There Is A Shangri La

I love music as everyone knows, and when you are a musician and a fan of music you tend to hear music in unusual places. I walk my dog in some sand dunes that are behind a park near my house, and this time of year the birds combine to produce beautiful music that is as moving as it is amazing. Nature provides her own music for us, be it the bird songs of spring, the whooshing of the ocean lapping the sand, or the syncopated rhythms of the raindrops plopping outside of our windows. Nature and music walk hand and in hand, and nature is extremely inspiring to musicians and artists of every stripe.

Yesterday was Earth Day, and I must say that I have been very cognizant of environmental issues for many years, long before the recent awareness that global warming has spawned. There is nothing that is more important than sustaining the health and viability of the planet that we call our home. Not only is it a practical necessity and a moral obligation, but nature is also the thing that brings us so much joy. When you go on vacation you don't visit a nuclear waste site or a landfill. You usually go to the beach or the mountains or someplace that is full of natural beauty, and we need to preserve this precious resource.

There are some good folks out in Orange, Texas, who understand the value of Mother Nature and they have built a wonderful nature preserve there called Shangri La Gardens and Nature Center. They have been awarded the U.S. Green Building Council's Platinum certification for LEED®-NC. They are just the 50th project in the entire world to be awarded this certification, which is reserved to honor only the greenest of building ventures.

Shangri La has undertaken the noble task (which is clearly a labor of love to them) of demonstrating the way that we can live in tune with Mother Nature, and I personally feel that learning to do this is the key to our very survival as a species.

If you have the opportunity, visit Shangri La in Orange, TX. It is truly an exceptional achievement borne of the highest intentions.