As humans have taken over more and more of the world, through the increase of our population and the insatiable demands of our economy based on endless growth, natural habitats have dwindled rapidly and many species are facing extinction. To maintain the functional integrity of the planet’s ecosystems, which are essential to support all life (including humans), it is no longer enough just to stop further destruction of Nature. We also need to reverse the damage that has taken place, to return the Earth to ecological health and balance.
That process of biological recovery is called ecological restoration, or rewilding (as it has become more commonly known). Like our own human bodies, the Earth has a tremendous inherent ability to recover, or heal, after massive disruption or wounding, due to events such as volcanic eruptions, forest fires etc. Today, human actions prevent this from occurring in most cases. However, if we stop interfering and actively assist it instead, we can accelerate the revitalisation of degraded habitats and quicken the natural recovery of species.
In order for rewilding to be effective and successful, however, significant and widespread changes need to occur in human culture. The most important of these is an acceptance of the fact that humans are intimately connected with all other life on the planet, and that all our actions affect the whole. Our entire culture needs to be re-focused around this truth, instead of operating under the illusion that what we do, and the ways we live, have no consequences for the world.
This presentation highlights the importance of re-establishing a meaningful personal connection with wild Nature. This is a key element in the essential transformation of our culture into a truly sustainable one that will create a viable future for all life on the planet. The talk also focuses on some of the empowering steps we can each take, such as changing our diets, to bring our individual lives into balance and health, whilst simultaneously enabling all the other species in the world to flourish again.
If you would like me to give this talk to a group or at an event, please contact me.