Conscious Human(ity), No. 55
Nature's designs, not an endpoint, nature breathes, hope, knitting and making videos, and more...
Welcome to this week’s edition of Conscious Human(ity) — it’s so good to see you here!
Below are seven things that have made my week better (one for each day of the week). They’re formatted so you can scan through and skip over things that aren’t interesting to you, and dive deeper into those that are.
I hope at least one thing brightens your day, prompts an ‘aha’ moment, or inspires you to take action on something close to your heart.
Firstly, I feel as if I often start this newsletter with a sigh, and a comment like, ‘what a week!’ But, I guess that’s just life. Things often pop-up unexpectedly to challenge us and others don’t go to plan, but letting go of expectations (including, accepting others as they are) and grabbing moments of joy and wonder in between times, can help.
Earlier this week, my thirteen-year-old’s anxiety hit a new peak as he paced around my bedroom at 2:30am worried that he couldn’t quiet the heartbeat in his head, and maybe that meant he was about to die. On Friday morning, I spent two-hours coaxing my hysteric nine-year-old to get a necessary blood test, which he said afterwards, ‘wasn’t that bad.’ On Friday afternoon, I went to a friend’s dad’s funeral, which was sad, beautiful, exhausting, and inspiring, all at the same time. And in between anxieties and frustrations, we’ve shared some lovely family time, conversations, and laughs. My boys have cut down on technology time and accompanied Nova and I on more walks.
Another good thing was the emergence of this newsletter’s theme of humans = nature. That is, humans as nature, rather than being separate to it. My reading, listening and watching across different platforms led to the accidental evolution of this theme over the space of a few days. I love it when that happens!
So, I hope you’ve had some good moments this week too, and that you enjoy flowing through these seven things…
Nature’s Designs
I listened to Berry Liberman in conversation with Janine Benyus on the Wisdom & Action podcast this week and it was filled with goodness, especially (but not only) for ‘nature nerds’. Janine has a background in natural history writing and today, her work is centred around looking at natural habitats and how the organisms living within make each place even better over time (adapting, building soil, etc.). She calls this biomimicry, a design process that copies natural technologies.
It’s innovation inspired by nature.
Some of the examples Janine shares make it clear that we can create ‘conditions conducive to life’. So, instead of using ‘forever chemicals and plastics’ and figuring out what to do with them when they’re at the end of their useful life, we can design products that add value to the environment as an output.
The biomimicry process starts with context and purpose. So, what do you want your product to do? If you’re looking for something that repels water, you turn to nature and examine natural examples of water repellents and copy those. It’s a shift to thinking about what we can learn from nature, instead of just learning about nature, as a separate entity to humanity.
One practical result of a biomimicry design process is the U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters building in Washington DC (pictured below). Janine explains that this design was inspired by the surrounding woodland and its purpose is to clean water. Janine’s team, together with HOK, used beaver ponds as inspiration:
“…the step-down courtyards, edges and green roofs provide continuity between the surrounding woodlands and an adjacent historic government campus. Rainwater that falls onto the green roofs permeates through the plant roots and soil and into a drainage system that leads to a stormwater pond for reuse in irrigation.”
Janine exclaims, “the whole building is a water purification device!”
So clever, and logical! 🙌🏻
This is one of those conversations that has to be listened to in-full to really appreciate the wisdom within. If I could, I’d make it ‘required listening’ for this life on earth (wink, wink). But all I can say is, if this intrigues you, dive in!
Not an Endpoint
James Bradley echoes some of Janine’s ideas about ‘humans as nature’ in his article about grief and mourning as part of a journey to planetary recovery. He says, “however much has been lost, the world still hums with beauty and astonishment.”
“To contemplate the strangeness and wonder of these other ways of being is to begin to understand our place in the world very differently, to be reminded that we are not separate, or different, but part of a much larger system of impossible magnificence and complexity.”
Bradley recalls a conversation he had with a scientist in Tasmania who is working to regenerate giant kelp:
“The hope he describes is a fragile thing but it is also an investment in the future, a refusal to give up. It offers a reminder that mourning cannot be an endpoint. Instead, grief must be part of a larger recognition that there is no longer any way back, that the only route now is forward. That we must find ways to live in a world on fire. And ways to fight that will ensure the survival of all.”
