Be Inspired: Connected to nature

Technology can, in many ways, convince us that we don’t really need nature, except on special occasions. But what things have we lost by inadvertently believing this? By looking closely at and being more connected with the natural world around us, we learn something about our unique place in the world as human beings, and that this 'specialness' is also true for every other living things we share the planet with. In this feature we explore the big and small wonders, and how we each are an integral part of this complex and beautiful ecosystem of life.
> click the pics for interviews and video footage


Louie Schwartzberg


Louie Schwartzberg - Gratitude

Nature’s beauty can be fleeting -- but not through Louie Schwartzberg’s lens. His stunning time-lapse photography, accompanied by powerful words from Benedictine monk Brother David Steindl-Rast, serves as a meditation on being grateful for every day. Check out his moving Ted talk, and amazing 'Moving Art' website that capture breathtaking images that celebrate life — revealing connections, universal rhythms, patterns and beauty.

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." - Albert Einstein

Moving Art website »        What Happens When We Reconnect with Nature  »        


WWF


WWF "The planet's last dance" - Diversity

The mission of the WWF (World Wildlife Fund for nature) is to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature. This involves conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. This video is unbelievable because it is made up entirely of still images, animated to look like they are slow-motion video. This captures just a touch of the awe and wonder that is nature itself.

"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world." - John Muir

WWF Australia »        Simple Ways To Connect With Nature  »        


Louie Schwartzberg


“Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care” - Intention

The United Nations’ campaign in 2015 for World Environment Day used this slogan - encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the environment. The primary objective was to raise awareness about the unsustainable rate at which we are consuming the planet’s resources and the need to shift individual and collective behaviour towards sustainable lifestyles. The images in this video capture the interconnectedness of human activity and the natural world, of which we are a part yet often do not acknowledge.

"Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves." - Chief Seattle

Ten reasons why we need more contact with nature »