10/04/2026
Is a river alive? Reflecting on the words of the answer is of course a resounding yes, a little time spent on the banks of the river Bedalder is enough to experience this sense of ‘aliveness,’ the energetic potency, the intelligence that flows but never forces, finds the path of least resistance, renews and sustains life in all of its forms. But for the vast majority of us who are not lucky enough to have such relationship with our waterways, let alone the fewer and fewer of them that remain untainted by the heavy hand of industry, the answer to this question is much like most of our rivers: unclear. Inspiring are the cases of the Whanganui in New Zealand that in 2017 was granted protection as a “spiritual and physical entity” + the Mutehekau Shipu (Magpie Ricer) in Canada declared a “legal person and living entity” in 2021. With such rights in the eyes of the law perhaps we will find our way back to the same levels of respect + reverence for our rivers that was once innate in each and every one of us, perhaps more of us will find relationships with them once more, perhaps the Bedalder will not be such a rare and isolated example of what our rivers once were and could be again. One thing is certain, for as long as we find ourselves here we will give our all as guardians to this divine entity, serving her as best we can, learning from her again and again, offering a place for others to sit and contemplate this question on her banks. This river is very much alive 🩵
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