A Generous Nature: Lives Transformed by Oregon
“This book is a love song to Oregon. It is not mine alone, but that of many who feel as I do, that we are privileged to live in one of the earth’s most exceptional places.” Marcy Cottrell Houle
This week, we’re reading A Generous Nature: Lives Transformed by Oregon by Marcy Cottrell Houle. And a love song, it most definitely is. Attempting to start a conversation about this special book is like trying to decide where to take a trip in our glorious state. Houle has managed to capture what so many of us feel about Oregon and now more than ever, it stands as an ode to the stunning, precious beauty we have all around us—that one day soon we will be able to enjoy fully again.
Featuring 20 Oregon tales, the book showcases conservationists and activists who have contributed to preserving and nurturing the state’s natural places. Our wild coastline and the breath-taking Columbia gorge are just some of the many landmarks that appear in these pages alongside the stories of the courageous actions people have taken to preserve them.
Houle draws from ten years’ worth of personal interviews to highlights examples of key work that has led to the protection of Oregon’s natural resources, from legislation such as the Beach Bill, Diack Act, and Senate Bill 100, to organizations like SOLVE and the High Desert Partnership, dedicated to bringing people together in collaboration to restore wetlands and forests around the state.
Houle acknowledges that “many more deserve inclusion in this book” but that it would be impossible to capture everything in one cover. While Houle doesn't attempt to hit every note with this book, if there is one glaring omission it is that voices of indigenous communities go largely unrepresented within its pages—as does Willamette Falls. And so, as we consider the future of the Falls, we see an opportunity for the public riverwalk to be a gathering place where we can celebrate those voices and uplift the many stories that contribute to its importance in our region.
We hope that our weekly book recommendations offer us a way to gather together and be in community with one another. We encourage you to order a copy from Oregon City’s White Rabbit Gifts at Black Ink Coffee. They will deliver within a ten-mile radius and you can place your order at: whiterabbitinformation@gmail.com.
This book is a serene reminder that Oregon is alive, not virtual, and when the pandemic eases, we will celebrate together and get outside to enjoy the place we call home.
Until then, let’s continue to Stay Home and Save Lives. We hope you enjoy this book.
