1364: Hiking Moraine State Park by Violeta Garcia-Mendoza

Summary

Episode Overview

Episode Title: 1364: Hiking Moraine State Park by Violeta Garcia-Mendoza
Podcast: The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily
Host: Maggie Smith
Date: October 1, 2025

In this episode, host Maggie Smith reflects on the intertwining of nature, technology, and attention, introducing and reading Violeta Garcia-Mendoza’s poem "Hiking Moraine State Park." The discussion delves into the importance of real experiences in nature, the complexities of integrating technology into our environmental appreciation, and the ongoing human pursuit to name and know the world around us.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Importance of Real-World Experience (00:48–02:25)

• Maggie shares her personal guiding principle: “sky before screen,” expressing a conviction that time spent outdoors is essential for well-being.
  • “I believe that humans need more real experiences in the natural world and less time in front of computers. If I’m feeling burned out or stupid, stressed or sad, I feel better after spending a few hours outside...” (00:53)
• She notes how grounding sensory experiences—like feeling grass, sun, and wind—help restore perspective and connect her to her body.

Passing on Priorities to the Next Generation (02:25–03:18)

• Maggie discusses raising her children with these values and shares anecdotes:
  • Her 12-year-old son shuns video games in favor of outdoor sports and bike rides.
  • Her 16-year-old daughter balances screen time with frequent neighborhood walks, often inviting Maggie to join.
  • Their walks foster deep conversation and shared joy: “Those walks are usually the best part of my day.” (03:08)
  • Maggie humorously admits using her phone on walks for nature apps and photography, highlighting the irony of her “sky before screen” maxim.

Nature & Technology: Mutually Enriching? (03:18–03:54)

• Maggie acknowledges how technology, like bird identification apps, can deepen her appreciation for the natural world.
  • “I do prioritize sky over screen, but I use my screen to appreciate the sky.” (03:32)
  • She observes her online feeds reflect her offline interests, filled with birds, trees, clouds, and poetry: “My feed is full of things that feed me.” (03:38)
• This blend sets up the theme of the episode: sometimes, technology can connect us more deeply to nature instead of disconnecting us.

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Featured Poem: “Hiking Moraine State Park” by Violeta Garcia-Mendoza (03:55–05:18)

Poem Overview

The poem explores:

• The restless curiosity and wonder inspired by dragonflies seen over a marsh.
• The impulse to identify and name what we observe, aided but not fully satisfied by technology (iNaturalist app, the Internet).
• The fleeting nature of life and the desire to hold onto gratitude by naming and knowing.
• The tension between the specificity of data and the ineffability of real-world phenomena (“no search yields the common name for blur”).

Notable Passages & Themes

Memorably Read by Maggie Smith:

• “I keep seeing dragonflies. I don’t know the names for shimmers over the marsh. Based on location, inaturalist suggests they might have been Autumn Meadowhawks or Eastern Amber Wings or Shadow Darners.” (04:00)
  • Illustrates the intersection of close observation, curiosity, and technological aids.
• “The Internet doesn’t say what do you know about anything? But makes the point anyway. I’m trying to pay better attention.” (04:16)
  • Conveys the limits of technology in grasping the full human experience or sense of wonder.
• “Lately I fall asleep naming the birds and trees as if my gratitude might keep them safe, pinned to the earth.” (04:29)
  • Expresses a poignant, almost magical belief in naming as an act of preservation.
• “And yet no search yields the common name for blur.” (05:06)
  • Ends on the mystery of the natural world and the inadequacy of data to fully capture experience.

