Nature:
We are on an unprecedented collision course with the Earth’s life-support systems. To get on a better path, we need to collectively nurture widespread contagious love for nature and our place within it. Cultivating an eco-centric worldview is central to advancing Fair Earth Living.
When we connect with nature, we feel better. In a recent study, nearly 60% of Canadians agreed that their appreciation of the outdoors increased in the wake of Covid-19 (Environics Analytics and EcoAnalytics). Before the crisis, the public and the media tended to treat the environment and public health as separate issues, but the pandemic enabled more of us to step back and consider our interdependence with other living beings and life-giving ecosystems.
Meaningful experiences in nature during childhood can lead to more conservation behaviours as adults. Research shows that the two factors that contribute most to adults taking action to benefit the Earth are: 1) positive direct experiences in nature during childhood, and 2) role models of care for nature by someone close to the child, like a parent, grandparent or other trusted guardian (Convention on Biological Diversity).
“We need acts of restoration, not only for polluted waters and degraded lands, but also for our relationship to the world. We need to restore honor to the way we live, so that when we walk through the world we don’t have to avert our eyes with shame, so that we can hold our heads up high and receive the respectful acknowledgment of the rest of the earth’s beings.”
Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass, 2013
POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS
- Support groups that cultivate love of nature and an eco-centric worldview that reflects our interdependence with nature – e.g., nature-based solutions and outdoor learning programs.
- Support programming and narrative work that links health, nature and ways of living including addressing eco-anxiety and climate grief through mental health programs.