Because of her obvious love of nature, Kateri is the patron saint of ecology and the environment. We could certainly emulate her love of God’s creation. If it is okay with you, I would prefer to avoid the obvious political arguments here. There are probably other blogs that are happy to debate what role the government plays in various aspects of our lives, but I would prefer to focus on living the faith in our everyday lives – meaning I need to think about MY actions each day.
So what can I do to show love and respect for God’s creation? Sometimes, I think it’s a good idea just to remind ourselves how amazing His creation really is. I had a few days of that when my husband and I took a 30th anniversary trip to the Gatlinburg area. Since we’re not young and athletic, we didn’t take off for the long trail heads that are available in The Great Smoky Mountain National Forest, but we did find a couple favorite places with shorter trails and areas to explore. This first picture is from a favorite spot where we always stop for selfies when we visit the Burg!
There are two driving tours that we enjoy, each featuring shorter walking trails at various stops around big loop roads. One is right in Gatlinburg, probably less than a mile off the main Parkway, and the other is about an hour outside of Gatlinburg, in Cades Cove, which also has a lot of historic buildings like old homesteads and churches. 
We enjoyed some beautiful scenery and took a lot of pictures. Don’t worry, I’ll only share a few!
This shot of the creek (left) wasn’t too hard to get. There was just a slight hill to get down to that big rock, and the tree roots make it almost like a set of stairs. The bridge (right) is a wonderful example of human intervention into the landscape while maintaining respect for the beauty of God’s creation.
Speaking of respect for God’s creation, sometimes that’s not as easy as it sounds. Am I really supposed to love ALL of God’s creation? I mean, I have good intentions, but some of God’s creatures are harder than others to love 
…like, for example, deadly spiders who just happen to be on my path when I least expect it! Thankfully, I had my near miss with this one on our way BACK to the car. If it was earlier, I’m not sure that hike would have happened at all!
This beautiful tree, arching over the road, almost felt like the Lord was showing us the way!
I know it’s not necessarily a nature shot, but I still want to share this picture inside a 19th century Methodist Church (right). It is so simple and so beautiful. We also stopped at a Baptist Church from the same time period. Each church has a cemetery next to it. We spent some time contemplating the people who lived in these beautiful mountain areas.
Does it ever just take your breath away? Imagine an ecosystem so perfect that it is capable of creating such beauty! I know some people will argue that each element of nature can be scientifically explained, so it’s not a miracle. But I would argue that the scientific explanation IS the miracle. It illustrates the genius in God’s plan that He created this world with such beautiful scientific secrets to uncover.
Dear Lord, please guide us through this wondrous world with appreciation for Your glory in the beauty all around us, as Kateri demonstrated. Help us find ways to protect and preserve Your creation as we interact with nature throughout our lives.