We are approaching a tipping point.

If we continue to modify the landscape for humancentric benefit, we will lose the diversity that makes up our planet. A richness that has evolved for millions of years is threatened by the way our young society functions.

To save the planet’s biodiversity we must change the way we relate to nature, and move beyond extractive relationships. In our contemporary society not only do we extract “resources” from the Earth in the form of materials, but also through our experiences. The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us how important our urban natural spaces are. A hike through a community forest, a walk through the park, a stroll through the garden, these are all things that have been taken for granted. You could say that these activities have a much lower environmental impact than a clearcut or a mine, however these relationships are similar in the sense that they are arguably one-sided. They are humancentric.

How are we giving back to nature?

Nature, and natural systems are the basis of all life on Earth. To restore our connection to the natural system we must acknowledge the importance of the role our more than human kin play in our existence, and shift towards a more ecocentric approach to how we live our lives. By doing so, we will gain agency over our future, and the future of the places that we live in; we will be able to find local solutions to the problems our local ecosystems face, and increase the resiliency of our communities in the face of change.

By taking responsibility for caring for our local environment we are strengthening the bond we have with these places. Too often is our collective responsibility for the environment offloaded onto someone else. Despite best intentions, our institutions do not have the capacity to address all our environmental problems. Our system is failing to preserve our natural heritage, and we must act now to ensure we create a system that benefits future generations.

The future of our communities depend on the relationships we chose to maintain.

We have a tremendous opportunity to restructure, and prioritize. By making changes where we can today, we can tackle the biodiversity crisis, and create systems that are more supportive of each other, and of our more than human kin.

As we move forward towards a Green and Just Covid-19 Recovery we must acknowledge our roles as stewards of our environment, and establish meaningful and reciprocal relationships with our local natural spaces. This is a personal role that is cultivated through a recognition of the importance of nature, and of the impact of individual actions in collaboration with community. Nature does not follow property lines, and much like nature, we must overcome the artificial barriers that we have created that prevent our society from thriving in communion with nature.

We must reimagine our role on an urban planet.