Morning Earth

A daily reminder of the diverse and poignant life going on all over the place around humanity. Thoughtful words accompany intimate glimpses of many life forms, drawing us closer to our extended family and our beautiful larger home. Something for the eye, mind and heart that isn't selling something or asking us to do more than perceive and appreciate. A rare gift in these confused times. A breath of fresh air, expanding our horizons and bringing us home.

Every day I am surprised at the image and word value of Poet John Caddy. It is amazing that he is able to link imagaes wth words that express exactly the right passion. His work is an ispiration, for myself, as a photographer and published author.

John’s poems wake me from the slumbering place I often find myself in. They open my eyes and mind to what is around me. Because of his poems I look closer and more often and this is a wonderful gift to be given. My latest discovery is the Morning-earth.org website. It’s is remarkable place - an incredible resource to explore.

John's daily pictures and poetry start my day with an appreciation of the beauty and stark reality of life on earth. For 30 years, I have known John and his dedication to helping people find the poetry within themselves. His messages continuously remind us of the fragile yet powerful links between us and earth.

Receiving the photographs in the morning is like a breath of fresh air! It helps me start my day in a peaceful, centered place which sets the tone for the day. I love it!

A friend of mine shared this with me a couple years ago and I f\have been a fan ever since. I often recommend to firends. I look forward to my daily dose of Grace that John sneds via email.

I start every day with Morning Earth and The Writers' Almanac. Together they put me in a positive mindset to address the inevitable challenges ahead. John Caddy's remarkable photographs of nature, accompanied by his gift for the poetic line, open my eyes and mind to the beauty that is often just out my back door, if I would just pay a bit more attention.

The poem/photo combinations that I regularly receive in my inbox from Morning Earth provide a delightful source of joy and connection with our beautiful world. These pieces of art remind me to stay tuned with the beauty around me. I look forward to my daily dose of inspiration from John's pen and camera.

I enjoy reading the poems john sends everyday, he has a special gift for bringing nature alive and getting us to see what a special place our earth is. thank you john.

What a joy to start the day connecting with the natural order. It broadens my horizons and calms my soul.

I love Morning Earth! I find it so inspirational. John has an incredible gift for making the images that we perhaps pass everyday come alive in an AWE-inspiring way. The natural world is so remarkable but John makes me stop and appreciate that over and over. I love to share the images and poems with my two sons and I see them noticing nature's beauty more as a result. My 11-year old has been inspired to write poetry too. John's photography is fabulous, too. What a gift he brings to my inbox daily.

I enjoy John's images and words daily. I have taken a nature class from him and have the morning Earth book. Even though I am a health care provider, I have used his images and words occasionally to help nurture their spirit.

My husband met John Caddy at an art fair years ago. John asked if he could send his daily photos and poems to us. At first I didn't pay much attention. Then at some point I decided to emulate John, that I would do a sketch of some natural inspiration on a daily basis. This lasted about six weeks. I am amazed by his consistency. Year after year we have received his inspirational work... Almost every day. I am a glass artist specializing in images of the natural world and his work is very useful to me. Some of my own efforts are used in hospital settings where I hope patients and staff will be uplifted. Morning Earth has become a part of my own work.

Morning Earth is for me, a daily blessing. The images, so stunning; the poetry so beautifully concise. Mr. Caddy seemingly knows my thoughts - would that I could express myself so eloquently.

A remarkable artistic connector between the average citizen and the natural world. Words and images strongly reinforce the role that nature plays in our lives. These daily messages are stirring and inspiring.

veryinspiring. It is a daily reminder of life's miracles.I wish it was required reading at all schools and even for politicians Bob Schibel

As a teacher (now retired) and writer, I've been enlightened and inspired by the Morning Earth site and John Caddy's daily messages for several years now. I've recommended it to many people and put a link to it on my website. I don't know of any organization that does a better job of linking artistic expression with an ecological sensibility. We humans won't be motivated to change our planet-wasting ways until we learn to love and appreciate the natural world we inhabit, and John's work is all about fostering that learning.

