1
Earth Day Service
Emilee Mroz
Ever since I was a child, I have felt a strong kinship with nature. I had a rock, a rose
quartz crystal, that I knew was magic. I have always loved animals and considered them equal in
value and beauty as people. As a child, I traveled to different parts of the world, experiencing
nature in many different forms. I lived in Australia as a young child and experienced the
incredible flora and fauna. My family traveled to New Zealand, Fiji, Japan, Hong Kong, and
Hawaii, all before I turned 10 years old. These experiences, and others I will tell you about,
developed in me a strong love for the natural world, especially landscapes.
What stands out for me even today is the juxtaposition of the good and the bad in the
world. The good has always been the natural world, what is real and sacred, and the bad is all
human-made, such as road kill, litter, pollution. As I get older, I feel compelled to focus on the
good, while doing everything in my power to eradicate the bad. And for me, I accomplish that
through education and awareness. And, I have a strong passion for rebuilding the bond between
people and the natural world.
I grew up in a loving family, in a tidy suburban neighborhood, and always had enough. I
loved being outside, in my own special world, using my imagination. My mother encouraged
my creativity, gentleness, and curiosity. As a young child, between ages 4 and 9, my family
lived in New South Wales, Australia. During that time my senses were filled with bright colors,
friendly neighbors who loved exploring and getting dirty, and incredible opportunities to
experience diverse landscapes, from the Great Barrier Reef to the mountains of New Zealand.
2
My family returned to the United States when I was 9 years old. We moved to what was
then a beautiful rolling landscape of farms and forests in Baltimore County, MD. Our house was
tucked away from the busy streets, and had just enough woods behind it to be able to escape into
another world. My next door neighbors had 10 kids, many of whom I played with over the years,
staying out past dark playing flashlight tag and other group games. When I was in middle school,
I became a Ridge Runner, or volunteer, at the Oregon Ridge Nature Center. This place is still one
of my favorites in the entire world. My job as a Ridge Runner was to help care for the animals in
the nature center, help maintain the trails and displays, and assist in leading hikes and special
events. My favorite program there was the tapping of the maple trees and the sugar shack on site
where they boiled the maple sap to make syrup. I can’t think of anything that smells better than
the steam from boiling maple sap.
For my 15th birthday, I asked my parents to let me go on a 16 day trip with Wilderness
Ventures, a company that takes youth on recreational wilderness expeditions. My group went to
Oregon, and went backpacking, whitewater rafting, and rock climbing. Leaving for this trip, I
was a fairly timid, introverted girl, but coming back, I had a new passion for life and a stronger
foundation and sense of self. On this trip I made new friends, and got to explore my courage and
abilities. Since that trip, I have been backpacking, rafting, and hiking all over the country and
look forward to doing much more!
When it came time for me to go to college, I was certain I wanted to go to St. Lawrnece
University. I was accepted with early acceptance. St. Lawrence is located in northern New York
state, the closest being Ottawa, Canada. The moment I visited the school, I knew it was the place
for me. The college is located within an hour of the Adirondack Mountains, which offered
3
unlimited recreation opportunities. I ended up majoring in Geology, which only deepened my
love for landscapes and for nature in general.
These experiences stirred in me a deep love for the Earth, from the earth beneath my feet
to the mountains rising into the sky. I always have felts a much deeper than surface connection
with the natural world, and now I can put my finger on it. I see what I know of as “Earth magic”
in all of creation. In people, in water, in animals, in plants is a life force, a spirit that connects
everything, and makes it sacred.
My view of everything natural as sacred evolved, despite my rearing in a consumer
family and culture. I had no shortage of toys, and I am aware now that my childhood travels
were not light on the environment. My father worked for a multinational corporation, which did
not faze me in any way until I became a young adolescent. I slowly became aware of animal
testing, chemicals in products, and social injustices involved in multinational corporations. And I
began to raise my voice; in my home at first, much to my parents’ distress and confusion, but
then in public, with bumper stickers and in conversations. I realized at this time that many people
did not share the same view as me. How could people be oblivious, or not care, about atrocities
like animal testing, and in this day and age, fracking, which can contaminate our most basic
sources of survival, water? I still struggle with these feelings, but know now that focusing on the
positive, on what can be done, is the most useful way to spend my time and energy.
