Nature Nurtures; It's Time We Nurture Nature Back

We’re all part of one ecosystem, and it’s time we break free and evolve from this destructive ego-system and do our part in nurturing nature back.

Nature has been nurturing us for millennia. As humans, we have always and will continue to be dependent on nature and our environments to nurture and sustain us. We rise with the sun, we eat off the land, we make shelter of bricks, stones and trees. We need water, air, light and nourishment to survive, we need clean water, fresh air, mineral rich nourishment and circadian attuned light to thrive.

Biological diversity — or biodiversity for short — is the variety of life on Earth, in all its forms. Healthy ecosystems and rich biodiversity are fundamental to life on Earth. A changing climate means changing habitats and biodiversity loss. According to the UNDP, the biodiversity we see today is the result of 4.5 billion years of evolution, increasingly influenced by humans. This continuing loss of biodiversity will undermine our ability to strive for poverty reduction, food and water security, human health, and the overall goal of leaving no one behind.

Biodiversity is interconnected, intertwined, and indivisible life on Earth, including human life. Our societies, livelihoods, economies and overall well being depend on healthy and functioning ecosystems. There can be no stable climate or sustainable development without biodiversity.

With that in mind, the 15th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity COP15 held in Montreal earlier this month, facilitated a push forward towards forging a peace pact with nature. The “Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework” (GBF), which includes four goals and 23 targets for achievement by 2030.

The main points include:

• Protecting 30% of Earth’s lands, oceans, coastal areas, and inland waters.

• Reducing annual harmful government subsidies by $500 billion.

• Cutting food waste in half.

• Maintaining, enhancing and restoring ecosystems, including halting species extinction and maintaining genetic diversity.

• "Sustainable use" of biodiversity - essentially ensuring that species and habitats can provide the services they provide for humanity, such as food and clean water.

• Ensuring that the benefits of resources from nature, like medicines that come from plants, are shared fairly and equally and that indigenous peoples' rights are protected

• Paying for and putting resources into biodiversity: Ensuring that money and conservation efforts get to where they are needed.

We have a symbiotic relationship with nature: we benefit from it, and we in turn need to take care of it. We’re all part of one ecosystem, and it’s time we break free and evolve from this destructive ego-system and do our part in nurturing nature back.

Sustaining All Life: The Biophilic Society

Connecting to nature can save our society and can help co-create the conditions to sustain all life.

Photo credits: Living Future Europe

Have you ever stepped out into nature or happened upon a beautiful landscape and found yourself feeling relieved or elated? That comes as no surprise, since science has proven that humans have an innate tendency to seek out connection with nature and other life forms, as illustrated by the Biophilia Hypothesis.

The essence of Biophilia first came into being through the work of Erich Fromm who describes it as “the passionate love of life and of all that is alive.” This notion was then further explored by E.O Wilson, who observes that this connection to nature and love of life has genetic roots. Especially taking into account that for the vast majority of human existence, the natural landscape provided the resources necessary for human survival.

In October of 2022, at The Biophilia Camp, hosted by Living Future Europe, in the unique mountainside chalets of Felizitas on the beautful plateau of the Alta Val di Non in South Tyrol Italy, the Biophilic Society was born. It was conceived as a joint effort between Living Future Europe and a group of biophilic design lovers with the vision to create a living system and a virtual space to promote the culture of biophilia.

In our current society, which is becoming increasingly densely populated and where a growing number of people live in urban areas, people are losing their connection with nature, as it has no longer become a prominent aspect of the direct living environment. More and more people are finding themselves feelings out of touch, lost or unmotivated in their way of life. This is exactly what the Biophilic Society aims to remedy.

The Biophilic Society is a network (a living system) of biophilic lovers, experts, researchers, professionals aiming and working to set biophilia and biophilic design at the centre of the conversation on regenerative design, creating the conditions for their large-scale implementation.

Building on the rigor of literature, research, and existing frameworks, the Biophilic Society works to overpass existing biases, breaks paradigms, scouts, and collects the examples from best practices, in order to move the biophilic approach out from a niche, establishing a new modus operandi for the players of the built environment. Offering a platform through which we can co-create the conditions for sustaining all life.

Our Belief is that reconnecting with nature will save our society, shifting from an ego-system to a true and profound eco-system.

You are invited to sign the manifesto and join this movement towards a more integrated nature-based society, one the factors in all life. Let's work together to manifest this passionate love of life and all that is alive, within us and around us!

Your call to action

Sign – Sign the virtual agreement as a founding member, and commit to advocate for this mission

Share – Share your commitment and the values to increase visibility and reinforce identity

Strengthen – Strengthen the network (living system) to augment the capacity and effectiveness

For more information; download the Manifesto PDF.

Bringing Biophilia to Life; The Benefits of Biophilic Design

In the wake of the global pandemic and with the increasing effects of climate change on the health of people and the environment, Biophilic Design might just be the answer we've been seeking!

Planetary health and human health are inextricably interrelated. No longer can we ignore our fundamental interconnections and continue to employ a band-aid solution to an internally inflamed wound. It's time to acknowledge our vast impact, and design for a better and more resilient future, rooted in collective knowledge and shared understanding and experiences.

One of the most profound and effective ways of doing so through the built environment is embodied by the principles of Biophilic Design. Biophilic Design stems from the Biophilia Hypothesis; the notion that humans possess an innate tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life, as described by E.O. Wilson. Thus, Biophilic Design can be described as a scientifically-backed, and innately rooted concept, utilized through the built environment to increase occupant connectivity to the natural environment through various direct and indirect applications.

Research has shown that Biophilic Design has the power to reduce stress, improve health and well-being; both physically and psychologically, in addition to aiding in and accelerating healing, while simultaneously improving cognitive function and inspiring clarity and creativity. In the wake of the global pandemic and taking into account that approximately 56.61% of the world's population currently live in urban areas, a proportion that is expected to increase to 68% by 2050 (statistictimes), Biophilic Design is becoming an increasingly vital tool in enhancing in the built environment, and the spaces where we live, work, learn and play.

The practices of Biophilic Design can help us understand the ways in which our connection to Mother Earth and our sacred land can lead us to systemic regenerative change, holistic wellness and a deeper connection to the natural world. We are nature, we belong to nature and together we can co-create a world that works for all of humanity and all of Mother Earth’s life forces. Let’s work together to imagine a different world; one that embodies a true love of life!

Further Reading:

Kellert, Stephen R., Judith Heerwagen, and Martin Mador. (2011). Biophilic design: the theory, science and practice of bringing buildings to life. John Wiley & Sons.

Beatley, Timothy. (2011). Biophilic Cities: Integrating Nature Into Urban Design and Planning. Italy, Island Press.

Kellert, Stephen & Calabrese, Elizabeth. (2015). The Practice of Biophilic Design.

14 patterns of biophilic design. Terrapin Home - Terrapin Bright Green. (2014).