I was raised on Kootenay Lake in British Columbia. The Mountains drop down into the lake, often mirroring themselves to the tune of the cal of grebe and loon. As a young naturalist, my mission was to reveal the beauty of nature to the casual on looker. So, many years later, when I “met” John Caddy, I found a “kindred spirit.” He spoke the same language of nature like no other. His insightful, or in-sight-full words bring the beauty and wonder of nature full circle so people see deeper into the depths of this magnificence. Now I live in the city. I am doing caregiving for 24 hours, 5 days a week. John takes me out into nature with every email, bringing me needed respite. His web site offers even more. My 3 & 1/2 year old grandson is learning the names of the birds from his emails. (They stay still enough on the screen to see them, and return to them for a second look!) If I was back in the classroom teaching, I would be using his web even more. He offers a rich variety of ways to interact with nature. John Caddy is one of a kind. His unique way of seeing shape and pattern, micro & maximum sizes, fascinates me as much as his sense of humor. World wide he shares his love of nature so all can see through his eyes, and hear his words through his mind: thank you, John! My gratitude is beyond description!

Really enjoy the depth of the photos and commentary that John provides on a daily basis....very insightful....gets me to a whole new level of appreciation and gratitude for the wonderful gift of nature. In this crazy paced life, it's a moment to pause, sit, take a breath & relax caught up in the magic of John's photography and reflections.

This is a beautiful image that is a prayer to my eyes each morning. The images are a song of harmony and praise. I like the poems; I love the pictures.

Morning Earth is: interesting, thought-provoking, and profound. It wakes up my curiosity every morning. I love how John Caddy SEES things and connects us to his natural world. He always inspires me to see mine.

It's become my mini-meditation each morning to read John's poems. He has a truly gifted way with words and I appreciate the opportunity to reflect on my place in the world and keep my connection with nature fresh and renewing.

I am so amazed at John's photographs. He gives the ordinary creatures the majesty they deserve, and put us in touch with the earth when some days you do not get there. The poetry is a fitting companion.

Finding Morning Earth in my inbox is like a breath of fresh air. The way John combines his extensive knowledge of nature with his skill as a poet and wordsmith is truly a joy. He has an eye for the beauty of natural forms, while teaching the connections between all living beings. Through his eyes we can all have a richer experience. If you don’t have time to smell the roses, you do have time for Morning Earth.

Everyday the photos and poems connect me to nature. I have learned about birds, plants, insects, mushrooms, grasses, landscapes, trees and human nature and much, much more. Though I have been a nature lover all of my adult life I have learned to see and understand the world around me in different ways as a result of the Morning Earth photos and poems. Why life has been greatly enriched and I often share the daily inspiration with a friend.

Every morning I am greeted with a stunning photo and energizing poem. I wonder how will John show me the wondrous world today? I have shared many of John's wisdoms with my friends and family. My life is richer because of Morning Earth! And that is the truth.

John marries the two things that give my life meaning....poetry and nature. His stunning photos and awesome images, plus his delightful sense of humor and sensitivity have delighted and inspired me for many years. I'm sure that I'm not the only one that considers John a special friend! He just plain makes the world a better place. This site deserves support because it's only purpose is to save us all!

John Caddy has been working toward this venture for decades, shaping his poetic skills, thinking about the environment, evaluating nature-friendly ways of appreciating and behaving toward the world, and in recent years, polishing his photographic sense. Morning Earth is a daily wake-up call, watchfully presenting science and lore, alerting us to beauty, making connections, developing wisdom, creating community. In short, it epitomizes the role of art in the world.

Morning Earth offers an endless supply of beauty, whimsy, art and poetry. A fair offering to really "see" the innate essence of all things natural. Think you have seen blue chiffon-like ice melting in a pond.....the found brilliance of a honey-colored chanterelle....the coy smile of a sea otter....or the breathtaking sapphirine sky? Morning Earth takes you there like gold at the end of the rainbow. Eduction and appreciation CAN be an awesome experience.

I read the morning earth poems every day and use the site for personal research often. I work with children and keep referring others to this amazing site. While all other environmental sites seem to be accomplishing nothing, John Caddy's marriage of image and word support my own connection to the earth - thus accomplishing the greatest feat of all. Just think what would happen if all humans could re-connect to our life-giving planet!

