NATURELORE

In a previous post, we discussed the foundations of nature connection, the five pathways we can take to deepen our connection with nature, and although much more discussion and reflection is required to appreciate these foundations, a good starting point is to reflect on what does nature actually means you, to you personally? 

Understandably nature can mean different things to different people – how we view it, how we interact with it and how we protect it. Many of us live in urban city environments, others  live on working farms in the country, others by the sea, the important thing is, is that we recognise nature that’s close and accessible so we can connect with it regularly.

Let us explore what we mean by nature and why our relationship with nature is so important for our health and for the wellbeing of the environment. Nature is plants, animals, anything that develops of its own accord and connecting with nature should be simple and easy, it should be natural after all.

There’s no need to go on a wilderness safari to Africa to experience nature, although that would be amazing, but that “wilderness” interpretation of nature makes it infinitely more difficult to connect with regularly. Nature can be found anywhere, and it surrounds us everyday. The air we breath, the sunshine, the rain, the potted plants in your apartment, your 3 x 3 garden in the inner city and as Emma Marris discusses in her TED talk, Nature is everywhere — we just need to learn to see it, nature can be found anywhere, even the weeds that grow between the cracks in the concrete footpath you walk along to get to the bus stop everyday.

Try it, take a look around you, take a deep breath, close your eyes and listen to the birds singing, and see if you feel any better.

Knowing what nature means to you will help you on your nature exploring journey, so why not take a moment now to think about what nature means to you? Perhaps leave a comment below, draw a picture in your journal or just sit quietly for a moment and reflect on the question.

By taking the time to see and experience nature by using the five pathways, you’ll begin to see and appreciate nature everywhere.

All the images in this post were taken on a recent holiday to Paris, Beaune and Eymet in France.

Au revoir naturelorers 🌿

References:

Marris, E., 2016, Nature is everywhere — we just need to learn to see it, video, ted.com, June 2016, viewed 4 May 2022, <https://www.ted.com/talks/emma_marris_nature_is_everywhere_we_just_need_to_learn_to_see_it?language=en&gt;

…into a deeper and more mindful connection to nature.

Thank you for starting your journey with Naturelore. Together we will explore our connections to, and relationship with the natural world and discover how we can strengthen and nurture this through knowledge, respect and practice. In doing so, we will return to the roots of human life and why it’s so important for our health and wellbeing to have this deeper connection with nature.

I hope to make Naturelore a place of wisdom and gentle encouragement, let’s begin our journey…

A good place to begin our journey into the wonderful world of nature is to explore the foundations of nature connectedness. According to Lumber, Richardson and Sheffield (2017, p. 24) the human-nature relationship is built on five pathways – senses, emotion, beauty, meaning and compassion. When put in to practice, these pathways will deepen the experience and are fundamental in setting apart nature connectedness from just proximity to, or time in, nature. 

The five pathways are:

1. SENSES – see, hear, touch, smell, taste. A multi-sensory approach will create an experience of being fully immersed in nature. How can you enhance your experience through purposely using all five senses?
2. EMOTION – the human brain feels before it thinks so tuning in to how you feel or what your emotions are telling you when your in nature is really important.
3. BEAUTY – they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Be aware and notice nature for all it’s amazing colours, design, structure, and purpose.
4. MEANING – why is nature so important and what meaning does nature bring to your life?
5. COMPASSION – there is growing evidence that when a person has a positive relationship with nature, they are more inclined to care for and take action for nature resulting in greater benefits for the wider natural environment.

When you practice nature connection with a focus on these pathways, you can begin to fully engage with and appreciate the benefits of nature. If your goal is to move beyond a superficial contact with nature and develop a more meaningful connection than you should to include these pathways for improved mental clarity and physical health, and a healthy ecosystems for generations to come.

I invite you to watch the following video from the University of Derby Nature Connectedness Research Group. It is a beautiful visual description of the five pathways:

References:

Lumber, R., Richardson, M., & Sheffield, D. (2017). Beyond knowing nature: contact, emotion, compassion, meaning, and beauty are pathways to nature connection. PLOS One, <https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0177186>

University of Derby 2022, Nature Connectedness Research Group, University of Derby, viewed on 23 April 2022, <https://www.derby.ac.uk/research/centres-groups/nature-connectedness-research-group/&gt;

Spiske, M 2016, pexels.com, 6 July 2016, viewed 23 April 2022, <https://www.pexels.com/photo/light-landscape-nature-forest-117843/&gt;