Creaturely Migrations on a Breathing Planet – David Abram
Jun 13, 2023
53:15
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Quick takeaways
Migration as a reciprocal conversation between creatures and environment, questioning human recognition as part of the animate Earth.
Distinct life cycles of Pacific salmon influenced by habitat qualities, showcasing intimate connections between fish and their environment.
Sandhill cranes' communal behaviors and changing social dynamics during migrations highlight intricate patterns of movement and annual traditions.
Deep dives
The Intricacies of Creaturely Migrations
Migratory species' ability to navigate vast distances is explored, going beyond the idea of internal clocks or compasses. The essay delves into the unseen guidance that leads creatures across the planet, questioning if it's a biological impulse or a form of body memory.
The Intriguing Patterns of Pacific Salmon
The unique migratory rhythms of Pacific salmon are examined, each species following a distinct cycle between freshwater and saltwater. The essay highlights how salmon's diverse life cycles are influenced by specific qualities of their habitats and the intimate connection between the fish and their environment.
Migration of Sandhill Cranes
The sandhill cranes' migrations across North America are vividly portrayed, illustrating their communal behaviors and changing social dynamics during breeding seasons. The awe-inspiring spectacle of these migratory birds showcases the intricate patterns of movement and the enduring annual traditions they follow.
Enigmatic Migration of Monarch Butterflies
The extraordinary migration of monarch butterflies spanning generations is detailed, with distinct generations undertaking different parts of the journey. The essay unravels the mystery of how successive butterfly generations navigate vast distances and precisely locate ancestral breeding grounds.
Human Impact and Reflection on Earth's Boundaries
The essay reflects on human impact on the environment and the potential consequences of our actions on the broader biosphere. It questions if human behaviors align with the cyclical replenishment observed in migratory creatures and prompts introspection on our role within the interconnected web of life.
In this week’s narrated essay, cultural ecologist and geophilosopher David Abram conjures the impossible movements of Alaskan salmon, sandhill cranes, and monarch butterflies on their annual migrations, marveling at the reciprocal interactions that guide these creatures across the wider body of the Earth. What if, David asks, we understood migration as emerging from a conversation—a spontaneous reciprocity—between migrating creatures and the environments they migrate within? How might we humans, whose senses have coevolved with the enfolding biosphere, begin to recognize ourselves, too, as expressions of the animate, breathing Earth?