I no longer remember how John Caddy's photos and poems reached me - but am glad they did. My poetry writing has been enriched by reading his and my days begin with a Caddy "original" healing photo and verse. I have shared Morning Earth with fellow lovers of good verse, photos and lovers of the Earth. His intuitive sense and deep appreciation of Nature is reflected in his photography that is well partnered with verse. The humor and lessons available by just opening the eyes and heart to the outdoor wonders are the kind of classroom material that this life-long student appreciates.

Opening Morning Earth each day has become an essential part of my life. John Caddy sees meaning in every image he photographs, and he voices those meanings in clear, revealing poetry. The intimacy to the natural world in Caddy's photos brings me surprising connections to my earthy relatives. I wish teachers everywhere could bring Morning Earth to their students for joy and enlightenment.

Morning Earth is one of the best educational and personal sites I have found. John Caddy's daily poem is something I read every morning. It helps me to realize that I am a small part of an amazingly large circle of being. It makes me a better person. I also use the daily poems and other teaching resources with my fourth grade students. I have never seen such enthusiasm for writing and love of the earth with any students before I started the "earth" theme with my students. Morning Earth has touched all of us in very important and personal ways.

I teach biology to high school students. The curriculum is based on state standards and is very broad and dense. When the opportunity presents itself, I feel it is important to add to the life science learning outcomes and work a bit toward attitude outcomes. When we take a minute or three to look at a picture and poem projected on the screen, many times these inner city students find a calm place in nature that they have never known before. Sometimes I can see a shift in a student’s perspective and in the way they interact. We can also use it as a jumping off place for writing assignments, or as an introduction to a unit. Morning Earth is a wonderful resource for teaching biology. For myself, I use it as a chance to take a break from grading and prepping lessons. When I click on Morning Earth, occasionally it provides a brief period of relaxation and reflection. I don’t have any neurobiological data to prove it, but I truly feel that for an instant, my brain works in a different way.

The pictures and poetry of John Caddy help me see more deeply into the natural world around us, greatly increasing my appreciation of its diversity and beauty. This is a consistently excellent source for daily meditation.

I work in a public library in a small town in NE Iowa. I have, through my own enjoyment of the daily Morning Earth posts, inspired at least 6 others to subscribe. But even more fun than that is sharing the posts and photos with library patrons. I regularly print them off and mount them on colorful background paper and display them in different parts of the library, so people will enjoy them as they are looking for a book or browsing. They are part of my larger mission to bring the outside in, to give equal attention to both the left brain mind and the right side, sensual intelligence we all have but don't consciously nurture. I enjoy seeing people pause to read the captions and enjoy the photos.

In all the busy business of the web, the one daily meditation I ALWAYS open and love to view and read is John Caddy's "Morning Earth." The photos are striking, the daily poem wise and clear, the facts appended about the natural scene always solid and illuminating. Of ALL the messages I receive daily, "Morning Earth" is the one I often forward to family and friends, who find it as stunning as I do, like a blessing. James P. Lenfestey

Each day when I open my e-mail, Morning Earth is the first message I read. The photos and poems are inspirational. I've added some of the photos to my screen saver. Each day I forward the message to a colleague in my office. When I discover a particular poem that resonates, I often forward it to our daughters. We are John Caddy fans; his books of poetry line our home bookshelves. Often, John's sharp, imaginative photos and poems are the best part of my day! I'm also friend on John's facebook page. When I was teaching, I often shared the poems with my students and developed creative writing lessons around them. Morning Earth is the best!

Morning Earth is a reminder that we all are connected and dependent on on the Mother. It reflects who we are and we see our images in the land and sea. The images are as we should be and serve as a reminder that, as guardians, the fate of the Mother is in our hands.

Beautiful to wake up to; it connects me to nature and I learn something everyday from the delightful poems. I frequently forward it to friends.

Morning Earth communications are like a mini meditation time for me. The photos that are shared along with the poems are fabulous. I view the photo and think of what I might write about it. Then I read the poem from Mr. Caddy and find that I nearly always have to look the photo over again because the poet usually notices things that I have not. I love Morning Earth!

