CONNECT TO NATURE
Summery of the Connecting to Nature Project at the PEOPLE PLACE NATURE conference .
The basic premise behind the Connecting to Nature project is that when humans make a genuine, feeling, connection with something, we are so much more likely to care for and respect it. If we as a race are going to make any positive changes to protect and enhance the environment and natural world in which we live and depend we have to find ways to understand , respect and care about the other life forms with whom we share this earth.
Wildlife Groundswell held two workshops at our conference that follow this theme.
Alice Wonder took us on a sensory exploration of the natural world around us on the farm …..including a silent , meditative walk. This was a chance to slow down, calm our thoughts and awaken our senses. We listened to the leaves rustling, felt the wild wind swirling, the scent of autumn earth after rainfall, and saw the bright green of a grass blade backlit by the sun. Sarah Thomson followed that with a session using ’earth windows’ . We focused on awe inspiring details in nature that we often pass by with little thought. How often do we really stop and look at a fallen leaf or notice how the bark of a tree is actually festooned with the lace of spiders webs?
The second workshop was an informal, drop-in, nature inspired art session. We did some beautiful upcycling which involved painting an old table with nature inspired designs.
In the future we hope to encourage lots of other creative ways to help us connect to self, each other and to nature. That might be dance, music, poetry, conversation, writing, exchanging ideas, walking, talking, meditating to name a few. All feeling and imagining a better more compassionate world for all living things. Listening to our hearts and knowing we feel better when we spend time in natural spaces and healthy ecosystems is undeniable. Yet we are disconnected most of the time.
The walls of the conference hall were hung with visual art displays with artwork by Ilya Fisher and Sarah Thomson and photography by Nick Pearce. They all capture the fragile natural world, the life that we as humans spend so little time considering. They highlight the different storylines we have to choose from on our path ahead. Important visual reminders of why we all want to help nature thrive.
The connect to nature project is all about encouraging community with others who want to find creative ways to express a mutual care for nature and want to see a shift in human consciousness about our place in the natural world. If you would like to join in please come forward with your ideas and suggestions. We’d love to hear from you and help our ‘connect to nature’ community grow.
Tanya Strike, who is one of the directors of Wildlife Groundswell, has been a driving force behind sparking this project into life.
