This is a series of flash interviews with people I admire, people who are doing something—anything, a lot of things—for the Earth. These folks walk the walk, each of them in their own way, using their own unique skillset. They dedicate their energy, their time, and their hearts to a crucial cause: the preservation of this precious planet we call home.
Tanner Pickett makes his living as Vice President for Communications at Montreat Conference Center in the mountains of western North Carolina. But you’ll also find him, on his days off, wading through cold water with a fishing rod in his hand.
This former rock climber and whitewater kayaker eventually gravitated toward a calmer, more meditative way of connecting with the natural world: fly fishing. Now he leads other fishers in workshops he calls “The Way of Water.” Fly fishing, where the sportsperson throws or casts their line repeatedly in long, graceful arcs, can be a contemplative practice, says Tanner.
The aim of his workshops is to help fly fishermen slow down and become more present and mindful of what they’re experiencing. Tanner starts each session with brief centering exercises that awaken the senses and encourage his students to connect more deeply with the river they are about to enter. He prompts them to smell the air, hear the rush of water over rocks, and feel their feet—first on the earth and then in the river.
If someone catches a fish, Tanner urges them to look—really look—into the fish’s eyes before releasing it. The idea is to know that another living creature is seeing you as you’re seeing them. The whole process becomes a spiritual endeavor.
When he discovered the section of the Rocky Broad River that flows through conserved land at the Transfiguration Preserve in Bat Cave, N.C., Tanner knew he’d found the ideal venue for his contemplative fly fishing classes. The preserve is 500-plus acres that was previously owned by an order of Episcopal nuns and now is protected by Conserving Carolina, a nonprofit land trust based in Hendersonville, N.C. The river there is pristine and wild, tumbling over boulders and creating the pools and eddies that are prized by fly fishermen.
(For information on upcoming workshops in “The Way of Water,” you can check the Conserving Carolina monthly calendar.)
Tanner lives in Black Mountain, N.C. with his wife and daughter. He holds degrees in psychology and public administration. Recently he graduated from a two-year program called the Living School of Action and Contemplation that is grounded in the transformative wisdom and practices of the Christian contemplative traditions.
Here’s what this contemplative fisherman shared with me about how spirituality and nature are interwoven in his life.
Tanner, please tell me about some of your early experiences in nature.
My grandparents lived on a 15-acre plot near our home in south Arkansas. It was a small property that had been the home to my family for generations, and to me, despite its proximity to town, it felt like an expansive wilderness. The creek and wooded hills that stretched through its length held endless possibilities for adventure for me. There, my imagination could run wild, and I could live out the stories I often read about or watched on TV. This land afforded me freedom to wander, explore, and learn, as well as provided me a solitary place to think and really be myself.
How did those early experiences shape your relationship with the natural world?
I learned that there was a spirituality and wisdom that could easily be found in nature. If you were willing to learn, nature could teach you things about yourself. As time passed, I sought this wisdom through activities like hiking, camping, rock climbing, kayaking, and fly fishing. Although I didn’t see it then, all those activities served as a conduit for that connection I found early in life.
How do you connect with nature now … through your work or leisure or both?
I have learned that you can tap into this feeling by looking out a window or sitting in a park just as much as you can from kayaking down a Class 3 rapid or fishing in a mountain stream. The filter for that is your intention. I try, as much as I can, to remember to tap into it whether at work or leisure. That is the real challenge, and I’m not always successful. But I’m privileged to work in a beautiful place where nature is outside my office door (Montreat Conference Center), so when at work, I try to remind myself to take walks whenever possible and hold meetings outdoors. During leisure time, I prefer to be in nature whenever possible, and I try to be intentional about noticing when I’m not fully present in the experience. That’s the real practice for me.
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What are your biggest fears for the future of our planet?
Our actions (or inactions) continue to destroy this planet and cause us pain. Humans are always the best students, so my biggest fear is that the pain will have to get worse before it gets better, which has real ramifications for future generations.
What is your biggest hope for the future of our planet?
Future generations—definitely. My daughter’s generation seems to have developed a respect for nature and an understanding of the importance of initiatives like recycling and pollution control. I trust that their generation will get it together, which isn’t to say that we should just wait for them to solve the problems.
Thank you, Tanner, for being a Champion of Nature!
I am so grateful for this young man’s wisdom and practices. I’m working hard at this latter part of my life to be present in my daily life as often as possible. It has made such a difference. Thank you, Tanner. If this world is to be saved this is the way.
Thank you for introducing us to Tanner. Just reading about him brings peace and the connection to nature deeper.💚