11 Ways to Survive and Thrive in 2021

 GSDFW Director Wendel Withrow offers tips for greenies with cabin fever.​ Photo by Julie Thibodeaux.

Feb. 4, 2021

Fertile Ground logoIt’s 2021 - a year has gone by and we’re all still sheltering in place. I'm kicking off the New Year with a new column called Fertile Ground, where I hope to share some of my ponderings. Here are some tips for surviving the pandemic and beating your cabin fever.

1. Mask Up, Treehuggers. Such a simple task and it allows this writer to look younger by covering his gray whiskers. 

2. Keep Your Distance. Social Distancing gives a whole new meaning to “I wouldn’t touch that with a 10-foot pole.”

3. Keep it Clean. Cleanliness may be next to Godliness, but it may also save you from a premature meeting with your Creator and missing some great outdoor opportunities. Consider using eco-friendly cleaning products

4. Create Your Space. Build a personal refuge in your own backyard, patio, or balcony. Be sure to include the birds, bees and other critters who live in your neighborhood. Consider rewilding your landscape or creating a pocket prairie.

Japanese Garden in Fort WorthA membership with the Fort Worth Botanic Garden includes entry to the Japanese Garden. Photo by Julie Thibodeaux.

5. Be Mindful. Practice outdoor meditation where your eyes and soul are kept wide open to fully experience the sights, sounds and touch of the beauty around you. 

6. Make Plans. Start preparing your 2021 victory garden with all organic soils and compost to have the best cool weather veggies and then help your summer crop put down deep roots to beat the heat.

7. Share the Love. Adopt a rescue dog, cat or new neighbor who needs a friend in the big city, then go for a walk and see who else is outside looking for fresh air and a friendly smile.

8. Conserve and Protect. Start a water conservation plan to keep that precious resource from going down the drain or down the cement gutters in front of your house.

9. Stay in Touch. Remember the lost art of sending cards and letters to friends and family you are separated from? Be really radical and get a photo printed off your digital device and start an old-time scrapbook.

10. Get Outside. Find a good guidebook, plan a road trip out of the concrete jungle and visit any one of the great Texas parks. Don’t forget those local hidden gems in your city and the lesser known forest and wildlife preserves.

Desert SolitaireRead some of the environmental classics like Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire. Photo by Julie Thibodeaux.

11. Turn a Page. Visit your local used bookstore for a true recycling experience. Read some John Muir, Rachel Carson, Edward Abbey, or a host of other green writers. Your spirit and hope for the future will be restored.

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