Nature is a wide topic. And it’s a stated fact that we are moving away from nature.
The more we live in cities, the more we are removed from nature and the less interaction we have with it.
But why we are moving away from nature and how is the human companionship with technology, urbanisation and industrialisation is playing an important role in the separation of humans and nature has been a question being raised a lot lately.
“The reason why a lot of people have moved away from nature is that some of the statistics are really sobering. It shows that in North America, for example, the average amount of time we spend out-doors and a given year is 5%. That means 95% of our time is spent in offices in our homes and our cars,” says Ben Porchuk.
Ben Porchuk is a certified forest therapy guide and a trainer with the global institute of forest therapy based in London.
He said by not knowing nature anymore by not experiencing it and feeling the power that it has for us, we are essentially not knowing the signs as it’s starting to fall apart and not caring as much because we’ve really lost a connection.
“So, there’s a famous quote that you can see on Facebook or Instagram or anything, it’s, it’s something like, you
know, there’s no Wi Fi in the forest, but you’ll find a much better connection,” he said.
“When you actually start looking at some of the modern research, we’re beginning to discover things that we already know that trees are sentient. The trees are caring trees share with each other and not necessarily their own offspring. We also know that trees can actually see the color of clothing that you’re wearing as you approach them, because the, the cells they have in their outer bark are very similar to the cells we have in the back of our cornea,” Porchuk added.
He said that as a forest therapy guide, they help the people experience the natural world with one’s senses much more than one usually would.
“When you’re led by a guide in nature, the trick of the guide is to really help a person get out of their mind and their site,” said he.
He furthered that the walks really help a person get back to their child sense.
“So, walks are quiet. They’re really slow. We only cover maybe anywhere from three or 400 meters to a kilometer over three hours. That feeling you had when you’re a child when you’re just absolutely carefree, and you’re outside just doing whatever you want it to do,” Porchuk said.
Is it even possible for the humans to get away from nature?
To relate more to what Ben said, XFM news talked to Steven Hotchkiss who is an herbalist and conservationists from Port Burwell Ontario. He has an herb farm as well as a nature sanctuary for conservation work, rehabilitating and regenerating native species in the landscape.
Hotchkiss said it’s impossible for humans to get away from nature in the sense that we are creatures of the earth.
“We depend on water and food that comes from the earth. And there is nothing that we can do to separate us from nature. It’s whether we’re aware of that separation or not. The current sort of situation we’re in right now with the Anthropocene and the extinctions happening on a global massive scale. Sort of indicate that we’re not necessarily Early, building a relationship with nature that can sustain life for too much longer,” Hotchkiss said.
Is technology a possible reason for the separation of humans from the nature?
He said technology is not always bad, but it certainly has led us towards a highly industrialized, fast paced society that is outpacing what the earth can sort of keep up with.
“A lot of technology has allowed us to separate our existence from the sort of life affirming qualities of Earth whether it’s growing our own food or interacting with other wildlife, other natural systems, we’ve technologies allowed us to sort of live in a separated existence, which is also an aspect of nature, but it’s separate from the sort of self sustaining aspect of the earth,” he said.
Is this what nature deserves?
What can be done to rebuild the connection?
Stephen Hotchkiss suggests going to an herb farm to know the local farmers, to know where the food comes from and to know how one’s lifestyle impacts the environment.
“Getting out there getting in like walking outside once in a while and getting your feet dirty and getting stung by a bee or sort of getting uncomfortable in nature and sort of eliminating that barrier that we all kind of have if we’re sort of too domesticated for too long. In a nice comfortable environment. It’s nice to get wet and muddy and dirty and covered in bugs,” Hotchkiss said.
Where as Ben Porchuk suggests recognizing the climate change and mass extinction because the world is disconnecting with the nature.
“So, there are all sorts of mysterious and magical things that we’re discovering now through science, that kind of reconfirm what we really knew about nature. And basically, it’s really good to get outside,” Porchuk said.