Chapter Meeting Wednesday, December 4th, 2024

Green Shoots:  Waking Up to a Natural Wisdom 

(Iceland Fishing Village)

“To be surprised, to wonder, is to begin to understand . . . everything in the world is strange and marvelous to well-open eyes.” Jose Ortega Y Gasset

Periods of relative calm have encouraged patterns of human habitation that in recent times are coming into conflict with climate change. For eons our species responded to a changing environment, but, in our current awareness we are shocked when we stoically attempt to confront a constantly changing and dynamic bio-sphere.

We are and will always be in a timeless dance with the perpetually changing natural world. As an Architect, actively building living environments I was inspired by a recent visit to an Icelandic fishing village built around 1,000 CE. It gave me insight into mankind’s ability to adapt to a changing climate. The structures the Icelanders built utilizing available materials with incredible efficiency and an intuitive understanding of the brutally cold climate facilitated their ability to thrive!

My spiritual advisor, a shaman of the Lipan Apache tradition, taught me that there is “a spirit that moves through all things.” It is this earth power that is awakening our forgotten “nature knowledge,” the well spring of human progress.

With well-open eyes in quiet moments of thought and reflection, it is obvious to me, that Green Shoots are sprouting in every endeavor.

Our speaker will be Gary Gene Olp, FAIA, LEED Fellow

Gary Gene Olp, directs GGOArchitects, an acclaimed Dallas architectural studio dedicated to excellence in design and sensitivity to place and the environment. Established in 1987, GGOArchitects has secured 25 USGBC LEED certifications -many for local projects, including the first LEED Platinum certified home in Texas. His own home in Old Lake Highlands is an award-winning eco-friendly design. Known nationally for his work, Gary is committed to local civic involvement, including extensive work on the White Rock Lake Advisory boards and task forces.

Gary has provided a video to preface his talk that you can enjoy.