My spirituality is deeply connected with my love for nature. I was raised a Christian and
struggled with the imposed belief system for a long time. It was because of one of my best
friends, Jennifer, who lives in Chattanooga, TN that my relationship with my Christian roots has
been healed. She showed and shows me love in action. She lives the way Jesus did, as an
example, fueled by passion and love for helping others and the world. Through environmental
4
advocacy and building of community, she to me is faith in action. At the same time, I resonate
deeply with the roots of women and their sacred bond with the Earth, through herbal medicine,
rituals honoring the natural world, the deep awe and respect, and much more. The deep, sacred
relationship between women and the natural world appeals to me greatly, since I am part of that
endless cycle. I embrace the ancient roots of human-earth connection, since it accepts and
reflects what I know. I believe that many people yearn for this connection, but it has been
repressed and denied and is not easily come by in our society.
I am an open-minded person and practice my religion through my words, actions, and deeds,
as Jesus and other great teachers did. I believe God is much greater than just what is in the
Bible. God is in all existence. I believe I am here to help others see and know the magic and
beauty of God, or the sacred, in nature. In the words of one of my favorite musicians, Michael
Franti, “Life is too short to make just one decision, music is too large for just one station, love is
too big for just one nation, and God is too big for just one religion!”
My mother would say that I have always “beat to my own drum.” I spent many hours as a
child by myself, immersed in a world of my own. I was raised in the suburbs in America and
Australia, both industrialized nations. I grew up knowing and trusting “name brands” and not
questioning the world around me. For some reason, that all changed. I began to notice what was
wrong about the world around me, and all that was wrong was a result of humans. I noticed litter
in the grass, animals that were hit by cars, the vacuum feeling of large buildings. I slowly began
to question and not feel comfortable with the way things were. I am not sure what lead to this
realization, but in my middle childhood I began to question what Daniel Quinn refers to in
Ishmael as “Mother Culture.”
5
It seems to me that many people in our society take things at face value. They trust the
media, the commercials trying to sell “things” that they “need.” In the Lorax, these are described
as “thneeds,” or thing you think you need. I am far from perfect, but I make deliberate choices in
the things I buy and consume to try and make the most responsible choice for the planet and for
the people who are involved in producing the products. Simple steps, like carrying a reusable
shopping bag, or using soap that is biodegradable are just a few things that anyone can do and
that make a big difference. We are all connected, and so every action that we do does impact the
greater world. What power we have that maybe we didn’t even realize!
Many people are so immersed in technology and accumulating “things,” and are getting more
and more disconnected from nature. I am currently working on finishing up my Masters degree
in EE at Montreat College. I enrolled in this program because I want to learn how to break down
the barriers that separate me from other people in regards to the natural world. I now understand
more about the worldviews of people, and how oftentimes people have deeply seated beliefs that
they do not want threatened. My role as an educator is to help people consider different
viewpoints. This work is very challenging for me because I am so passionate; however, perhaps
I was led me here so that I too can see a different perspective.
I see myself as part of the movement towards living sustainably on the Earth. I carry
with me deep love and respect for all of existence, and hope to share that light with those I meet.
I regularly ask strength and guidance to do my best, to do what is right, and to be and do what I
need to in order to make a positive difference in the world. I am blessed to have a physical body,
a heart, mind, and spirit that allows me to see, think, and feel the way I do. With these blessings,
I believe I am called go out into the world and do what I can to heal the human-nature
connection that is suffering. In some ways, the task is very daunting, and is certainly not an easy
6
road. But, I believe that many great teachers have set a powerful example of how to stand up as
a spiritual warrior, even if it means standing alone for what is right.