Who wouldn’t argue that some things are objectively beautiful? Beauty is a universal language, spoken by flowers, birds, anyone who's ever loved someone, the morning light that casts an orange glow, and endless horizons. Beauty has the ability to sooth and please our senses and make us feel a broad range of emotions, such as fascination, awe, feelings of transcendence, wonder, and admiration. Much of what we can see in the natural world surely qualifies.

It is also true that we’re not the only creatures attracted to beauty. Bees and butterflies can’t resist the beauty of a flower — both the flowers and the bees need one another in order to survive. Charles Darwin conceived an idea of the evolution of beauty, largely because he found natural selection could not account for the ornaments seen in many animals — the elaborate feathers and mating dances of countless birds including nightjars, hummingbirds, herons, and the peacock, whose extravagant tail seems a survival hindrance. Darwin termed "the taste for the beautiful" for what creates the extraordinary range of ornament in the animal world. It's fascinating to think about aesthetic beauty as an evolutionary force shaping the world around us.

As humans, we are attuned to beauty, we try to engage with it by being in nature, through poetry and art. Beauty is what allows us to experience the extraordinary richness of our surroundings. Though our interaction with it can be a solitary affair, it connects people who share the same appreciation for it. I am continually inspired by the beauty is see in nature and feel passionate about sharing it with others. Whether it be through the lens of my camera to capture a breathtaking landscape or picking edible flowers from my garden to plate on a meal shared with friends and loved ones. Much of what I do is to remind the world of the fragile beauty of our only home, and to protecting nature, not just for humanity’s sake, but for the benefit of all life on earth.

Every day we learn that species, landscapes and indigenous knowledge are vanishing before our eyes. Committing our time, energy, and resources to protecting this planet can fill our lives with beauty - also what is good for the planet is good for us, just like the relationship of the flower and bee.

Pictured here is something I created while inspired by beauty, fragility, and impermanence. I have always been drawn to flowers, their smell, the softness of their petals, the varieties of shapes and colors. Growing up I would press them between pages, or a glass frame. But here I isolated two edible flowers, yarrow and marigold, in an ice cube. Something so simple had a way of totally transforming the experience of drinking this matcha latte. The impermanence of the ice melting and the flowers being consumed felt symbolic to all that the world is collectively experiencing right now.

I don’t have a specific recipe to share here, but rather this post is more about reflecting on the beauty around us and how you can invite more of it into your life.