Reflections: Carlie Wiener

Perceptions of time are non-existent at Midway Atoll, a healthier sense of awareness lives. Rising with the sun and surrendering your schedule to that of the birds. This week, has passed so quickly but I could not even begin to describe how much I have learned. The quiet is filled with the calls of so many different birds, ones that I now recognize. Each albatross taking on its own identity, like a proud mother I am excited about the fledgling’s progress. They spread their wide-spanning wings for flight, their unsure take offs and uncoordinated landings, preparing them for their upcoming journey. I will forever long to hear the sound of quickened footsteps, the adult albatrosses taking flight on a make shift run way. The stark white turns hover gracefully amongst the trees, never straying far from their fluffy white chicks. The varying shades of blue in the ocean are indescribable drawing you close like a calling. I often look back just to make sure the beauty is still there, not something I must have imagined in my wildest dreams. Swimming in the cool, Pacific waters is like a reawakening. Healthy corals and fish demonstrate the importance of our reefs and protected places. This week has been a mix of feelings joy, motivation, appreciation and mostly of importance.

You can see the bonds of the group growing stronger as we build our experiences together. The energy is motivating but I fear that my abilities will not live up to the groups expectations. I want so badly to do right by the world, make a difference for the earth and the people as well. I am increasingly aware though that life has its obstacles, the pull of the everyday, the deadlines and commitments. I fear that the feelings and motivation that I hold right now will not be strong enough to overcome the day to day workings of life. The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands will always be a special place not just to me but to anyone fortunate enough to experience its power and pure natural beauty. Midway is a place of contradiction, filled with wildlife: monk seals, sharks, birds but also a keeper of the past; remnants of wartime, contaminants and indestructible waste. I fear that these too will play a part in the future of this Atoll. Not just the direct impacts which have been brought upon Midway but all the other debris and floating fishing gear that ends up on this island. Its effects reach far from the litter scattered across the shoreline, to the coral reefs, monk seals, sea birds and honu all who fear its deathly grasp. The colorful plastic lies as a reminder of how we need to change our lives and priorities. Bright and colorful its once useful and happy existence turns dark and looms forever in our environment.

For me though, the things I will take away from this experience will forever stay. The sense of belonging to a group where people have the same drive and passion. A sense of hope for the future and a reminder of why I went into this field in the first place. The passion is relit and the messages are clear. Not just for myself but for any thinking, breathing person. In order to care you must feel and in order to feel you must experience. I indeed have experienced nature at its best, it is up to me and every other person in our communities whether that be families, schools or towns, to show the beauty and importance of our natural world. Mahalo nui loa for the opportunity to share this special week and for the bonds that are now cemented for life.