CCJC Audio Episode 00029
Well, of course someone’s tickle bone had to ask Cajun Chronicles Podcast’s Co-host after hearing his inspiring story about how he got interested in protecting endangered species, especially birds, by jokingly saying, “I wonder what the Black Rail you encountered really thought about you as a ten year old boy?”
Just like no two people will ever remember the same event exactly the same, it’s certainly possible that Cachette, the Black Rail didn’t see the lesson quite the same way as Etienne remembered them.
Who Is Watching You When You AreThe Curious One?
The wind whispered through the marsh grasses, carrying the scent of salt and decay. Cachette, a young Black Rail with eyes the color of twilight, watched Laurent Thibodaux with wide, curious eyes. He was a clumsy boy, yes, stumbling through the reeds like a lost Catahoula Leopard pup. But there was something in his gaze, a spark of wonder and a genuine curiosity that intrigued her.
Cachette, like all her kind, was a creature of shadows. The marsh was her domain, a tangle of mud and smooth cord reeds where she reigned supreme. The world outside the Cat Island Preserve marsh, the world of sometimes visiting humans, was encroaching as it always has been. Plus the tides were rising, the native marsh grasses were disappearing, and the familiar rhythms of the marsh were being disrupted.
Cachette saw the fear in the boy's eyes as he navigated the unfamiliar terrain. It was no secret to anyone in Louisiana that cocodrie hide there too. Laurent was a creature who preferred the open spaces. His normal world was a stark contrast to the natural world of the marsh. Cachette, with her uncanny senses, perceived the loneliness within him, a loneliness that mirrored her own.
On a gut hunch she decided to stay. Not as a friend, exactly, but as a teacher. Each night before Laurent would return to his campsite, she would flit closer, her "ki-ki-kerr" a soft invitation. She would lead him to linger deeper into the marsh. She was revealing the secrets of its inhabitants – the elusive marsh wren, the shimmering dragonfly, the ghost-like egrets in brief little snippets.
Slowly, tentatively, the boy began to understand. He learned about the delicate balance of the marsh, the interconnectedness of all living things. He learned about the dangers that threatened this fragile ecosystem. Most importantly, he learned to listen. To listen to the whispers of the wind, the rustle of the reeds, the symphony of life unfolding around him.
Cachette watched Laurent’s knowledge grow. His fear was replaced by a quiet reverence. He became a whispered refreshing breeze in the marsh, a shadow moving among the shadows. Laurent learned to identify the calls of other birds and to track their movements. He began to understand their needs. He became a newbie guardian of the marsh, a protector of the elusive creatures, like her, that called the place home.
Cachette, the shy Râle Noir (Black Rail), knew that she had found a budding hero and his purpose. She had not only found a friend in the boy, but a champion for her kind. For in the eyes of Laurent, she had ignited a spark, a passion for the natural world that would burn bright for years to come.
Moral: Sometimes, the most unexpected encounters can lead to the most profound transformations. By embracing the unknown and opening our hearts to the wonders of the natural world, we can become unexpected allies and champions for the creatures that share our planet.
"Cachette, the Râle Noir, couldn't help but laugh to herself. The boy, with his clumsy human ways, was so focused on the big picture, on grand pronouncements of conservation. Meanwhile, she was simply enjoying the mud between her toes and the taste of a particularly juicy grub. Sometimes, the most important lessons are found in the simple pleasures, not in grand pronouncements." — Jerilee Wei © 2024
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