I consider the day I found Morning Earth a truly profound beginning of meeting with those who love and cherish the earth. The website and each day of Morning Earth photography and verse engenders a reverence for even the smallest and overlooked forms of life. John Caddy's photography is sensitive and beautiful accompanied with words that convey his deep knowledge and appreciation of the natural world. I consider him the modern day Aldo Leopold. Many days I am moved to forward Morning Earth to friends in hopes of giving them just a moment of pause to reflect on some gem of nature we forget exists. It would be fantastic if the school systems had a way of incorporating the daily Morning Earth into each day as a touchstone for students.

Ever since a friend sent me a link to the website of Morning Earth, it has lifted my heart every morning with striking images in both words and photographs, taking me places I could not otherwise have visited, showing me aspects of familiar sights that I hadn't noticed, renewing my gratitude for a world of such beauty. Then I go for a walk in the park, looking for insights of my own. Food shelves feed the hungry in body. Morning Earth feeds the soul. It encourages respect for nature, an appreciation that makes people who come to be fed more likely to serve the world as well as inhabit it. Nobody could measure the general lift in spirits that John Caddy's free service, a photograph and a poem every week day, contributes to the world, but I know the benefit is substantial. The value of joy should not be underestimated. Mr. Caddy runs Morning Earth on his own, supported by donations. He could surely use further financial support.

John Caddy has created a valuable and wonderful resource for any and all interested in Nature with Morning Earth. The amount of quality content in his website is nothing short of staggering - from resources for educators, to detailed information about ecology, great writing and photography, to nature -focused art. John's contribution to the world should not be underestimated, nor overlooked. He deserves a vast audience to appreciate all that he does. Yes, I am one of then featured artist/naturalists on the site, but would have written the same review, if that were not the case.

I begin every weekday morning with Morning Earth—a nature picture and a poem by John Caddy delivered to my email. It's great to start the day with beauty and new ecological understandings. Even more impressive is the Morning Earth website which is rich in photographs of animals and plants and stunning scenery, information about our world and our interpenetration with it, introductions to naturalists and much more. It is a great resource for educators and anyone who wants to more fully experience the wonders of the world we live in.

Always Inspiring. A wonderful way to start my day - The pictures are beautiful - I save them for my desktop sometimes and the poetry often captures some aspect of the world, about which I need to be reminded.

Morning Earth expresses one of the most profound truths rediscovered in the post Newtonian era we are now entering and that is that we exist within interconnected systems and nested subsystems that are all animated by a universal energy we are on the verge of discovering. Such a world view leads to an understanding of the oneness of nature; no longer nature apart, now to be human is to understand and act with the intention of interdependence and commonality with all manifestations of form and substance. ~EBWuersten~

John Caddy's Morning Earth is always my second awakening. For his subscribers, each morning opens to a new and unexpected camera-glimpse of Nature's "back 40" and a poem the scene inspired. His amazing knowledge of the intricacies of life's circling and his gift for connecting outer to inner worlds is a jolt of joy reminding us to really see the Natural world; think about it! It's a feast!

I count on Morning Earth to start my day. I gaze at the photograph. If it's one that calls to me, I put it up as my desktop screen. Then, it's interesting to see when I decide to change it for another - something really good and/or the need to reflect seasonal change.

John's daily images and words are so uplifting, honest and true and are a real insight into the natural world.

The poet, John Caddy, sends a daily email with an artistic photograph of a nature scene about which he has written a poem. The images are strong--both the written and the visual. Caddy has an eye for beauty and an ear for beautiful expression. I look forward to the daily reminder to pay attention to and be inspired by the world around us. I have used Morning Earth in my college classes and I often forward them to friends and family. We need more poetry in the world and Caddy's poetry is both accessible and profound so it appeals to a wide reaching audience.

John Caddy's photographs and accompanying poetry add an indescribable richness to my visual life. He finds unique and common images, both and opens my eyes to really seeing what is around me. I have had John add friends to his list out of my wish to allow others to enjoy morning earth. One other thing: because his work is mostly done in northern areas, he encourages us to see a special beauty in ice and snow -- neither of which, alone, we see as beautiful during a hard winter.

I think Morning Earth is a terrific website for my Nature in Literature Course at North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. I use the photographs and poems that John creates to go with them to help my students look closer into the aesthetics of nature. Sincerely, Don Wendel English Faculty North Hennepin Community College