FIND YOUR NATURE: MLK DAY IN NATURE | NATURE CHALLENGE RECAP

BGCL Newsletter

Hi there, it’s Hillarie! This is your favorite weekly newsletter about nature and the ideas it inspires. Keep reading for bold ideas and fresh perspectives on a life lived with nature.

Re: Access to nature is a human right

Dear friends,

There are lots of ways to celebrate MLK Day, but let me start with a cautionary tale, courtesy of my upbringing in South Dakota. What I don’t recommend doing is rounding up all the Black kids in the school to do a musical play for the rest of the school on the importance of the day. Let me tell you, that was not the move. (I verified this experience with my sister who attended the even with her college boyfriend at the time — cringe.)

That experience aside, MLK day is an important day of remembrance for all people. Though I confess, I have sometimes struggled to commemorate the day in a way that feels meaningful and intentional. Now that I have kids, I think about this stuff more, and I am trying to use holidays as an opportunity to bring up important ideas with them. This year, I decided to use the day to go to a park and talk with them about access to nature.

MLK is primarily known for his work on the civil rights movement, so how does nature fit in here?

Well, access to nature is absolutely subject to socio-economic inequality. Just consider an abbreviated history of how Black and brown people have been treated on American land:

• Indigenous Indians were forced off of the land, and their knowledge of the earth was systematically taken from them. They were sequestered onto parts of land that were deemed inferior for growing and access to natural resources.

• African people were taken as property and forced to work the land, while enormous wealth was build on the outputs of their free labor. Then, following emancipation, the migrations out of southern states to cities further eroded that divide between people and nature.

This divide has been reinforced by media and mainstream narratives that forgot that all people belong in nature. Or worse, they depict barbaric images of Black and brown people in nature that perpetuate tropes and inflict a kind of distain based on implied standards of respectability. This has caused many people to feel unwelcome in natural spaces, which is simply not okay.

Every single person on this planet has an inalienable right to be in nature because we are nature.

Nature has the power to heal us and remind us of what it means to belong. The ability to access nature is a human rights issue and exercising that right is an excellent way to remind ourselves that it’s all connected.

“It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Wishing you all a beautiful MLK Day of Service. Whether you use the day to serve others, yourself, or the natural world, remember that it is all connected.

Stay curious, be kind, and take care,

Hillarie

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Nature Challenge Recap

Two weeks ago, I challenged you all to be in nature for a little while every day and share your experience. I shared my stories on instagram and found this exercise helped me be more mindful of subtle changes around me.

There were days I felt unsure of how to connect with nature or what I would find. However, when I slowed down to think about it, I realized I was over-complicating the challenge. We are nature and nature is all around us. After grounding myself in that idea, I was able to appreciate the experience with less effort. Here are few highlights:

• Moss growing in the forest: The season of moss is upon us and I am here for it. Similar to fungus, mosses require It is able cling to lots of different surfaces, including bark, rocks, and topsoil, giving everything a lush and healthy glow.

• Kids books about nature: Talking with my kids about nature is becoming a regular part of our lives, but it wasn’t easy at first. I’ve found kids picture books to be an excellent starting point for adults who need help with words to talk about the natural world. Here are a few of my favorites:

  • Over and Under the Pond: A momma and kiddo explore the wonders of a the natural world by talking about the unseen world under the water. It is a beautiful story with fun surprises and great illustrations.

  • We are Water Protectors: We all need clean water, and this book is a powerful reminder that protecting water is essential for all life. I appreciate the simplicity of the story and the colorful pictures.

  • The Hike: For kiddos (and parents) that are unsure of what they may encounter in the forest, this is a great read. Wildlife and plants are labeled so you can start identifying them on your own adventures.

• Rocks all over the earth: We live in an area that was carved out by glaciers that left behind trails of rocks and minerals. When it rains, beautiful rocks just appear in our yard. It’s fun to unearth them and wonder about where they came from.

What stood our for you from the nature challenge? Share your experiences below!