Nature Narratives of Hope

The image of nature in my head will always be the Rocky Mountains, just below treeline, with cool and crisp-smelling air.

I care about nature because it is a large part of every life sustaining cycle and process that exists. I’m pretty fond of living.

I’ll come across TikTok videos with statistics about the ice melting in the arctic and how polar bears could become extinct. I’ll see deforestation and how animals are losing their homes with no choice but to retreat to peoples backyards. Things that show the unforeseen side of climate change make me want to learn more. It’s really upsetting to see, especially when the news doesn’t cover half of what’s really happening.

Learning about nature helps me appreciate the world around me. It is hard to conceptualize and remember that rocks, and things we take for granted like redwood trees, took time that does not exist within our human time scale. It existed before me and will exist after me in some form.

As younger generations continue to make their way into the workforce and research fields, I am hopeful that actual scientific progress will be made to make human existence sustainable for the planet…rather finding a new one to live on after destroying our own.

Learning about nature also allows me to learn about myself. It is cool to remember that I share elements with other biotic and abiotic factors, which makes me feel interconnected with the environment I live in.

When I think of the word ‘nature’ it reminds me of something that I exist within and am a part of. But sometimes it feels like humans live on top of nature rather than within it.

I feel a mix of hope and worry for the future of nature. I’m hopeful because of the attention on what is currently going on in the world, and how it impacts the nature around us. I feel concern due to everything that impacts nature, such as pollution, climate change, and deforestation.

I care deeply about nature because it sustains all types of life – ecosystem life, animal life, human life, and so on. Protecting nature means protecting life, which means protecting our future.

I care about nature because it is part of the Earth, and it is our home. It’s our responsibility to take care of it for ourselves and future generations.