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Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Maggie Smith on balancing screens and sky:
  “It’s funny. I do prioritize sky over screen, but I use my screen to appreciate the sky.” (03:32)
• On poetic attention and knowledge:
  “The Internet doesn’t say what do you know about anything? But makes the point anyway. I’m trying to pay better attention.” (04:16)
• On naming as gratitude:
  “Lately I fall asleep naming the birds and trees as if my gratitude might keep them safe, pinned to the earth.” (04:29)

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Timestamps of Important Segments

• 00:48 – Maggie begins personal reflection on technology and nature
• 02:25 – Children’s relationship to nature and screens
• 03:32 – Humor and irony in using tech to enhance nature appreciation
• 03:55 – Introduction and reading of “Hiking Moraine State Park”
• 04:16 – Limitations of technology in experiencing wonder
• 04:29 – Naming as a practice of gratitude
• 05:06 – Closing with the ineffability of experience (“no search yields the common name for blur”)

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Episode Tone & Language

Throughout, Maggie maintains a warm, gently humorous, and contemplative voice, inviting listeners to reflect on their own habits of attention and appreciation. The tone is accessible, sincere, with a touch of wistfulness, capturing the spirit of daily poetic practice and the unpredictable gifts of attuning to the world.

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Summary

This episode of The Slowdown encourages listeners to seek and savor real-world experiences, yet acknowledges the nuanced ways technology can enhance—not just impede—our connection to nature. Through Violeta Garcia-Mendoza’s poem and Maggie’s personal stories, the episode offers a meditation on curiosity, gratitude, and the beautiful, sometimes unnameable, mysteries all around us.

Transcript

[A]

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[C]

I'm Maggie Smith and this is the Slowdown. I have a letterpress print in my house that reads sky before screen and I believe in that adage. I believe that humans need more real experiences in the natural world and less time in front of computers. If I'm feeling burned out or stupid, stressed or sad, I feel better after spending a few hours outside feeling the grass under my feet, feeling the wind and the sun on my skin. It's grounding and it helps me get out of my own head and into my body. It helps me keep things in perspective. I've done my best to pass these priorities on to my own children, encouraging them to go outside when they have free time. I think it stuck. My 12 year old son doesn't have any video games and hasn't asked for them. He can usually be found playing soccer or wiffle ball in a nearby park or riding bikes with friends. My daughter is 16 and definitely loves to watch television and make playlists on her phone, like all teenagers. But she also takes more walks in our neighborhood than anyone else I know. Usually she invites me to join her and we walk together, talking about what's going on with each of us or laughing about old memories or inside jokes. Those walks are usually the best part of my day. She teases me sometimes for having my phone out on those walks, taking photos of clouds, or using my Merlin bird app to identify the calls of birds I'm hearing. It's funny. I do prioritize sky over screen, but I use my screen to appreciate the sky. And you'd better believe that my algorithm knows how much I love birds and trees and clouds and poetry. My feed is full of things that feed me. Today's poem speaks to me because at its heart is a deep curiosity about the world, a desire to know more and more. It recognizes that Sometimes we can use technology to be more connected to nature, not more disconnected from it. Hiking Moraine State park by Violeta Garcia Mendoza I keep seeing dragonflies. I don't know the names for shimmers over the marsh. Based on location, inaturalist suggests they might have been Autumn Meadowhawks or Eastern Amber Wings or Shadow Darners. The Internet doesn't say what do you know about anything? But makes the point anyway. I'm trying to pay better attention. My entire adult life I felt, whatever this is, it can't last. Lately I fall asleep naming the birds and trees as if my gratitude might keep them safe, pinned to the earth. Maybe I do. Maybe I don't believe that the wind's, ahem, dragging across a hardwood floor. And still I want the words and names. And so, to help me identify the world, the AI would like access to my eyes, which is to say, my phone's camera. What does an algorithm love if not a cascade of data? And yet no search yields the the common name for blur. The Slowdown is a production of American Public Media in partnership with the Poetry Foundation. To get a poem delivered to you daily, go to slowdownshow.org and sign up for our newsletter. Find us on Instagram at SlowdownShow and [e-mail] hi, it's Maggie. The Slowdown helps you discover new poems and revisit old favorites. You can help us continue showcasing poetry from a diverse swath of authors by making a tax deductible gift. Head to slowdownshow.org donate today.