one of the Northern Jacana birds that call the national park home. In seven seconds and without words, nature had told us a story of life and death more exciting than anything we could tell ourselves. Once again, nature reminded us of its power and at the same time, its fragility. When you fully experience the sights and sounds that exist in our world, there is no pressure to impress anyone. You never have to fight for a moment to speak, or make up a story to impress a classmate. It is time we all get used to never being the center of attention and let our world have the spotlight it deserves. While we all want our voices to be heard, sometimes you just have to embrace the silence and let Mother Nature speak for herself.