In light of this great need to be attuned to our living landscape,
it is important to note that over half of the world’s population is
living in urban environments, mostly disconnected from the natural
world. This escalation of urban living is due, in part, to severe
environmental and economic pressures in rural regions that have
forced country people into cities, as well as an increase in worldwide
population. As humanity has become increasingly immersed in an
industrial society, so has it become exceedingly difficult to focus on
the Earth.
This is not the sole
cause of our environmental crisis; yet, the lack of direct connection
with and knowledge of local forests, watersheds, and wildlife have
certainly been a hindrance to their protection. Equally harmful is
the way this feeling of distance from nature, with which we are
inseparably connected (whether we are conscious of it or not),
can create an internal distance from our personal goals, dreams,
and sense of wellness. Early ecologists, led by biologist Edward O.
Wilson, formed the Biophilia Hypothesis, which states that people
deprived of contact with nature decline in well-being.
~ Uprisings for the Earth, Osprey Orielle Lake, 2010
~ Uprisings for the Earth, Osprey Orielle Lake, 2010
