Resilience

by Marisa Morby

10,000 feet (~3,000 meters) above the ground, in -30F (-34C) weather, a blue green plant with little white, wooly hairs, called tomentum, clings to the rocks in the Alps. This dense coverage of “wool” all over the plant helps protect it from these extreme conditions, insulating it from the cold, allowing it to conserve water, and shielding it from the bright sunlight that will come later in the year. The weather is harsh and brutal, but they continue to grow and spread, inching their way across the mountain face every year. Come spring, when the sun is high and temperatures are finally starting to warm, this little plant will burst into white, star shaped flowers. Growing in such difficult conditions, you might be surprised to learn that the stems, the leaves, and the petals are all soft to the touch; like a lamb’s ear. This plant is the Edelweiss. They are resilient, they are soft, they are beautiful, and they thrive.

1500 miles (2,414 km) north in the Arctic, a much different flower blooms. A solitary stem rises from a tiny green clump of leaves. The only other thing surrounding this clump is gray rock. We are, after all, in the Arctic. To be more specific, we are in Greenland. And this flower we’re looking at is the Arctic Poppy, the last flower that grows at the top of the world. In fact, it is the last flower you will see before the land turns into sea. The poppy blooms a pale yellow with bright yellow stamens. The very center of the poppy, where all the petals come together, is black. It survives temperatures as low as -76F (-60C), can withstand drought, or even heavy rainfall, if need be.

5,300 miles (8530 km) south we watch a bird sip the nectar of a bright red blossom that looks like a firework. The blossom grows on a tree with twisted branches, and the tree grows out of lava rock, with no other plants next to it. Yet. The ‘Ōhi’a Lehua tree is a keystone species in Hawai’i and is one of the first plants to grow in an area after lava flow. This makes it a key species for the primary stage of ecological succession. This tree helps create the habitat for other plants and animals to settle into the area and grow.

And finally, we turn to Morocco, 8327 miles (13,401 km) from Hawaii. We see scientists working with seeds. Here students at the King Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Morocco work with students at MIT to cover seeds with a coating that first makes them drought-resistant and secondly gives them a nutrition boost. By looking at how chia and basil seeds have protected themselves from dry conditions and applying it to a wider range of seeds, these scientists are helping preserve food cultivation in a world with a rapidly changing climate. They are helping seeds become resilient so we can continue to eat.

Many of us find ourselves in times of extreme conditions at different times in our lives. If you’re in the U.S. right now you’re likely feeling extreme conditions and emotions, too. Anger. Fear. But maybe resistance and resilience, too. Nature shows us this type of resilience over and over again. Flowers thriving in extreme conditions. Tardigrades surviving to space and back. If these tiny plants and organisms and seeds can survive alone under such extreme conditions, how can we be resilient for our communities, for our family and friends, for our own well being? Sometimes, we find our strength in the harsh weather. We do not want to be in the storm, but there is no way out but through. We deserve love. We deserve safety. We deserve to be human, walking amongst each other. Together.