Hug a Tree

If protecting the planet feels like an obligation borne out of guilt or fear, it may be exhausting and disheartening. However, if sustainability feels like an act of love, this deeper connection can bring fulfillment and can allow us to effect real change that will last for generations.

Lindsay Coulter (@SaneAction), a green living expert (former Queen of Green^TM), community catalyst, mother, and co-founder of EPIC Learning Centre (a forest and nature school in Victoria, BC), who, when asked about the role of emotions like love in sustainability, explained, “Emotions are essential to reason.

“They’re part of the human experience, and they tell you what to pay attention to. How can we awaken to the suffering of the world or have courage to be in the world if we don’t have skills and practices to address emotions? (Of course, we must not act from dangerous emotions.)

“Guilt is a luxury,” says Coulter. “There’s no time for judgment and guilt. Choose love. Toko-pa Turner, author of Belonging [Her Own Room Press, 2017], speaks about our need to reconcile belonging to the earth itself, plus the fact that it all hurts so much because we’re being torn from what we love, Mother Earth.”

Early beginnings

Scientific literature suggests that those who spend a lot of quality time in nature as children grow up wishing to protect it. According to the press release from a 2017 University of British Columbia study, “… 87 percent of study respondents who played outside as children expressed a continued love of nature as young adults. Of that group, 84 percent said taking care of the environment was a priority.”

In an older study from 2006, “wild” play in nature was deemed important in fostering adult environmentalism. This means free and unstructured play, where children can become truly immersed in their natural surroundings. Think: spending a carefree afternoon digging in the dirt and making flower crowns.

Nurture your relationship

So, what do you do if you’re not a child anymore? Is connecting with nature still important? Coulter believes so. “Time in nature takes you out of yourself and stops the profound disconnection,” she explains. “Each day find magic. Seek beauty and awe. In nature, you realize there’s more in the world than me!”

Coulter recommends Joanna Macy’s “Work That Reconnects” (workthatreconnects.org), a type of “group work designed to foster the desire and ability to take part in the healing of our world,” which offers many resources and exercises. For example, as Coulter explains, “Act as if everything you meet is alive, that it matters and has its own story—the rock, the moss, a tree.

“Be open to communication. Whisper and touch the trees. Practise witnessing and being witnessed. Show reciprocity and rise in their honour. Is the water or tree looking back at you? Sensing you as you are sensing it? Let your senses be awake. Tell the living thing a gratitude (aloud), give it praise, and wish it well with how things are ... not trying to change anything.”

While we’re all still arguably kids at heart, there are plenty of activities us “grown-ups” can do to nurture our own relationships with nature. Use this preliminary list to inspire you!

• stargazing
• birdwatching
• gardening
• skiing, snowboarding, or snowshoeing
• outdoor meditation or yoga
• hiking
• camping
• wild plant or mushroom identification
• foraging
• watching the sunrise/sunset

Show Mother Nature you care

Our individual actions matter. For those beginning their environmental journeys, these eco-living tips are fantastic places to start:

• Plant trees.
• Waste less food.
• Waste less water.
• Learn to mend clothing.
• Reduce your plastic waste.
• Give up fast fashion and shopping as a hobby.
• Shop second-hand or from local craftspeople.
• Take up active transportation when possible: cycle or walk.
• Read environmental books.

Spread the love

It’s essential to couple our individual eco-actions with collective eco-action. What does this mean? Once again, it comes back to love. When we work collectively, we work out of love for our shared planet, as well as its inhabitants.

When we engage in eco-friendly actions (such as using reusable water bottles) it’s also important to see the larger issues (such as pushing for clean water for all communities in Canada, as many First Nations communities do not have clean water).

Consider starting with what you love. For example, if you enjoy shopping for local, organic produce (without plastic packaging!) from your farmers’ market, perhaps volunteer for a group that works to improve food security in your city.

Here is a nonexhaustive list of collective eco efforts that may ultimately deepen our relationship with the world we live in:

• Start a community garden.
• Host a clothing swap.
• Create a local “buy nothing” group.
• Organize a shoreline cleanup or litter pickup.
• Get involved with a volunteer cause.
• Teach others what you know, such as knitting or foraging.
• Attend local meetings and town halls (many occur virtually).
• Write to your politicians to express your views.
• Donate to environmental or social causes.
• Spread the word to others.

The natural world is a beautiful place that deserves love, respect, and protection. This Valentine’s Day, and every day, let’s love our planet—and its people—with all our hearts.