In Praise of Weeds and Vermin
Weed: a plant that is not valued where it is growing and is usually of vigorous growth.
Varmint (var. vermin): an animal considered a pest.
Vermin: animals that at a particular time and place compete (as for food) with humans or domestic animals.1
I have seen some of the most beautiful flowers, delicate purple, pink and yellow buds, growing in the middle of a well-manicured lawn. I have marveled at their beauty, their tenacity, their spontaneity. They bless us with their color and spirit, free and joyous in the midst of disciplined, crew-cut grass. But for all their beauty, these flowers are not valued where they are growing. They have had the audacity to come of their own accord, not as part of the gardener's plan, and so they are and so they are ruthlessly ripped from the ground with not even an acknowledgement of their beauty. The very same plants that in the forest or meadow would be valued as "wildflowers," are in the garden despised as "weeds."
And it is the same with animals. When they remain in the few wild areas we have left to them, we call them "wildlife" and sometimes even admire and protect them. But should these same creatures wander into any of the spaces we have taken away from them, they are immediately and magically transformed into "vermin."
In reality there are no "weeds" or "vermin." These concepts are merely constructs of the human mind. It is only our attitude that makes a plant a weed, or an animal a vermin. A plant becomes a weed when it is not valued where it is growing; an animal becomes a vermin when it is considered a pest or when it competes with humans or domestic animals. The only reason they are classified as "vermin" or "weeds" is because humans have made the subjective decision that they do not belong where they are, even though they were there first. We humans have put ourselves in the place of gods and have arrogantly proclaimed what is and is not of value and who is a pest and who is a pet, based simply on our own selfish desires and acquisitiveness.
I would like to suggest something. Spend some time watching an animal that is normally considered a "pest." Take the time to watch him going about his business in spite of our encroachment. Or take a new look at "weeds" in your garden. See how they add sparkle and life to an otherwise regimented yard.
Let's try to live with all beings, and not label some as pests simply because they are not where we, in our species-centric way, have decided they should be. Let’s remember that we are the ones who are trespassing. And let's try to stop being such pests ourselves.
Tina Clark
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1 Webster's Tenth Collegiate Dictionary.