longforms, vol. VIII: a media list to celebrate nature
essays, books, documentaries to reconnect with the natural world
If you go down a rabbit hole of climate crisis doom scrolling on Tiktok, Instagram, YouTube, you may experience anger at our current system which prioritizes profits over safeguarding our environment (not to mention the politicians, millionaires/billionaires, celebrities who also profit from and contribute to this climate crisis). But binging on such content can also bring a lot of anxiety and despair. And for too many, the science-backed facts are too easily dismissed in this era of misinformation and polarization.
I personally love a good dose of doom and gloom: it ignites a righteous anger that pushes us to action, and without it, I believe we would remain complacent. However, too much of it and we spiral into despair. So to counterbalance it, we also need our share of beauty and hope. We need to be reminded why we should care about our planet, why we should strive to save ourselves and all other species who share it with us.
This is why I wanted to share this list. As summer blooms here, and the world is more alive than ever, there’s no better time to celebrate Nature and reconnect with the natural world around us. Instead of being lost in the abstract of climate crisis doomsday rhetoric or complex politics or scientific jargon, you can simply fall in love with birds and trees or gardens and parks and forests.
essays
Becoming Earth by Robin Wall Kimmerer
A beautiful essay on ecology, or as the author calls it, “experimental theology”. Is what happens when trees die similar to what happens to us? We’re all deeply connected to nature, and this text is a beautiful reminder of this simple truth.
To Save Nature, Make It Sacred by Dimitris Xygalatas
Instead of rooting nature in numbers and scientific jargon, what if we shifted the language to the sacred? By reinstating the traditional temple-based system of the Grand Bassin, Mauritius was able to save the ecosystem that now thrives and provides ample food for its population. Making nature sacred again may be the only way to save ourselves from a devastating climate collapse.
The Forest For the Trees by Thor Hanson
Charles Darwin was actually a homebody, which makes me incredibly happy. He was a fervent believer that discoveries and wonders could be found in our very own backyards. The author reminds us that we don’t need to go very far to rediscover the joys of nature, and that all of us simply need to look a little closer to rekindle that lost relationship with the natural world.
The Cult Of The American Lawn by Oliver Milman
The obsession with a perfectly manicured lawn is actually destroying native ecosystems all over America (and beyond). Originally inspired by the grand estates of Europe, green unnatural lawns are now a status symbol for the middle-class, and a dead zone for many animal and plant species.
Is God a Mushroom? by John Last
Us humans have always loved a good psychedelic. While their use has sparked much debate, there is a whole niche of researchers claiming that spirituality and religion is actually based on visions incurred by mushrooms. Nature truly is all-powerful.
Finding Hope In The Dark Power Of Fungus by Joanna Steinhardt
Fungi is the reason why the Earth is not covered by organic debris (see below documentary). So can it be used to tackle our waste and junk? I honestly am obsessed with mushrooms and fungi, and am constantly amazed to discover the many ways researchers harvest their abilities
books
The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben
Trees have social networks, like human beings. One tree in a forest is actually part of a community, a complex system in which all trees collectively support each other. While we humans are becoming more individualistic than ever, nature remains deeply interconnected: a beautiful reminder that plants and trees and nature are all alive, and worth protecting.
The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl
Human-caused crisis have an impact even on our own backyards. Renkl recounts a year of witnessing (and aiding) the various species at her home, reflecting on the cycles of life, both animal and human. A beautiful book that reminds us how precious and fragile nature really is. (Also contains lovely illustrations).
Birds Art Life by Kyo Maclear
One of my all-time favourites, by Canadian author Kyo Maclear. We follow along her one-year journey of bird-watching, her search for creativity, and simply what it means to live life. It’s beautifully written, with a very soft vibe to it.
The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan
Another bird-watching journal, but this one is truly about bird-watching, unlike Maclear’s more poetic/philosophical tone. This was my first venture into nature books, and I was not disappointed. I fell in love with journals and the “observations” type of writing, and now I enjoy staring out the window, or sitting outside and looking at the birds and animals and trees around me more than ever before.
Field Study: Meditations on a year in the herborium by Helen Humphreys
We’re taken back to a time when amateur naturalists contributed to so many discoveries thanks to their collections of plants, and their records contained in herbariums. Another journal filled with observations, meditations, and illustrations of specimens lost and living, written in a soft meditative prose.
The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Earth is abundant enough for all of us, and it’s time to reject this modern (capitalist) idea of constant growth at all costs. Instead, we should embrace the concept of enoughness instead of accumulation. A difficult thing to do in an era of overconsumption, but crucial if we want to sustain life and rediscover the true meaning of community. Also by the same author: Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants
The Garden Against Time by Olivia Laing
Gardens were always meant to be communal spaces, inspired by the idea of Heaven itself. Because what is more heavenly than Nature itself? Being surrounded by plants, flowers, bees, birds, peace, that’s truly heavenly. I don’t think Laing would agree with the concept of the unnatural green American Lawn.
documentaries
fin.
bree beauregard
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