Our Environment Needs Help, and Humans Protect the Things We Care About
So, it’s time we all forge a personal relationship with Nature
This article was originally published in Katrina’s free Newsletter, Curious Adventure.
Confession: I kinda feel like we’re living in some insane time-warped, dystopic, alternate reality where murphy’s law rules all. Okay, perhaps that’s a tad dramatic, but you get my drift. What I mean is, things are a little chaotic on several levels, and we’re all looking toward a future that doesn’t have a playbook. We have no idea what to expect, but at this point, things are looking pretty grim. I think most everyone knows this by now, so I’m not going to drag on about it.
Cultural conflicts and pandemics aside, the big kahuna on the horizon is global warming. A new sort of adversary humankind has never faced, at least not on this scale. Millions of people bury their heads in the sand because they don’t think there’s any other option. “How can one person make an impact?” they ask, “We’ve read the reports that say we’re already doomed. There’s no point.”
This may be true, but I can’t help but wonder… Isn’t now better than any other time to develop a relationship with Nature? Especially if we’re doomed?
A Little Background
Alongside being a Pacific Northwest native — growing up with a 5,200-acre forest in the middle of the city and deserts, mountains, and the Pacific Ocean all within a couple hours drive — I was known as a TomBoy. Dresses were my nemesis, and you’d be more likely to find me up a tree than playing with dolls.
I also attended the Environmental Middle School. (Yes, seriously.) EMS was an alternative school for grades six through eight that obviously focused heavily on the environment. This means I learned about nature in a way not many other kids did through weekly outdoor trips and immersive projects.
Even before then, I’ve felt a connection with Nature — an almost energetic exchange. To me, they’re alive — every mountain, plant, desert, and even the wind — in a sense we haven’t given them credit for.
