By Amanda Cleary Eastep
Learning more about the ecological impact of Helene on western NC (beyond the debris-littered landscape) was now to be part of my education as a Blue Ridge naturalist. I sat in the classroom wondering how prepared I was for additional bullet points and alarming statistics.
How would any of us, already sitting more quietly than usual, separate the science from the heartache—a pain that had become part of our makeup, had maybe even caused epigenetic changes? Would we pass on our experience to the next generation? Would children yet to be born flinch at the drumming of rain on metal rooftops?
What I didn’t expect to receive from the class was a lesson in trust . . .
Amanda Cleary Eastep 