Listening to the Land

– Regaining Eco-literacy

Summary of talk at a forum held at Lawson by BMET in October 2023

By Rosemary Morrow

As we take on more and more technology, everything from our phones, cars, sports, meetings online, and work at home, we also are teaching our children to be a new people: a people who cannot listen to the land, nor see it in trouble. We don’t know where and how to intervene to mend, support and work with the land to restore it. And yet, we are the species who could do this special, and I call. It is sacred work.

A life spent mainly inside with ‘screens’ creates a glass wall between us and the land we live on, the waters we drink and the skies that bring sunshine and rain. We lose our ability to ‘read the land’ and to work with it. When we spend our lives indoors and our ‘outside’ life is walking the dog, running or on a sports field, we lose our ecological literacy.

There was a time when most of the human population spent most of their time outside and they discussed and learned from what they saw – the clouds, the wind, the new plants, pollinators, and animals. They recognised their functions and they valued them. They sought to protect them.

We don’t value and discuss what we don’t know. We are losing our knowledge. We can’t see damage to our environment. And we certainly don’t know where and how to intervene to support and reverse the damage we are doing. We see tidy lawns we don’t see the loss of butterflies, moths, worms, or pollinators.
If we are to have a habitable planet and leave it in good order for future generations – and that is surely a moral duty – we need to become ecologically literate.
How do we become ecologically literate?

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Go outside. Stand and stare. Ask yourself what was this place like before I was here, and who was here before I was here, and before that? What did it look like, was it forest or desert or sea? Know your evolutionary history. Then think about the recent past, the last 10,000 years or so, what was it like for most of that time?
If it was a forest, what were the trees, the shrubs, the ground cover and who lived in all the ecosystems? How did they stabilise life and the climate?
Learn a little about Orders of magnitude that will lead you to sustainability and what the elements of that were that kept the waters clean and running in dry times, the soils in place, and managed climate variability. What do you see now?
If you don’t know join a Bushcare group, or National Parks, make it your business to know, and become literate about what was the good health of your bioregion. And take care, because as you do and its miracles and marvels are revealed to you, you will grow to love it, and also to be hurt when it is damaged. You will see it as a wonderland.

If you wish to be a partner in restoration Ask yourself what is the best place to intervene? What is the best time? What is the best technology? What will be the consequences? Will it multiply life? It’s
important that your work counts.It may be that you just have to watch and pull out competitive weeds. Perhaps you need to plant pioneers or nurse plants, to protect the final vegetation. There are things to learn – how to restore rivers and creeks, and certainly how put water back into the water table.
And this becomes wonderful knowledge and your conversations with others much richer and more meaningful.
You will need to know about succession in restoration which occurs when land is badly degraded from fire, machines, over grazing, deforestation or just lawns. You will be elated when your work, in partnership with Nature, becomes a spiritual duty.
Life, as a ‘Nature Restorer’ takes on meaning when you realise that air will be cleaner, water shaded and run longer, wind cleaned, life multiplied because of your work.
It is good to stay small and work with wind, water, animals and soil. There’s so much we don’t know but so much to delight us. And there is no end to our learning as we become ecologically literate.

Further Reading –

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• Oxford Junior Dictionary’s replacement of ‘natural’ words with 21st-century terms sparks outcry
• What is Nature-Deficit Disorder?
• Why it matters that humans and nature are growing apart

What can we do?

Here are ten ways people can reconnect with nature:

1. Nature Walks: Take regular walks in natural settings such as parks, forests, or along riversides to immerse yourself in the beauty of nature and to experience its calming and rejuvenating effects. Take your shoes off, walk in the grass, on the sand and over rocks.
2. Outdoor Activities: Engage in outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, birdwatching, or kayaking to experience the wonders of the natural world firsthand and to connect with the rhythms of nature.
3. Gardening: Start a garden, whether it’s a small container garden on your balcony or a larger plot in your backyard, to cultivate a deeper connection with the earth and to experience the satisfaction of growing your own food or flowers. Create a garden that mimics natural ecosystems by using permaculture design principles such as diversity, polyculture, and companion planting. This fosters biodiversity and resilience.
4. Mindfulness Practices: Practice mindfulness or meditation outdoors, focusing on your breath and senses while immersing yourself in the sights, sounds, and sensations of nature.
5. Nature Journaling: Keep a nature journal where you can record your observations, thoughts, and feelings about the natural world around you. Sketch plants, animals, and landscapes, and write about your experiences and reflections.
   

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6. Nature Photography: Take up nature photography as a hobby, using your camera or smartphone to capture the beauty and diversity of the natural world. Share your photos with others to inspire appreciation for nature.
7. Volunteer for Conservation: Get involved in conservation efforts by volunteering for local environmental organizations or participating in community clean-up events, tree planting initiatives, or habitat restoration projects.
8. Outdoor Yoga or Tai Chi: Practice yoga or Tai Chi outdoors, connecting your movements with the elements and rhythms of nature. Allow the natural surroundings to enhance your practice and deepen your sense of connection with the earth.
9. Stargazing: Spend time stargazing on clear nights, away from city lights, to marvel at the vastness of the universe and to feel a sense of awe and wonder at the natural beauty of the cosmos.
10. Unplug and Disconnect: Take regular breaks from technology and screens to disconnect from the digital world and reconnect with the natural world. Spend time outdoors without distractions, allowing yourself to be fully present in nature.

By incorporating these activities into your routine, you can cultivate a deeper connection with nature, promote personal well-being, and foster a greater appreciation for the natural world.

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