So, rather than turning away when things become too sad and overwhelming, we can reorient ourselves, as Berry and Janine said.
Reorient ourselves to nature.
Nature Breathes
Continuing with human-nature connection, I just finished reading a beautiful book by Swiss author, Roland Buti. Year of the Drought is the first of his novels to be translated into English and it’s a moving, visceral account of the summer of 1976 on a drought-stricken farm, through the eyes of thirteen-year-old Auguste. Wrestling with big feelings and a childhood connection to a land that is dying of thirst, Auguste tries to piece his world together in a way that makes sense. The descriptive writing mesmerised me throughout, including this passage (below) about the power of breath, in humans and in nature. It echoes yogic wisdom, and highlights the connection between all living things, human and non-human:
"Music is breath. Nature breathes. The water of the river swirling around the rocks breathes. The wood that creaks with the changes of weather breathes. The earth becomes wet, dries out, closes, opens up, breathes... It's an exchange, always an exchange between the inside and the outside... We don't just breathe with our lungs.
We breathe with our skin too, with our bones... with everything!
We’re much more permeable than we think. Out... in... out... in...
That's the real rhythm of the world. That's why each inhalation is... is like a prayer... and music is a cosmic breath... a breath that links us to the earth, to the sun, to the moon... the stars emit pulsations because their temperatures vary... pulsations that are acoustic waves, that can actually be heard by the human ear."
🙏🏻
Two Months of Nature in Three Minutes
Appreciating our animal kin can deepen our connection with nature and I think that being able to access ‘nature content’ from around the world is one of the good things about social media! Circular Economist, Vojtech Vosecky, shared this post on LinkedIn from Nestbox Live. It’s three-minutes of edited live-cam footage showing a bluebird building her nest, laying eggs, chicks hatching and then, leaving the nest. It’s a beautiful close-up view of nature.
LinkedIn videos don’t embed here, but below is one part of the edited video from the original account on Instagram. Go to the post link to see the edited version.
On Hope, from Dr Jane Goodall
Once we’re reconnected with nature, we will fight to save her!
On her 90th birthday Dr Jane Goodall said that her mission and passion is to give people hope that if we get together soon (soon, soon), we know what we should be doing to slow down climate change and loss of biodiversity, but we’re up against vested interests of corporations and governments…
We just have to be prepared to fight for what’s right!
And there are so many people doing that good work already. My friends at the Climate Council shared this comedic take on Australia’s woeful vehicle emission standards, which they’re campaigning hard to fix. Rob Herring at Earth Conscious Life also shared these five simple ways we can contribute to ecosystem restoration at home: plant a tree, ditch disposables (shopping bags, coffee cups, water bottles etc.), clean-up your local neighbourhood, buy second-hand and buy less, and start a compost bin.
Knitting and Making Videos
Moving to the creative aspect of our human nature now, and occasionally, I come across a person who has discovered a niche and wholeheartedly committed to following their passion. India Rose Crawford is one of those people. Her bio simply says, ‘I knit and make videos’ and well, you just have to watch one (or a few) to understand her talent and attention to detail in the beautiful, whimsical work she produces. It’s mesmerising. To me, anyway!
The detail that made my heart melt in this one, was the way the little frog kicks its feet as it paints. So delightful!
What do you think?
A Final Giggle
When you’re having one of those days…
And sorry, we don’t sell that!
As always, I hope something here has brightened your day, prompted an ‘aha’ moment, or inspired you to take action on something close to your heart.
P.S. If the ‘humans as nature’ theme has inspired you to dig deeper, the Heart of Nature Summit is a free online event running from the 16th to the 22nd of April. Over seven days, the summit will examine how ‘integrating the wisdom of nature into your life can heal both you and the planet.’ It features an impressive panel of 38 speakers including environmental engineers, mindfulness practitioners, philosophers, activists, healers, authors, lawyers, social workers, and more. From Jane Fonda and Bayo Akomolafe to Paul Hawken and Tara Brach. When you register for free, you have 48-hours to watch the sessions that you’re most interested in. More details, here.