Kia Rite — Time to Act: Nature’s wellbeing is our wellbeing

Emma Passey says one way to connect to nature is to go for a walk, stop to listen to the birds, touch the bark of a tree or photograph some plants.

OPINION

World Nature Conservation Day flew by a couple of weeks ago.

If you’re like me, you were probably busy going about your daily life — rushing from one thing to another, but this day serves as a timely reminder that a healthy society and a healthy environment are inextricably linked. For me, to be effective in protecting our natural world and nurturing our wellbeing, it’s important to truly connect with nature.

I like to connect with te taiao (our natural environment) by walking around our neighbourhood each day — it’s mostly urban, but there’s more nature than you might at first think.

I walk because it’s good to get my limbs moving, and it supports my mental wellbeing. I’m more of an ambling kind of rambler!

Yes, I am one of those strange human beings who walks slowly, stopping to smell flowers, watching piwakawaka (fantails) dance, taking photos of fungi hiding in twisted tree roots, or lining my pockets with weird-looking stones and leaves.

All the time that I stroll, stop, look, and listen, I am nurturing myself whilst strengthening my human-nature bond.

Increasing our human-nature interaction is important because despite a plethora of environmental policies, our climate continues to warm, and biodiversity continues to decline.

These are clear indicators that as a society, our relationship with the natural world is broken. Many of us have forgotten that we are a part of nature, and we are not apart from it.

Many of us have forgotten that we are a part of nature, and we are not apart from it, says Emma Passey.

Most of us live in increasingly urban spaces where it’s difficult to grow our own food due to space or time constraints, and some of us commute long distances.

All of this means it’s even harder today to connect with our natural environment or with the ecosystems that sustain us. But research shows the more we connect to te taiao, the more likely we will engage in pro-environmental behaviour — that is reducing our personal impact and taking positive action — like picking up litter or planting trees.

Miles Richardson, an environmental researcher at the University of Derby, explains that being in contact with the natural world is not the same as being connected to it. There’s a difference between walking each day not noticing what’s going on around you and forming a relationship with nature. Richardson’s research recommends ways we can reconnect with nature:

• Engage our senses — look at a view, listen to the birds, or touch the bark of a tree.
• Engage emotionally — have fun playing outdoors with others or relax by lying on the ground and noticing the support of the earth below.
• Find beauty in unexpected places — a plant may not grab your attention at first, but change your perspective and consider how an insect finds it attractive.
• Consider the meaning something in nature has to you — find your favourite tree or view and write a story about it, paint or enjoy a picnic by it.
• Be compassionate — make a positive impact by planting some native trees, take part in a community beach clean-up, or buy eco-friendly products.

At a time when our natural systems are changing, and changing fast, getting out there and taking in what’s going on in nature is a fantastic way to feel more grounded and support our wellbeing.

Here are some ideas of how you might do that in Hawke’s Bay:

• Go for a walk, stop to listen to the birds, touch the bark of a tree or photograph some plants.
• Volunteer at a nature conservation event — like native tree planting or a beach clean-up during the nationwide Clean-Up Week from September 16-22. Check out HB Biodiversity for more events — www.biodiversityhb.org/
• Take the kids outside at night and stargaze for a while. Or even check out the HB Planetarium — https://www.holtplanetarium.org.nz/
• Start growing your own food at home, a strawberry plant or some parsley in a pot can be a good way to start. Join a crop swap at the Environment Centre — https://www.environmentcentre.org.nz/
• Check out the National Aquarium’s fantastic resources on how to connect with our beautiful Hawke’s Bay.
• Paint or write about nature scenes.
• Listen to the Eco-Rabbiters podcast on Hawke’s Bay Radio (1431AM and 104.7FM ) — I explore ways people connect with nature and special places that speak to them.

Get in touch: climateaction@hbrc.govt.nz

Emma Passey is host of the Eco-Rabbiters podcast and a doctoral candidate in environmental sociology at University of Waikato.