Here at the South Portland Sustainability Office, we spend our days planning and managing programs that advance us toward our climate-action goals, such as reducing city-wide greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050 and transitioning municipal operations to 100 percent clean renewable energy by 2040.

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In the midst of all of this exciting progress, it is easy to forget why we do this work. The holiday season, however, feels reflective in nature, giving us the opportunity to sit back and absorb the world around us.

The sustainability field is rooted in connection to the planet. As winter emerges and Maine frosts over, we find warmth and purpose through watching the seasons change. We watch the leaves dance until they reach the ground and become blanketed by a powdery snow, and know that spring will come to melt it. This reminds us that everything is temporary yet cyclical: we have changing seasons, too.

One way we remind ourselves of our purpose in this field, and our role in the bigger picture, is by reading and listening. Elements of the natural world are found in writing and music alike, connecting (or reconnecting) us to the natural constants our planet offers us.

In honor of it being the season of giving and sharing, here are some of the sustainability office’s favorite environmental writing and music, that connects us back to this purpose and motivates us to do this work (consider it our holiday gift to you):

1.) Read Atmos magazine – Atmos features intersectional environmental storytelling that often highlights black and indigenous voices. With articles ranging from visual poetry to scientific overviews, there is something for everybody. Read at www.atmos.earth.

2.) Read Mary Oliver – Oliver’s poetry finds comfort in nature’s monotony, such as the life cycle of caterpillars or the overwhelming joy of watching a dog run along a beach. Any Mary Oliver poem is worth a read, but our office favorite is “Wild Geese.”

3.) Listen to Maggie Rogers – Specifically the albums “Now That The Light is Fading” and “Heard it in a Past Life,” where Rogers utilizes nature sounds in place of instruments, such as the sound of a tree falling to mimic a bass drop, and centers natural elements in her lyrics.

4.) Read Black Nature: “Four Centuries of African American Nature Poetry” – a beautiful collection spanning centuries that features 93 black poets, who have historically not been considered a part of the nature writing genre, despite being a core component of it.

5.) Read Secondhand: “Travels in the New Global Garage Sale” – this book explores the life of items we donate to second hand stores. A super interesting read that shows the wonders of a reuse economy.

Mia Ambroiggio is a part-time South Portland Sustainability Office staff member. She can be reached at mambroiggio@southportland.org.