The Soul of Interpretation

Pope Benedict (at the time, Cardinal Ratzinger) wrote; 

I have often affirmed my conviction that the true apology of Christian faith, the most convincing demonstration of its truth…are the saints and the beauty that the faith has generated.

If the Pope emeritus will allow me, I will slightly alter this statement. I believe that beauty of one of the most effective apologies (apology in the theological sense) for conservation.

Here is an example. One of the greatest risks from climate change is the loss of biodiversity. On this we all agree, I suspect. But, to the general public, biodiversity is a bone dry, antiseptic word devoid of emotion. The soul of biodiversity, such as its beauty, is what we must reveal in our interpretation. 

For the past seven years, I have been photographing the wildflowers of Central Texas (the Texas Hill Country). As of yesterday, there are now over 2000 portraits in the gallery, Texas Botanicals. Here is a link to the gallery:

https://www.tedleeeubanksphotography.com/Texas-Botanicals/Texas-Botanicals-Gallery/

One of my goals has been to use these portraits to show the beauty of this wildflower diversity that surrounds us, as well as its magnitude. I could write a narrative that explains the science behind this diversity (the geology, the geographical location, the evolution of this diversity, etc.), but my belief is that I should first capture the public’s imagination with the dramatic beauty of this aspect of biodiversity. To be blunt, an interpreter first needs an audience.

My plan is to develop a series of murals of these portraits that will frame the narrative. If the theme is about the wildflower diversity in the Texas Hill Country as a metaphor for biodiversity in general, I believe that we will best be served by framing that narrative within the breathtaking beauty of the flowers themselves. 

Interpretation is an art as well as a science, and the beauty in that which we interpret often opens doors that are otherwise shut to the science alone. Conservation needs those doors (those minds) to be open.