As I was walking in nature today, I had a profound thought…

We build schools, gyms and hospitals (places of education, exercise and ‘health’ care) in huge concrete structures, cutting down trees and forests, reclaiming land along the seashore and covering millions of acres of soil in tarmac and paving. 

Is it any wonder that we (as western cultures) feel so disconnected, sick and stressed? We’ve literally cut off, covered over, squashed and drowned out our connection to nature. 

We need more children (and adults!) playing in forests, learning from nature and moving their bodies in a way that’s fun and boosts fitness and health. 

I remember as a child in the 1980s that most of the houses in my town had front gardens. Most houses only had one car and that was often parked IN the garage. Fast forward a couple of decades and people everywhere started tarmacking over their front gardens to create extra parking and reduce their ‘garden chores’ burden! (And now their garages are filled with junk they don’t even use.)

And now, 40 years on, more and more people don’t even have the luxury of a front garden (or even a back garden!) with millions of people living in apartments and blocks of flats, cut off from nature in a landscape of concrete. 

The only way to find our way back is on an individual human level. 

Each one of us is responsible for sourcing and maintaining our own connections to nature – rewilding paved areas, weekly visits to lakes, forests or the beach, daily connections to nature close to home, bringing plants into the home.

AND we’re also collectively responsible for creating change! We can only make a difference if we come together.

Start with what you can do with love from your heart. Growing extra food in your garden for your community. Writing articles for the internet or magazines. Talking to people at your school or workplace about your concerns and coming up with group efforts. using your business skills as a writer, designer, photographer or videographer to support organisations and campaigns who have the planet and humanity at their core. 

It all starts with us. 

Lorraine xx