Native Species

June 4, 2018

I was walking alone in the woods yesterday after a morning of bird surveys and I started to muse about the fact that although I've always felt quite comfortable in nature, that as a dragon, I feel completely out of place walking through the forest or stomping around in the fields. Honestly, I think one of the biggest recurring stumbling blocks I’ve experienced with my identity is the fact that as a biologist, I’ve never been able to imagine myself as a dragon in a natural setting, without feeling entirely out of place.

Is a dragon not just another animal? Then why should it feel so alien to be in a natural setting? I think in the back of my mind, I’ve always subconsciously used this as an excuse to laugh off and discount my identity. Even the massive elephants and vibrant birds somehow look natural in their native habitats. So how come I don’t?

It finally, after years of feeling this way, dawned on me why I don’t feel right in nature in a form that to me should feel more animalistic and natural: I’m looking in the wrong place. Dense forest is no place for a dragon of my build. I should be above the treeline in higher altitudes, not bumming around in the lowlands. My natural habitat is on dark craggy cliffs without twigs and tall grass to get my wings caught on.

Will I ever be able to find the perfect house on the perfect mountain, where I can explore and hike and finally feel natural, while still being close enough to civilization to live comfortably in my human moments? Probably not. But maybe I can find a field job somewhere or vacation to a place where I can finally be home for a little while.