A small strip of woodland was recently clear cut, in a plan to make way for hundreds of new houses in this small village where I live. Almost every time we go past the scarred land, my 3-year-old daughter gets upset and tells me: “But I loved those trees!”. I don't think I even told her that I was sad too, but she must have sensed it. Sometimes I wonder, if it would be easier to live here if we didn’t care so much about nature? We would not feel sad and angry every time we lost part of the natural environment around us. If only we loved urbanism.
But as I do love nature, connecting my kids with it is one of my most important tasks as a mother. We need a new generation with a deep care for the natural world in order to change the structure of our society. Research has also proven that nature positively impacts young people’s wellbeing (Tillman, et al. 2018). Unfortunately, being close to nature is for many a luxury, as marginalised communities have the least access to it (Wilson, 2022).
The future of many ecologies do look bleak, but I believe that if we tell the younger generations about the opportunities as well as the challenges, they can be inspired rather than just feel despair.
As I’ve recently talked about in a short comic, I have rediscovered my interest in learning about nature after a few years of ignorance. As I was pregnant with my first child in 2016, I read a particularly depressing book about climate change, and the impossibility of a lifestyle even close to what we have now, all backed up by mathematics and physics. It was a really good book, touching on philosophy and what it is to be human. But I won't tell you to read it. It left me with a feeling of pointlessness. I stopped reading these types of books and even ignored nature or climate related news and stories as much as I could. Which was of course very hard.
Somehow, I found my way back by reading about inspiring projects and research about nature and sustainability. I have since become a hobby scientist, learning everything I can about soil sustainability, frequently being blown away by how everything in nature is connected in the most complex of ways. Knowing that there are people constantly expanding our knowledge of this planet has given me a more positive outlook.
As a professional designer and communicator I am interested in the importance of exploring how we can talk about the severity of climate change without causing climate change fatigue (Suttie, 2018). I want more people to feel excited about learning about nature and environmental issues and I’m considering the possibility of a future career move, perhaps working with sustainability issues that I truly care about. For now, the job I truly care about is teaching my kids about the beauty of nature.
Bibliography
Suttie, J (2018) How to Overcome “Apocalypse Fatigue” Around Climate Change, Grester Good Magazine, 23 February. Available at: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_overcome_apocalypse_fatigue_around_climate_change (Accessed 8 June 2023).
Tillmann S, Tobin D, Avison W, et al (2018) Mental health benefits of interactions with nature in children and teenagers: a systematic review, J Epidemiol Community Health 2018;72:958-966. doi:10.1136/jech-2018-210436.
Wilson, B (2023) Urban Jungle. London: Penguin Books.
This is so relatable, on all fronts.
Not at all! I was also thinking about creating a project that can inspire action and offer some hope, amidst all the gloom and doom. I have two little children (just 3 years old and 9 months) that motivate me to do better and to create a different life that is closer to nature (we live in Amsterdam now). I have to admit I’ve been ignoring a lot of news though, but that’s why I liked reading your post so much. It gives me at least some good book titles to look at! So thanks again. Also for the other drawings and posts you share. I like seeing and reading them.