This year has been a veritable shit storm for most. Huge change for all. In the moments that I’ve felt sadness, confusion and self doubt, I’ve turned to nature – my saving grace. I’ve found solace in the bush, a friend in the ocean, and strength in the regenerating trees. My personal struggles pale in significance to the proverbial kettle of fish that is climate change. That cataclysmic sense of dread that we’re hurtling through the cosmos with a one way ticket to nowhere…. yep… that old chestnut. I think avoiding discomfort is an inherent part of our nature. Doom and gloom isn’t fun – it’s easier to stay under the covers when there’s no immediate reward in sight. There’s a tonne of emphasis on what not to do – consume less, minimize your footprint, move away from fossil fuels… the list goes on. Of course, this is pertinent as hell, but it does make me wonder why we don’t simultaneously focus on espousing a deeper connection with the natural world. Everyone has their ‘thing’ – waves, trails, mountains, flowers… we are all bound to nature. Just yesterday I stood in a rose field with a new friend – a fellow naturalist, grower and lover of flowers. While the sun was setting over her garden, she expressed her bewilderment that more people aren’t getting out into nature… how simple it can be to find your place of freedom, peace and true connection. As she spoke, I could feel the pulse of spring moving through me – I left with a renewed sense of energy… of hope for our beautiful planet. The change we need is within. A stronger bond with nature may just be the antidote. If you care to explore this idea more, have a listen to the On Being podcast with Michael McCarthy. A beautiful meditation on, ‘Nature, Joy and Human Becoming’.