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  1. humansandnature.org23 min
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    humansandnature.org
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    • Alexa2 years ago

      This is everything, an easy 11. I loved Robin Wall Kimmerer's books and haven't seen any of her essays on their own prior to this one. Stunning.

      The first snippet is missing, the intro. Here:

      "We are showered every day with the gifts of the Earth, gifts we have neither earned nor paid for: air to breathe, nurturing rain, black soil, berries and honeybees, the tree that became this page, a bag of rice, and the exuberance of a field of goldenrod and asters at full bloom."

      RWK always makes me marvel at the wonders of nature, and this is a special CTA to honor my responsibility to give back to those treasures.

      • Pegeen
        Top reader this weekReading streakScoutScribe
        2 years ago

        Such an important message beautifully written and explicit in our duty and purpose going forward. Thanks for posting. Would love articles showcasing examples of the possibilities of this change actually happening. I think we need such motivation and inspiration during this time of death and disruption of our systems. We have to change, that much is clear!

    • Pegeen
      Top reader this weekReading streakScoutScribe
      2 years ago

      “Recognition of the personhood of other beings asks that we relinquish our perceived role as masters of the universe and celebrate our essential role as an equal member in the democracy of all species.” Living in a state of gratitude for the gifts of nature engenders a deep respect and a desire to respond in kind. We must “reclaim our roles as caregivers for the earth, to be more than consumers, to be givers.”

    • Plum
      Top reader this weekReading streak
      2 years ago

      “The Earth asks us to change as everything changes and evolves, like the flesh-tearing Allosaurus who became a warbler singing from the treetops when the time for flesh-tearing was over. For if we don’t change, we will, like all that does not change, perish…… We are a species who can change.”

    • deephdave
      Top reader this weekTop reader of all time
      2 years ago

      “The practice of gratitude can, in a very real way, lead to the practice of self-restraint, of taking only what you need. Naming and appreciation of the gifts that surround us creates a sense of satisfaction, a feeling of ‘enoughness’ that is an antidote to the societal messages that drill into our spirits, telling us we must have more. Practicing contentment is a radical act in a consumption-driven society.”