There are three Massachusetts Audubon sanctuaries within a half hour of where I live. These sanctuaries provide a safe space for birds, native plants, and other wildlife. However, I like to think of these not only as sanctuaries for wildlife, but for myself. A place where I can go to forget about all the anxieties I may be facing, and feel calm in the presence of God’s Creation, the beauty of birds, marshes, farms, and forests.

One of my favorite spots to go is a clearing off the Hayfield Path at Drumlin Farms. It sits atop a hill, surrounded by tall grass. To the right lie birdhouses, wherein reside families of bluebirds who swoop overhead catching various insects. Behind me is a field of tall grass, in which live a family of rabbits, who rustle and graze. In front of me lies a gorgeous view of the farm and the hills beyond it. It is restorative to lay there, on the grass, two pine trees towering over me, the sun on my face, as all the stresses in my life dissolve into birdsong and the chirp of crickets. It is here where I feel the most connected with God, in the beauty and serenity of what he has made.

At Broadmoor, I once volunteered to help pick garlic mustard, an invasive plant that grows rapidly and changes the pH of the soil to benefit itself and stave off other plant species. Here I found others, both my age and older, who like me, were obsessed with birds. I had never met people who were more into birds than I was, but here I was, among people who for the whole time discussed the personalities of various species and their favorite bird songs. They knew what I meant when I said my favorite bird was an American Kestrel.

Birds have always fascinated me. They are flawless in my eyes. The detail in their feathers, the beauty in their song, but what has always fascinated me most is their flight. At Broadmoor, as you walk in, there is a field full of birdhouses, which house swallows. I could sit there for hours watching them swoop this way and that, catching insects, seemingly without effort, and without a care in the world. Watching the swallows swoop, soar, and dive, I am reminded of the effortless beauty and grace of God’s Creation.

In the book of Jeremiah, Jeremiah prays, ‘“Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you” (Jeremiah 32:17). Seeing the impossible beauty in these sanctuaries, the intricate detail of each bird’s feather, the culmination of different elements to make one awe-inspiring scene, remind me that nothing is too great for our God. When I am anxious, going to these Audubon sanctuaries reminds me that God has a plan for me, far beyond what I can see at the moment. It reminds me that despite the things I may be worried about, God is there with me, and loves me, and is for me. And as Paul wrote in Romans, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

I first became interested in these sanctuaries in early middle school. I was very into birds and birding and discovered through research that these sanctuaries were hotspots for birding. I begged my parents to get a membership so we could go and observe the wildlife. They did, and soon after, we went. I was amazed at the variety of birds. Great blue herons, purple martins, swallows swooping this way and that; it was a paradise. What most intrigued me about the birds was their flight, their freedom to go anywhere and do anything they liked. I always watched them with a longing to have what they had. Freedom to just be. However, when high school started, my free time began to be taken up by school, music, and extracurriculars, and I stopped making time to go to sanctuaries. This year however, I found myself needing service hours in the topic of caring for the environment, and after some searching, I found myself back at Mass Audubon, specifically the Broadmoor location, the first one I had gone to in my middle school years. As I pulled garlic mustard with my fellow volunteers, I found myself talking about birds and birding with others who were as passionate about birds as me. It rekindled my love for the sanctuaries and I have been going back more recently. – Rachel Lee