Living Together
Living Together
So far this Autumn we have been enjoying some wonderful warm dry sunny days so naturally the weather is all we are talking about. This past weekend visitors were able to take lovely mild walks in the gardens but with my gardening hat on, or with Simon the Farm Manager’s hat on, the reality is that we do need some nice steady rain. It is the warmest and driest October on record so far and the crops need water.
One of the many joys of Highclere is the setting - deeply inspirational and full of light filled views. The building is framed by majestic ancient trees, sloping amber coloured woodland, undulating hills and green parkland dotted with fluffy white balls on thin legs – our sheep.
Walking through a natural landscape underneath the canopy of trees grounds us and reconnects us with nature. For far too much of our time we are more connected to screens and chairs than anything else. AI is apparently the way forward, but I wonder if that really is the best direction for humankind. It is all about boosting productivity but ultimately what are we being so productive for? Like sheep we seem to be following a trail one after another, but many of us seem to have forgotten the difference between need and want. Does it all add to happiness or community, to enjoying a glass of wine whilst sitting outside in a beautiful landscape or planting a tree?
Despite this, here I am writing a blog to be posted out on the internet and, I am beginning think about what I am going to post on Instagram this evening. I really do love to share the natural world around me and I have always thought that part of the value of Highclere is in its age and continuity of ownership which has been written in the landscape for a millennium. So much of my work here involves the question of how do we sustain and conserve this landscape for the future?
One of the foremost voices of conservation, Jane Goodall, has just left us. She was a pioneer, a primatologist who through quiet observation transformed humanity’s understanding of chimpanzees. With a notebook, binoculars, and calm patience, she listened, documented and detailed patterns of behaviour.
Jane sought to understand how these animals related to each other and the world around them. Knowledge and understanding would lead to improvements in the lives of people, animals and the environment by respecting how we are all connected. Caring for each other would lead to better actions. Her voice carried moral authority because it was grounded in experience. In her later years, global respect gave her a place on the world stage, travelling for much of each year, sharing her message of hope and responsibility to audiences from schoolchildren to world leaders.
“Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference,” she repeated, always seeking to inspire the next generation to care and to be curious, whatever the starting point. She always said she was inspired and fascinated by stories form Dr Doolittle to Tarzan.
She was very softly spoken but nevertheless an unyielding advocate for hope and has recorded and left these messages for all of us. She believed that hope was not just wishful idle thinking but almost a moral duty: it was the resolve to act despite despair. She considered pessimism to be self-indulgent and insisted that even small efforts, multiplied, could shift the course of the planet.
She argued that lasting conservation depends on those who live closest to the land and that indigenous communities embody an ethic of respect and reciprocity that modern systems ignore at their peril. Every life leaves an imprint. Humanity’s task, she said, is to decide what kind of difference it wishes to make—guided by intellect, humility, and hope that is practiced, not presumed.
“And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity” Three small words, three words to change life, whatever order you prefer.
23 Comments
Lovely thought provoking blog, thank you. Alice
Lovely the pictures living together did you and lord Carnarvon have a wonderful weekend lam fan of Downton Abbey and highcelere castle
Wise words, this week and just seeing the beautiful photos is encouragement enough to venture out in the Autumn Sun.
It is such a soft light just now!
I do like your more philosophical prose today. It is a thoughtful and inspiring message in this time of great strife. Thank you!
I particularly love this column. Faith, hope and charity, indeed, and knowing the difference between want and need. Our lives are so fractionated today. We should paused before each new activity to ask, want or need?
Standing still to think !!!
Oooo the exquisite beauty...your last photo of dew drops on a sider web reflecting the golden colors of autumn!!
The last photo was taken by Pau Mac here - he has a great eye
Jane Goodall life is an example of true love and commitment for animals and the environment. She was one of a kind and her passing is a great lost for humanity
we will continue to remember her, she was a wonderful woman
yes she was so calm....
So very interesting to read thank you
Thank you
Such an interesting read thank you ,
Dear Lady Carnavon,
Marvelous post, one to save and re-read for its strong message of hope. Your commitment shines through!
you are very kind
Your article this week states beautifully what it is all about, thank you. Let’s pray that the good
Lord sends rain soon!
A very thoughtful and relevant article. Thank you. I’ve saved off Jane’s parting message so I can return to it regularly to draw strength and hope from her words.
And the fall pics are gorgeous. ❤️ I think it is imperative to be intentional about maintaining our connection to the natural world and the rhythms that govern all creatures on this blue marble we all travel together.
Like you and Jane Goodall, we must all be responsible caretakers of this planet, beginning within ourselves, then growing to respect and understand others globally.
Thank you for a very thoughtful and reflective entry to greet my morning. As you wrote about Jane Goodall, I thought our Her Royal Highness, Princess Catherine, who has become very reflective and a good advocate, too. All three of you are wonderful humanitarians and inspiration to women around the world.
Dear La;dy Carnarvon,
Humbling truths. When one visits Highclere, your connection to, and your commitment to, the land is clear to see around every corner. From the wildflower meadows to the various herb and rose gardens, the lavender hedges and the trees of remembrance, you and Lord Carnarvon, and your team, preserve the humble connection that is so precious in this changing world.
Thank you for this wonderful post, and thank you for remembering dear Jane Goodall. May her message resonate with everyone.
Be well.
Best regards,
Charlotte Merriam Cole
Thank you.
I love that you included scripture in your post. Thank you.
Thank for this lovely and reflective post, Lady Carnarvon. I particularly was moved by your comments regarding Jane Goodall. She became my hero after I saw her working with Dr. Louis Leakey when I was still a child. Not many women were out and about in Africa on digs and wandering through jungles at that time. I've been keen on anthropology and archeology since, and being in my 60's now that's a good long time.
Lady Carnarvon,
You captured the delights and problems with nature so well. Beautiful sunny days in October, but the need for rain for the baby crops. I have so many pictures of English country sides from my visit in 2013; I was mesmerized by your beautiful land. Thank you for your stewardship at Highclere. Blessings and fair days.
Martha
Funnily enough it is beautiful primarily due to nature and we all just all a few brush strikes
Highclere and the England countryside…. Sublime. Thank you for your blog each week. It’s calming.
Martha
Jame Goodall was a wonderful human being. God bless her.
Thank you for sharing .
It is a gentle call to action - we seem to be so good at thinking it 's not us!!!
A really beautiful essay.
My visit to Highclere was amazing but the gardens were my favorite. I could have walked the property for hours. I hope to get back someday and do just that!
Your thoughts today and tribute to Jane was lovely and well deserved. She was a treasure!
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The difference we can make by planting native plants from where we live makes such a positive difference. Rejecting toxic chemicals and embracing organic methods is best for our water supply, all visiting wildlife, and the pollinators we must save to grow healthy food. Having had the pleasure of visiting your home two years ago, your caring truly is clearly evident!
Thank you - small steps we can all and each take ...