Reflections from Liz Nevers, UW-Baraboo/Sauk County

What does "making it home," in other words making a home in Wisconsin, mean to you?

When I think of home, I think of a place I care about deeply, where I share my life with family and friends. Home nurtures me emotionally, physically and spiritually. Wisconsin is where I landed by chance, but stayed by choice. When I think of Wisconsin as home, it's a specific landscape and a local community of people, plants and animals. Home has a legacy to be passed on. Part of making Wisconsin home is sharing and celebrating that legacy with others. There is an old adage that "home is where the heart is." Sauk County is definitely where my heart resides.

What do you love about the region where you live? Why is this important to you?

I am privileged to live in what I consider one of the most beautiful areas of the country. I love the rolling wood hills; the farms nestled in the valleys; the clear streams and rivers; the abundant wildlife and farm animals; and the small communities filled with friendly, caring people. Sauk County comes with a rich heritage of stewardship, a proud farming tradition, and honest, hardworking people. It's a place that has inspired artists and conservationists, including Frank Lloyd Wright and Aldo Leopold, and it continues to draw and inspire people. It is a place that deserves to be cherished and protected.

Where (or when) do you feel most connected to the natural world? Is there a particular experience that you can recall?

I grew up on a dairy farm in another state. My family depended on the land and the animals; I grew up immersed in the ebb and flow of the seasons and the natural world. I spent many summers playing in fields, woods and streams. It was wonderful. Now I live and work in town, so I no longer have that daily, visceral connection to the natural world. But I remember. For my own well-being, I reconnect by walking along the Baraboo River, driving through the countryside, or hiking in a state park. Unfortunately, most Americans have never experienced the natural world as an intimate part of their life and work. This is a great loss.

What do you think is at stake in your community if residents don't talk about the land and our connections to it?

Well, we could lose the landscape that supports us physically, as well as mentally, emotionally and spiritually-not out of malice, but out carelessness and arrogance. If we damage or destroy the land that makes us unique and nurtures us, we diminish ourselves and our communities. Unfortunately, there are plenty of examples of cultures that disappeared because their practices were not sustainable and the land ceased to support them. May those stories serve as a warning and not an example.

Reflections from Katie Abbott, Military Ridge Prairie Heritage Area, Dodgeville

What does "making it home," in other words making a home in Wisconsin, mean to you?

Making a home here means creating a connection that help us care about what happens to our state's people and places. Our connections may come from family and friends living nearby, from institutions like school and church, or from culture, art, music and history.

For me to truly feel a place is my home, I need a connection to the natural world, too. It's not enough to drive by and acknowledge a pretty setting. I need to get out of the car, to see it up close, and witness how it changes through the year. The connections to people, culture and nature turn just a "place" into a home.

What do you love about the region where you live? Why is this important to you?

What I love most about southwest Wisconsin is how peaceful it is. It's such a blessing to walk outside your door or drive down the road and be able to see the natural beauty all around-the rolling hills and fields, the wildlife and woods. At the end of a hard day at work, I love to go for a walk and experience all that is around me.

Where (or when) do you feel most connected to the natural world? Is there a particular experience that you can recall?

I feel most connected to the natural world during the changing of the seasons. Each season is unique: I love the renewed warmth and color of spring, the light and energy of summer, the cozy mellow of fall, the crispness and peace of winter. These are the most obvious during the transitions between seasons, when you can't help but be aware of nature all around you: the first flower, the first warm day, the first thunderstorm, the first cool day, the first tree that changes color, the first snowfall.

I also feel connected to nature when it's close up. I like the details. The imprint of a snail shell fossilized in rock, a baby turtle escaping into the vegetation, a feather or bone hiding in the grass, the play of sunlight on water, the delicate pattern of a snowflake. I like to think that I might notice something no one else has seen before. Many people may walk along the same trail, or pause in the same spot, but no one will see it exactly the same way. Even if you can't own the natural world, the moments between you and it are yours and yours alone.

What do you think is at stake in your community if residents don't talk about the land and our connections to it?

We're connected to nature in every facet of our lives: food, shelter, fuel, air, water, scenery, recreation, health, happiness. But if we don't talk about our connection to nature, we may not realize how important it is, and it may become sacrificed in the name of progress. Nature has no voice. Discussion can give the land a voice, and can give people a voice, too. Discussion can bring our connections to nature to the forefront of our minds and hearts, and help us make decisions that honor that connection.

ON Beliefs

The 2010 Wisconsin Book Festival explores the theme of Beliefs. In the Festival's honor, we asked several authors, poets and other thinkers from across Wisconsin to reflect on the role beliefs have played in their lives. The multiplicity of perspectives you'll see here reflects one of the Wisconsin Humanities Council's deeply held beliefs: That when our beliefs get aired, shared and woven together, community life grows more vibrant and our individual lives are enriched.

I Don't Believe in Everything
by Fabu, Madison Poet Laureate, Madison

Sometimes in our country, I think people believe in everything, which is essentially to believe in absolutely nothing. I don't believe in everything.

Ask most people a question about their beliefs, and you will get a puzzled look in return. They are hesitant to share, don't want to be challenged, and instead of answering, often ask "well, what do you believe?"

I have a selective belief system that flows from my parental foundation, experiences as an African American woman, the personality that is Fabu, deeply thinking about myself, others and ideals, along with my faith as a Christian. I have arrived at my beliefs through decision and determination so that rather than imprisoning me, as I felt my beliefs did when I was younger, they now anchor me, as a mature adult, in the churning sea of our contemporary American society.

I say that an important part of being a unique human in the world is to take the time to explore, test and decide what you believe and why. It is as crucial to your personal development as breathing is to physically staying alive.

To read more ON Beliefs essays from the across the state, please visit the Wisconsin Book Festival website.