“Taking care of our connection with nature makes us feel more human.”
This was one of the statements received as feedback to our November workshop on Nature Connection in Urban Areas. This activity was made possible by the DLE’s Funding Scheme to Develop Non-Formal Learning Opportunities for Adults in Malta & Gozo. The session, which was held at our Green Resource Centre was attended by adults from various backgrounds, nationalities and with different interests.
The afternoon of urban nature connection was conducted both indoors and outdoors as we looked both introspectively and at our surroundings to share our perception of nature and of how we connect to it, as well as the obstacles we encounter in doing so.
As we face multiple environmental crises and increasingly urbanised spaces many of us are suffering from anxiety related to the state of the world while others, especially younger generations, seem to be shifting to a greater degree of disconnection from nature. The importance of nature for our wellbeing is not news to anyone – but we may sometimes lose sight of this and not even notice what living creatures are around us. The Blue Rock Thrush calling out from its perch close to the garden was a beautiful reminder to bring us to the present moment and realise that nature can find a way even in manmade landscapes. For some participants it was also the first time seeing our National Bird and listening to its beautiful song. This was an ideal moment to also connect to various citizen science projects where each one of us can be an active citizen and contribute to data collection and sightings – necessary elements for nature conservation.
Together we explored what nature means to us, where we look for it and we then actively searched for it in the area around our centre – a very busy and industrialised area. We focused on our senses of sight, smell, touch and hearing to become more aware of plants’ scents, birdsong and the elements around us. Finding little ways to focus one’s attention can help bring a sense of curiosity while also calming us down in overwhelmingly noisy spaces.
In conclusion, it was good to see that many participants felt they could leave the workshop feeling they could find more ways to connect to nature!