Listen to “We are Nature; Nature is Us”.
“It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement, the greatest source of visual beauty, the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.”
Sir David Attenborough.
Nature is natural, but how we live now is not. Nature is at the root of our existence. We are part of nature, and the more we drift from it, the less human we become. We live within nature and dissolve back into it when we die. We are an interconnected web of life – and to lose a single part is to be diminished.
Nature is amazing! Everything relies on everything in one way or another. It’s a miracle that the organisms in an ecosystem can survive off of one another to keep the world in balance and help species thrive.
Even in small doses, nature is a potent elixir.
People who are more connected with nature are happier, feel more vitality, and have more meaning in their lives. Nature brings us a sense of connection and belonging; we are part of nature.
We need to reconnect to reality and feel part of something bigger – the ecosystem. Our mental health suffers when we don’t. We cannot survive without nature. Too often, we see nature as something to use, control or as a threat to our existence. To fix this, we need a new relationship with nature, and doing so will allow us to tackle the crisis in our mental health and wellbeing.
The more high-tech our lives become, the more nature we need. Spending time in nature, looking at plants, water, birds, and other aspects of nature gives the cognitive portion of our brain a break, allowing us to be more focused, patient and energized.
When we damage the Earth, we damage our health. Human beings are as susceptible as any other species to the environment we create. The air we breathe, the water we drink, the foods we eat and the medications we take are all by-products of a healthy planet.
Nature is vital in keeping us emotionally, psychologically and physically healthy. Nature reminds us that humankind is part of a bigger picture and that it’s not all about us as individuals. Observing the natural world reminds us how amazing this planet is and how we have a role to play in keeping it that way.
