By Bill Shea, MD
While it is a highly rewarding experience, the practice of medicine has become mighty stressful. I find in the retreat to the outdoors a peace that relieves that stress.
Hiking the trails through the Davis Mountains, fly fishing on Independence Creek, exploring the biology of the Edwards Plateau at the interface of the Edwards and Trinity aquifers at Love Creek, running the trails at Government Canyon, watching a sunset over Gulf Coast marshlands – these truly are the “last great places,” and they are here, preserved, in Texas.
Sometimes my retreats can run to the extreme. For example, last January I joined 37 other intrepid souls in the second-annual Big Bend Ultra Run, a 50-killometer marathon through the desert trails of Big Bend National Park.
The event raises money for the Friends of Big Bend National Park, and provides access to one of Texas’ most isolated and beautiful natural landscapes.
We gathered at Glenn Springs just before dawn, got our instructions from the race director, then headed off into the desert where we were met by a fiery, golden sunrise.
After a few miles, we all separated according to each runner’s pace, encountering aid stations every six miles but otherwise running (and sometimes walking) in the solitude and serenity of one of Texas’ wildest places.
The trails were at times quite technical, the ravines and canyons challenging, but the backdrop of the Chisos Mountains and the subtle beauty of the desert was inspiring.
Most environmental scientists and policymakers now say that protecting our natural ecosystems goes beyond the concept of protecting endemic species and the diversity of life. A healthy natural world is a fundamental requirement for our own health and well-being and, as doctors, for that of our patients.
I became involved with The Nature Conservancy through a good friend, and I subsequently joined the organization’s development board in San Antonio. I like the way the group operates: cooperative rather than confrontational, science-based, ardent...and successful!
Through meetings, field trips and social encounters, I’ve learned so much about conservation and land stewardship – the biology, the politics and the economics. Now I’m helping with the group’s current “Save the Heart of Texas” fundraising campaign to protect our state’s critical water resources.
The Nature Conservancy has worked with public and private partners to conserve nearly 1 million acres statewide, and it protects biological diversity and sensitive habitat on 35 nature preserves and conservation projects it owns in Texas.
I hope everyone who loves the outdoors – or who loves the ecological services that nature provides, such as clean water and fresh air – will consider making a commitment to conserving this natural bounty in the way that best suits your own personal style.
Bill Shea, M.D., is a practicing interventional radiologist and partner at South Texas Radiology Group.
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