Moose
Moose (Alces alces) occur in boreal forest areas of the Northern Hemisphere. In North America, they are found from Alaska eastward to the Atlantic Ocean, and south into the Rocky Mountains, northern Great Lakes, and the Northeast.
Ranging in solo or small herds within old-growth forests or small open areas and wetlands, this is the largest member of the deer family (Cervidae). Bulls weigh from 600 to 1,200 pounds and stand up to 6 feet tall at the shoulder. Cows weigh from 500 to 800 pounds.
The moose loves browsing leaves, twigs, buds, hardwood and softwood of willows, birches, maples, balsam fir, viburnums, aspen, and mountain ash, and when summer comes, they feed off aquatic plants in wetlands, streams, and ponds. An adult's daily intake is 40-60 pounds. Bulls and cows enter winter feeding heavily on the bark of young trees–mostly maple and aspen–and bulls drop their antlers during the winter as an energy conservation strategy.
The moose is an important indicator of the health of an ecoregion. (source)
What do you love about this particular creature?
What do they reveal to you about God and our faith?
God's magnificent creations, so improbably huge and bulky on long, spindly legs ending in relatively tiny hooves. Yet, they are agile and fast both on land and in water. These primarily gentle foragers are fiercely protective when necessary.
Listening to the sound of hooves splashing through the shallows in the early dawn hours, it's a gift to be so close to a creature of power, presence, and vast resilience.
Our Indigenous siblings have long understood the Moose (mooz in Algonquin, or mooswa in Cree) as creatures who symbolize strength, endurance, and resilience. Their presence is deeply integrated into traditional knowledge, hunting practices, storytelling, and indigenous identity. In a visit to the Cree of the Eastern James Bay, the community of St. Philip's Chisasibi shared their sacred altar cloth with us - a rare white moose hide, with the words "Holy, Holy, Holy" stitched upon it. Revered and sacred - holy indeed.
(St. Philip’s Chisasibi, Quebec, Canada, Anglican Diocese of Moosonee, Anglican Church of Canada.)
Author - The Rev. Dr. Nina R. Pooley
The Rev. Dr. Nina R. Pooley, the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts' - where The Nature Conservancy has established a wildlife corridor: a network of large, connected ecosystems where wildlife can move freely without being inhibited by major roads. The UMass Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit fitted 20 moose with radio collars, recorded the animals’ locations every couple of hours for two years, and that information helped refine the habitat protection priorities and inform collaboration with transportation departments to improve connectivity for animals.
O Creator God, you are known by your loving embrace of the undeserving and those who suffer: Grant us sight of your justice and conviction to love all creatures; through Jesus Christ the Wisdom of Creation, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.
Creation Collect (Proper 21 Year C) from Season of Creation, A Celebration Guide for Episcopal Parishes