LEARNING TO VALUE. LIFE
How can we raise our level of awareness, in the 11th hour
For the last 10 years, I've had incredible opportunities to experience some of the most diverse and beautiful ecosystems worldwide. Some of these places include the Amazon River, the Cedarberg mountain range, Londolozi game reserve, Mana pools, Patagonia and the northern Lights in Finland. I have always been so captivated by these incredibly rich ecosystems, and learning about all the life that exists within these landscapes.
“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.”
The above quote by John Muir helps me with the feeling I get when one stops to look at the intrinsic value of any being in the natural world - both plant or animal. Our description of value in nature has primarily been built around reducing nature down to a commodity. A tree is not just useful for us to make furniture. A tree is useful to a host of creatures that depend on it for habitat and food. The tree is also useful to the forest. Can you see the level of reduction that has taken place? Im sure you can feel it too. I know I can. When i realize that I am able to connect with the more than human world, I feel less alone and a lot happier. Its a nice thought knowing that we are not on a rocking moving through space with just humans. There are a huge variety of beings amongst, and they are all distant relatives. We are all tied to the same fate.
When I went to Schumacher College last year to teach nature connection to the Ecological Design Thinking students, I got the opportunity to spend time with Dr. Stephan Harding ( Professor & Ecologist at Schumacher College). We went for walks on his property, chatting about all things related to consciousness and nature connection. I have always enjoyed these conversations with Stephan, and I see him as a great mentor of mine, specifically in space psychology and nature. In the video above we walked through is patch of forest in Dartington followed by drink at his wonderful home.
It is clear to me that the most impactful change we can make is at the individual level. We need to reconnect and include biodiversity in our lives. Not just because it will be economically beneficial to us, but because it connects us to something so much bigger than ourselves. Essentially we all need to get Gaiad.
Shifting our mentality to a world-centric approach, and reconciling our perspective of Value, is the necessary step we need to solve the looming threat of biodiversity loss and climatic instability. We are in the eleventh hour.
If the above video resonates, please help share it. I Look forward to sharing a new thoughts or topics soon.
Wild regards,
Sammy Chev