Presidents and salamanders

I think about politics as little as I can.
And politicians, even less.

Their world seems to stand in such contrast to mine.
Their language scripted to represent what they want us to hear. They stand shrouded in words they hope we recognize to be what we seek, their bodies dressed to impress.
Seeking strategic friendships.
Each act contributing a piece to the image being built for their purpose.
It all seems so unnatural.

I’ve spent much of this day studying salamanders. A commitment to monitor my vernal pool has given me the realization that I know very little about this microcosmic place.
The books stand high on the kitchen table—pictures and pamphlets I’ve collected to educate myself about the creatures that live and breed in these waters.
So much to do, so little time to get ready.


The Jefferson salamander, I’ve learned, is a mole salamander similar to the spotted salamander, first discovered in the 1800's in Pennsylvania on the grounds of Jefferson College.
It is indirectly named after President Thomas Jefferson, an avid naturalist.

This most sensitive of all amphibians and reptiles to the impact of development, requires intact habitat of about 1000 acres in order to survive long-term.
A tender small being, I will most likely never see.
His world altered.

But it made me wonder what the world could be like if it were led by naturalists.