How we communicate our interpretation of nature is a powerful question
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Illustration by Grace Gaard
By Grace Gaard, Aquatic Ecology Education Specialist
Fill in the blank. Nature is ___________.
If you had to think of your top words, what would they be? How would you describe what nature is to you? Some of your answers may likely overlap, while others would be vastly different.
I know what my answers would be. And if you’re reading this, it’s likely that we share values like time outdoors and an appreciation for Nebraska’s beauty. Our words for nature might look something like this.
Nature is:
- A part of me
- Beautiful
- Awe-inspiring
- Peaceful
- Safe
- Reciprocal
But what about those who answer differently? What about those who may never visit a park or take the time to watch the sun sink into color-soaked clouds because their definition of nature is much different? How would they fill in the blank? Maybe it would look something like this.
Nature is:
- A resource
- Separate
- Scary
- A place to recreate
- Inconvenient
- Something to consume or control
Everyone’s thoughts here on nature are valid, based on personal experience and years of developing values based on those experiences. How we communicate our interpretation of nature is a powerful question to keep in mind.
Your Ecological Identity
If you’re unsure where you land on this spectrum of “what is nature?”, I’d encourage you to explore your “ecological autobiography.” This term was introduced to me recently by Dr. Ruth Wilson, but the concept has been around for a while. Essentially, what is your life’s story through the lens of your connection to nature? This exercise can be a great way to explore your own “ecological identity” and awaken memories or past experiences that led you to where you are today. Whether you write it down or merely think it through, here are a few prompts to help you through the process:
1. Think of a species encounter or natural system that stands out in your personal memory.
a) Did you have a favorite tree growing up, or a special place you went to?
b) Did you have a close encounter with something, alive or not?
c) Was there a specific habitat you visited that had an influence on you?
d) This could be over a span of time or one particular experience that influenced you. For this prompt, focus on describing what you remember of the natural world.
2. Reflect on your experiences from the first prompt and now write about how they made you feel or what they made you think.
a) What influence did this have on your ideas or personal growth?
b) Have these places or species changed in any way since you last experienced them?
c) Have there been any big shifts for you since the experience?
Understanding our connection to nature from the past can be helpful in processing how we arrived at the beliefs we hold today. And while it is guaranteed that we’re all different, I would take a bold guess and say that most of us will look back and find that nature gave us something.
Reciprocity
Nature is reciprocal. If you’re not familiar with the term reciprocity, it’s essentially the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit. I learned about this concept from Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer. I recommend reading her essay, “The Serviceberry.” Additionally, Kimmerer’s book Braiding Sweetgrass is a personal favorite, capturing nature, what it is, and how we interact with one another, better than most works I have read. An enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Kimmerer blends her traditional ecological knowledge with incredible storytelling and accurate science flawlessly.
In her essay, “The Serviceberry,” she writes:
This abundance of berries feels like a pure gift from the land. I have not earned, paid for, nor labored for them. There is no mathematics of worthiness that reckons I deserve them in any way. And yet here they are—along with the sun and the air and the birds and the rain, gathering in the towers of cumulonimbi. You could call them natural resources or ecosystem services, but the Robins and I know them as gifts. We both sing gratitude with our mouths full…
Gratitude is so much more than a polite “thank you.” It is the thread that connects us in a deep relationship, simultaneously physical and spiritual, as our bodies are fed and spirits nourished by the sense of belonging, which is the most vital of foods. Gratitude creates a sense of abundance, the knowing that you have what you need. In that climate of sufficiency, our hunger for more abates and we take only what we need, in respect for the generosity of the giver.
If our first response is gratitude, then our second is reciprocity: to give a gift in return. What could I give these plants in return for their generosity? It could be a direct response, like weeding or water or a song of thanks that sends appreciation out on the wind. Or indirect, like donating to my local land trust so that more habitat for the gift givers will be saved, or making art that invites others into the web of reciprocity.
Gratitude and reciprocity are the currency of a gift economy, and they have the remarkable property of multiplying with every exchange, their energy concentrating as they pass from hand to hand, a truly renewable resource. I accept the gift from the bush and then spread that gift with a dish of berries to my neighbor, who makes a pie to share with his friend, who feels so wealthy in food and friendship that he volunteers at the food pantry. You know how it goes.”
Self to Nature
What has nature given you? A bunch of mosquito bites and muddy shoes, or is it something more? What is that reciprocal relationship with nature that you share? What kinship exists there, if any?
If you are still unsure, let’s ask another question. How do you place your Self versus Nature?
The infographic may help make this question clearer. When you hold yourself up next to nature, where do you sit in relation?
For me, nature has given me joy and beauty that I choose to reflect to others through art. It’s also given me opportunities to challenge myself, grow and pay attention. It’s been the place where some of my most important relationships have taken root. Everything that sustains me comes from nature. I have a microbiome of bacteria and other living organisms inside my own body. Nature is a part of me, not apart from me. There’s a relationship there that is so much more than simply the word “nature.” Nature is our connection to self.
Wherever you’ve landed along this journey, I hope you know that there are no wrong answers. Although I hope that you have a relationship with the sky and the river and the living parts of our world that leads you to advocate for it, not everyone is in that space *yet*, and that’s okay. I hope you take all the time you need to reflect on what nature is or isn’t for you.
In the end, I do hope you’ll find that a connection with nature is a connection with your soul.
What is nature? Fill in the blank. Nature Is ______________.
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