Why Do We Need Nature Connection?

Because we are deeply disconnected.

I go to the woods on a regular basis to connect by listening, recording, and to practice the present moment.

I talked about the challenges of that a few days ago in another Davo Show episode.

But why do we need connection in the first place? Does it mean we are disconnected?

Yes. For sure. For thousands of years our ancestors were deeply connected to nature.

Because we usually not very connected to nature, we are suffering from a lack of feeling and meaning we could get from being outdoors more.

How A Goldfinch Interruption Proves the Point

There is a moment in the recording where I spot a goldfinch in a nearby tree.

Listen to how my voice changes and feel how excited it gets me. This is connection in its purest form. You can’t fake that.

The good news is we don’t have to be disconnected. You can change it. Just go out your door.

Links

I mention the iNaturalist app when I saw the tree the goldfinch was in and realized I did not recognize the species.

iNaturalist is a great tool for leaning more about the natural world. If you go there look for me at username davidbbourne.

---

What Is This Short Audio Series About?
– Creativity
– Music!
– Nature
– Discovery
– Living your best life

---

Podcast (davoshow): Play in new window | Download

You can find all of the Davo Show Episodes at this website http://DavidBourne.com/davo/

Subscribe to this Show at Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast

Episode Transcript, Lightly Edited

I’m in my front yard, which is the northwest corner. I don’t usually record here and I’m realizing that very high pitched insect sound you’re hearing definitely loudest in this section.

So I’m thinking, you know, that’s, that’s a summer sound, when the freeze comes, that sounds probably going to go away. And I’m standing next to a maple that still got a lot of green on it, but it’s got a few leaves that are on the ground next to it. And I’ve just been thinking a lot about fall in the leaves coming down.

On Connection

And I think I’ve been thinking too about connection. I mentioned that a few weeks ago about why I go to the woods to be connected and you know, just these leaves changing, it’s made me think more about cycles.

Of course, here we are, in the beginning of the fall cycle and looking out and seeing the leaves change every day. And this is just gorgeous. So I’ve been thinking about that cycle a lot. And thinking how, you know, why do I feel a need to connect and a big reason is because I’m so disconnected.

We Are Culturally Disconnected

I think we as a culture are disconnected. We’re disconnected from our roots of being out in nature all the time. Pretty much I’m not saying that’s what I think we should do.

But I think there is a disconnect from where we are now in modern times, and what we used to have when we were more connected to plants to seasons to the cycles of change

And so when I think about these leaves and how they fall on the ground and become this layer, and I’m not walking right now but lots of times when I am walking you can hear me crunch those leaves and so I you know, I’ve been thinking about ….

The Goldfinch Distraction

Oh, there’s a bird really close to me. I think it’s a finch. I doubt he’s gonna talk what is that? That’s not a Finch was a Goldfinch. Yeah, cool. It’s about 10 feet away in this Holly tree, I guess you know, I don’t know what that is. I will look it up on iNaturalist.

I digress. So that was almost literally a squirrel moment or just a bird moment. That’s all right.

Proof Of Connection – The Goldfinch

That’s why I’m coming out here to connect with things like that tree I don’t know the name of with the really bright red berries. That Goldfinch was trying to eat until it saw me and flew away.

So yeah, that layer of leaves on the ground, you know, it. It’s, it’s like an insulation for all the creatures that live on the forest floor. And, you know, it’s their home. And it’s so many things, these leaves that we really only pay attention to twice a year, spring and fall. They make up so much of the ecology of the forest.

Wanting More Connection Because it Feels Good

I want to think more about that and learn more about that. And be connected to that because, you know, I think it’s good to reconnect with nature to understand it better. Just because we are disconnected.

We used to be as a species, we human beings were so connected. And I think now that we have nice homes that we live in. We’ve just lost that so we can get it back. My going outdoors and paying attention.

That’s what I’m doing. I’m kind of figuring this out as I go telling myself thinking about connection, disconnection, the leaves, how it all ties together, because it does. It’s all cyclical.

More to Come on The Davo Show

You’re going to hear more about all that kind of stuff on the Davo Show, which is my short form, audio show. This one’s not so short. So sorry about that. Maybe if I did them more often they would be a little bit shorter. That’s the goal. Until next time, see you out there.

Bye

This episode of the Davo Show is transcribed by the awesome otter.ai