Moments in Nature

Whether travelling or at home, often my favourite moments (and those that are most memorable) are spent in nature.  Nature in this sense does not necessarily refer to the expansive, rugged, wild areas unspoiled by humans that few have seen except in a National Geographic magazine - in part because such true wilderness is increasingly rare: according to one study, 83% of the planet's ice-free land surface is now influenced by humans in some way or another.  However, most of us are able to immerse ourselves under a tree canopy or beside a lake within a relatively short distance from where we live, and we should do this, as often as possible.

Homo Sapiens have done an excellent job of  building ourselves out and away from nature, almost as if we exist in our own separate sphere where we can operate independently of the natural world.  Writer Richard Louv coined the term 'nature-deficit disorder' in a 2005 book to describe the decoupling between humans and our natural habitat.  Earlier this year, Timothy Egan wrote about this concept for the New York Times, listing the various health complications in our modern society that have been linked to a lack of exercise and time outside and explaining:

...there is an obvious solution — just outside the window. For most of human history, people chased things or were chased themselves. They turned dirt over and planted seeds and saplings. They took in Vitamin D from the sun, and learned to tell a crow from a raven (ravens are larger; crows have a more nasal call; so say the birders). And then, in less than a generation’s time, millions of people completely decoupled themselves from nature.   

I won't go into the myriad health issues that plague us as a result of this withdrawal from the natural world, but I do encourage everyone to seek out your own special moments in nature so that you can feel the connection to a bigger system.  Whether you are on a holiday or at home in the back garden, taking this time can be energizing, revitalizing, or calming...really whatever you need it to be to help find balance in an otherwise hectic world.

Here are a few pictures that remind me of the importance of these moments from recent travels:

Arches National Park, Utah, U.S.A.

Kayaking in Clayoquot Sound, Vancouver Island, B.C.

Camping under the moonlight in Lac du Possion Blanc, Quebec

Caterpillar close-up in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, U.S.A.

Sources:

• Lynas, Mark. 2011.  'The God Species: Saving the Planet in the Age of Humans'. The National Geographic Society, Washington, DC.
• Egan, Timothy. 2012. 'Nature Deficit Disorder'. New York Times Online (http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/29/nature-deficit-disorder/)
• Louv, Richard. 2005. "Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder". Algonquin Books.