Date: 5/24/24

Time: 8:30am to 11:30am

Location: Auto Tour

Birds Spotted: 16 species added to the list! Click the link to see the eBird list.

Animals: turtles, dragonflies, fish and spiders

Photos Taken 447

Keepers: 83

On my drive to the Marsh, I contemplated what I was looking for on this trip. Then, I paused. The belief that “you always find what you’re looking for” didn’t seem quite right—it didn’t leave room for what Horicon Marsh might want to show me that day. I adopted a new motto: stay open to what the marsh reveals. Anything else might force my own interpretations onto the project, preventing me from truly discovering the soul of Horicon Marsh. Little did I know, I was about to encounter both life and death in stark display. Why was I surprised?

My mostly Buddhist leanings teach me to seek balance in all things. There cannot be beauty in Horicon without some ugliness; there cannot be life without death. The day was marked by contrasts—from roadkill, including birds, mammals, and fish, to a spider carrying babies on its back. One might think such death was horrifying and disturbing. Yet, the surrounding vitality and beauty framed these moments differently.

Finding balance in Horicon Marsh came from being open to its offerings that day. Now, I face a dilemma: which pictures should I share? Images of dead fish on a pier or a frog’s corpse could be disturbing. Yet, life manifests, too, like a spider, underscoring that life inherently carries some form of ugliness. It’s not that the themes of life and death or beauty and ugliness challenge me; rather, it’s the idea of sharing these aspects publicly. What might not be expected by those following this journey could indeed shape their perception. If I share them, you are subjected to the raw and real elements of the marsh. If I do not, then you miss out on what I’m truly chasing—the soul of Horicon Marsh. And really, what is a soul without death?

The Marsh, in its essence, taught me about balance. How can I not convey that here?