8 Ways to Reconnect with Nature
Categories: Ecology & Sustainability Society & Politics
As Earth Day approaches communities all over the world, from Berkeley to Berlin, are celebrating our planet through acts of environmental love. From planting trees and picking up trash, to spreading online petitions and emailing elected officials, each of us has our own Earth Calling, and each is as unique as a fingerprint.
In their book, Earth Calling: A Climate Change Handbook for the 21st Century, authors Ellen Gunter and Ted Carter help readers discover their own unique calling. It all begins with re-establishing our connection to the Earth.
To get your Earth Day started off right, here are some great ways you can reconnect, adapted from Earth Calling:
Tags: Climate Change Sacred Activism1. Get outside. Start by trying David Suzuki’s thirty-by-thirty challenge—spend thirty minutes in nature every day for thirty days in a row. While out, see if you can identify local flora and fauna. Keep a journal of your adventures.
2. Learn more about where you live. Get to know where your food and water comes from, and where your trash goes. The more we know about unhealthy and unsustainable practices in our communities, the better informed we are when it comes to making the decision to change.
3. Find your closest state park. Spend time sitting in the midst of the greenery and trees. Sit under a tree and close your eyes. See how many sounds you can identify. What does the air smell like? What does the wind sound and feel like? Pay attention to how your body feels.
4. Spend time gazing at the night sky. At least once a month (when the moon is full or new, for instance) get away from city lights, if possible, and look up at the sky. When the moon is full, watch its trajectory. When it is new, appreciate the darkness of the sky, and how regular and dependable life’s cycles are. Each of us is a little bit different every twenty-eight days.
5. Learn the birds indigenous to your area. Watch for their comings and goings. As you become more aware of the birds that visit you, you may also want to create a bird sanctuary, matching plants, trees, and bird feeders to the bird species you want to draw to you.
6. Practice gratitude. Take a gratitude walk in a place that you cherish. Talk to nature. Say thank you.
7. Think about what you’re good at. Are you a networker? A fundraiser? Are you a natural photographer? Think about what you have to offer and jump in! NGOs, non-profits and green organizations are always looking for volunteers.
8. Share your experience. Use sites like Facebook and Twitter to raise consciousness about the planet and the thousands of opportunities to be of service.
About the Author
Julia Kent
After graduating from UC Berkeley in 2007, Julia was delighted to find out that “professional book recommender” was a job. She has been working in marketing and publicity with independent Bay Area publishers ever since. She joined North Atlantic Books in 2014. She lives with her husband and two very nice cats in Oakland.
