A story about putting yourself out there, feeling inspired and integrating nature into your professional and personal life.

I met Dr. Erin Kinney, Stress Reset Expert and owner/founder of The Kinney Clinic, at an event she hosted this past March for holistic practitioners and healers. The Kinney Clinic is a naturopathic medical clinic in Annapolis, Maryland whose mission is to help “stressed and burnt-out men and women with adrenal fatigue improve their mood, balance their thyroid, hormones or testosterone and cortisol, and increase their energy.” Dr. Kinney is “passionate about helping clients reconnect with the wisdom of their bodies and reestablish harmony in their lives.” Dr. Kinney has personally changed the lives of several women whom I admire, so hanging out with her was PRETTY COOL.

(Not me fangirling over here on Dr. Erin. 😅)

You may be thinking, “Marie, is what you do holistic?” While traditional talk therapy is often considered VERY western and “new age,” many healing grief practices and nature informed therapy concepts are grounded in eastern and indigenous practices. I figure I’m a little of both. So, I went.

I’m glad I did.

I observed the urge not to go and named all the reasons as they came to mind: it’s late, I’ve had a long day, I’m tired, I won’t know anyone, I don’t belong there. I harnessed what I’ve learned through my life (as Harvey’s Mom and a professional helper) and used a few skills to get me from “ugh” to “okay.” After all, deep down I really wanted to go.

…and I’m SO glad I did.

If you’ve ever been in a room full of healers and helpers, you may know where I’m going with this. To say I was honored to share the room with so many engaging, compassionate and intelligent people is an understatement. The warmth and love in the room washed over me in waves. I had chills several times as my new colleagues (we aren’t frolleagues yet, not until we hang out) shared their stories about how they came to own their own companies, what they do for the community and what they needed from the other professionals in the room.

When it was my turn, I told them what I do. I'm a Grief Therapist and my mission is to support parents through the most challenging times in their lives—after the death of their child. I shared my why and the path I took to get to the current moment. The room was full of smiles, head nods and tears. I tend to have that effect on people, especially when I talk about Harvey.

I’m so glad I went.

I left the event with a sense of awe and was feeling particularly inspired. I wasted no time in connecting with several people from the event–shout out to Brad Masters & Gwen Dudley of The Mood Center and Dr. Cristine Ehly of Key Health & Wellness–and of course Dr. Erin Kinney. Which brings us back to nature.

Erin and I recently met up for a coffee chat at Sandy Point State Park.

When I asked Erin if she’d join me for a walk and to pick up trash, she didn’t hesitate. While we walked, we spoke more in depth about issues close to our hearts. I spoke more about my love for nature and how I integrate nature into my work. Nature is my co-therapist whether the work be focused on grief, children's issues or something else entirely. Afterall, nature is a constant in all of our lives. Because I was taking Erin on a path familiar to me, I stopped us at particularly scenic vistas and we stood and listened to the sounds of the tidal marsh. We were having such a great time on a beautiful spring morning.

Erin and I talked about how water has positively impacted our lives. We reminisced of fun times with loved ones on sunny days in boats, by beaches, and floating in rivers. However, we were saddened by the amount of litter we found at the beach, especially between the rocks near the fishing areas.

The sun and waves fought to keep our spirits afloat as our hearts sank under the weight of the litter filled shopping bags we carried.

Another sad reality was that we found several bags of trash on a Friday during the beach's off season. The increase in visitors during the summer leads to more single-use bottles and plastic waste. Most disappointing to me, however, is the amount of trash found between the rocks of the jetties. I’ve found entire WaWa bags of eaten lunch items, 100s of bottles (all kinds including alcohol) and fishing equipment (lines, hooks, thin bags that held lures). On any given day at Sandy Point, fisherman line the many FISHING ONLY ZONES and numerous jetties. Fisherman, you aren’t the only ones responsible for beach trash AND you can do better. I know that come the summer, the shaded grassy areas will be just as litterridden if not worse.

We urge everyone to take responsibility for keeping the beach clean.

I’ve been picking up trash at Sandy Point since I started taking meetings there during Covid. Instead of sitting at home for a meeting, I’d go to the point, walk my favorite loop and pick up trash. Picking up trash is something I’ve always done and now it represents an act of reciprocity. It’s my way of thanking and taking care of the earth in return for providing me with all my lifes needs. After my walks, I’d sort the items into trash and recycling, take a picture, dispose of the trash and take the recycling home to recycle. Whether you believe recycling is a smart environmental practice or not, we can agree that plastics, glass and trash don’t belong on the beaches. Sometimes I’d find something out-of-the-ordinary, like underwear, but most of the time it’d be microplastics, wrappers/film, bottles/cans and lots of beach toys.

After holidays and special events the beaches and grassy areas are at their worst. This is true for most public nature spaces.

After Memorial Day 2023, I visited Sandy Point several Friday’s in a row and filled an entire trash bag or more each visit. When planning my Nature-Informed (Re)Connect with Mother Nature Workshop Series for 2024, I reflected on my nature walks with family, clients and other providers. I decided on one nature event PER SEASON and that each event would highlight a different topography of Maryland. I thought Sandy Point State Park would be a deserving host for my summer workshop…and that was confirmed by the amount of litter collected on my Networking in Nature breakfast with Dr. Erin.

It’s and honor and delight to announce that my SUMMER 2024 (Re)Connect with Mother Nature Workshop will take place on Wednesday, June 19th–Juneteenth—at Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis, Maryland.

Whether you are new to hanging out with nature, new to networking or new to picking up trash—Mother Nature does not judge; Mother Nature accepts you as you are with open arms. It’s just one of the many reasons I became a Certified Nature Informed Therapist. So, next time you are meeting up with a friend or a new frolleague, consider meeting outside and picking up trash along the way. It’s easy, relaxing and a great way to genuinely connect with others while taking care of the planet.

Special thanks to Dr. Erin Kinney for walking with me that morning and allowing me to essentially take her on a dry run of my summer event. Thanks Erin!