Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.” And that is what happened. The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:11-12

May is a beautiful month. We get to enjoy the bright color of springtime plus all the new green leaves coming out for summer. Especially in a picturesque town with “forest” as part of its name.

This is a time when the birds are singing happily, the temperatures are mostly in the 60’s and 70’s, and the air cools off enough in the evenings to wear a light jacket.

Here in Wake Forest the town is struggling to keep some of the more aggressive development at bay, and our Tyler Run neighborhood is fast becoming an oasis of trees and green, part of the thinning buffer between downtown and the edge of Raleigh.

So please, as you enjoy these photographs, allow yourselves to be prompted to think about what it means to destroy so much in the way of green space and natural drainage. No matter what our sphere of influence, we are all called to be responsible stewards of this Good Earth.

What good is all the money development brings in if we spoil our quality of life? – DEREK

• all grandchild images by Naomi Campbell: