Fractals in Nature

Fractals as patterns are soothing to the human mind as a foundational component of Nature. Human beings evolved alongside Nature and there is an inherent connection we experience through exposure to it and its fractals. This understanding is what led me to create a native habitat garden for wildlife with species native to Clackamas County. As I removed the invasive species and planted native plants that have evolved with wildlife through specialized, complex relationships, I began to not only be soothed by beauty alone, but by function: the wisdom of Nature in establishing and nurturing these complex, yet highly functional, relationships within local ecosystems. Beauty then for me was not solely about beauty but also about function; therefore, over time, less showy native species were beautiful to me because of the biodiversity they attracted and the function they served in supporting local wildlife within our local ecosystem. The nurse log I placed at the base of a patch of Nootka rose (Rosa nutkani) is where female pigeon tremex horntails (Tremex columba) use their ovipositor to inject eggs into the decaying bark. Later, a family of Northern flickers (Colaptes auratus), members of the woodpecker family, instinctually know these eggs have been deposited there, might feed on them as an important food source. Last Spring's stems, withered blooms, and seed-heads may be interpreted as a sign a homeowner is not doing a good job of maintaining their yard, but the habitat they provide by remaining in place becomes a thing of beauty for the eye that understands these leftover stems and seed-heads provide for overwintering birds, pollinators, and maintain soil health. In the spirit of letting go and letting Nature take its course, let's see what emerges when we do.