Bird Quote by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
“Who owns Cross Creek? The red-birds, I think, more than I, for they will have their nests even in the face of delinquent mortgages..It seems to me that the earth may be borrowed, but not bought. It may be used, but not owned. It gives itself in response to love and tending, offers its sesonal flowering and fruiting. But we are tenants and not possessors, lovers, and not masters. Cross Creek belongs to the wind and the rain, to the sun and the seasons, to the cosmic secrecy of seed, and beyond all, to time..."”
About This Quote
Nature is a shared, transient resource; humans are temporary caretakers, not owners, and must respect its cycles and communal existence.
In simple terms: We are tenants of Earth, not owners.
Key Takeaway
Respect nature’s temporality and communal stewardship.
Themes
environment
stewardship
impermanence
community
spirituality
Mood
reverent
contemplative
Type
poetic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- Community garden management
- Conservation volunteering
- Land‑use planning meetings
Key Concepts
ecology
philosophy of ownership
Practical Applications
- Adopt land‑trust models
- Educate on shared ecological responsibility
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies balance resource use with the idea of stewardship?
- What legal frameworks embody the tenant‑owner metaphor?
A Different Perspective
Anthropocentric needs sometimes clash with pure stewardship, creating tension between use and preservation.
