As climate change makes life harsher, I’m thinking a lot about what I can do, together with my local plants and animals, to respond. Here, that looks like planting a lot of different things, annuals and especially perennials, edible leaves, tubers, and seeds. I hope that lots of different plants will mean more resilience. If a drought wipes out the corn, there's still a good chance that the papaya, nopales, and passionfruit will survive.
Adapting to climate change looks like keeping the soil covered and protected, chopping down weeds as compost and mulch, sharing seeds and plants with family, friends, and neighbors. Even if our crops fail, hopefully someone else's will make it through. It looks like planting not just food but also habitat for the animals that have no escape from the wild weather.
And sometimes, after pouring months of sweat and love and aspirations into this earth, I have no choice but to step away for a week and a half in a drought, and hope. The less help these plants need from me, the better-equipped we'll be for the unknown of the months ahead.
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You can find the written, illustrated version of this story here: https://wildwithnature.com/2026/09/01/a-cup-of-water-in-the-drought/
