Nature Connection Manifesto

Other Ways to Walk Nature Connection Manifesto

1. Nature Connection brings us into closer relationship with ourselves as part of the natural world. This has healing benefits for us.

2. People who are more connected to nature show greater compassion towards it.

3. Nature connection could help us all feel better and behave in ways that are more in tune with the planet’s needs.

Where We Find Ourselves:

Our relationship with nature is faltering:
The British are known as nature-lovers, yet in a survey of 14 European countries, Britain scored the lowest in both nature connectedness and wellbeing. (1) Britain has lost more wildlife than almost anywhere else in Western Europe. It is one of the most nature-depleted countries on the planet, with half of its biodiversity gone. (2)  Research shows that people who feel connected with nature are happier. (3)

We don’t protect what we don’t know or care about:
Nearly one in six species in Britain is threatened with extinction. The loss of plants, birds, insects, and mammals is happening largely unnoticed.
Words such as ‘acorn,’ ‘conker,’  and ‘bluebell,’ are at risk of being excluded from The Oxford Junior Dictionary because children no longer use them. (4)
Despite declining numbers of bees and other pollinators, it remains legal in the UK to buy and sell weedkillers lethal to pollinators, frogs, and newts.

The Climate Emergency:

The global climate emergency has largely been created by the Global North, yet countries in the Global South bear the brunt, as chronic drought or flooding leads to famine and displacement. (5)
To create a fairer world for all living beings, we must think beyond emissions reduction targets, towards a more holistic vision. Equality means that those with more resources must shoulder more of the burden. (6)

The Change We Need:

Indigenous communities have close connections with nature. We need everyone on the planet to become connected. Science, campaigns and news reports alone have not convinced people to protect the rights of nature. Our emotions drive our connection more strongly than a statistic. The joyful song of returning swallows feels more “real” than a news report about declining numbers of birds.
Science shows that connecting with nature fosters pro-nature behaviours. (7)

We must:

• Commit to deepening our own connection with nature, trusting that action will follow.

• Take care of our own well-being, which nature connection can help us with. This builds internal resilience to take actions that will help nature continue to thrive.

• Look for ways to share our experiences with others.

Six Actions We Can Take:

1) Imagination

Storytellers and artists show us the world in different ways. They invite us to wonder at glittering frost or listen to splattering raindrops, guiding us into a reciprocal relationship with nature. Science measures and explains the world, but creativity gives it meaning.

Seek out people, animals, birds, plants, skies, seas and places that nurture the imagination. Listen to the dance between the wind and the treetops or the gentle burst of raindrops on dry soil. Where do these sounds connect with you? What thoughts or feelings arise? How can you share this with others?

2) Radical Empathy

Everything is alive, aware, and connected. Humans evolved in relationship with nature. We still instinctively understand a blackbird’s alarm call. At the train station, the pigeon waits for crumbs from your sandwich. In the park, a robin watches you from its nest. The grassy hillside feels your footsteps.

Describe yourself as something you notice in nature: ‘I am a new bud, unstoppable energy forcing my way into life. I am dancing in the breeze. I am fresh, juicy, and green’. How does it feel to identify yourself this way?
It takes courage to empathise with plants, insects, and birds that are struggling to survive. Listen to your own needs and focus on something nourishing if it feels overwhelming.

3) Become Entangled

We need to see ourselves as part of an interconnected world. The moon in the night sky reminds us we are part of something bigger. You don’t need to know the names of the stars to feel touched by wonder.

Share stories of hope, beauty, and connection with those who have a different perspective. Read to a tree, write to a flower, listen to a sunset.

4) Rest

We need rest. When we are tired, we can’t think or act clearly. Modern life means that our immune and emotional regulation systems are pushed into constant alertness. This has been normalised, and we are expected to carry on. We override our tiredness with artificial light and caffeine. Nature knows when to rest, pausing between growth cycles.

Regulate your nervous system by appreciating beauty in nature through the changing seasons. Notice the clouds, smell the earth after rain, or admire a bird. An intentional 2 minute break to notice nature has measurable benefits. (8)

Connecting with nature is proven to reduce stress, improve sleep, and boost well-being.

5) Fall in Love

Create the conditions to fall in love with nature. Love is irrational, uplifting, and hopeful. It feels delicious. It nourishes you more deeply than any material possession. Love can strike in an instant or gently unfold over time.  Your heart might bloom while walking to the shop, captivated by a single, beautiful leaf on the ground. Or you might slowly grow attached to the comforting chatter of sparrows in your garden. Surrender to nature’s beauty.

Plan times to slow down and experience wonder in nature. Become curious about what draws your attention. Notice any feelings of tenderness and seek them out. This creates fertile ground for love to take root. Falling in love with nature is an act of self-care.

6) Bear Witness

Notice changes in nature and share them with others. Embrace the softer, gentler voices, including the voice of nature. Our skies are becoming quieter as bird populations plummet. In Britain, we’ve lost 3 million birds over the last 50 years. We must notice this before our skies fall silent. (9)

Take time to notice the changes in everyday nature. Pay attention to how it makes you feel to observe the weeds in the gutter, patterns in flowerbeds, or moss on the wall.

About Other Ways to Walk:

Other Ways to Walk is all about connecting people with nature for well-being. It was founded in 2017 by Rachel Howfield Massey, an artist, writer, mindfulness instructor, and creative health practitioner.

This manifesto is a work in progress. I would love to hear what you think.

This is my first attempt to summarise my intentions and beliefs about nature connection, refining many pages of notes into a few words. I’ve probably captured some things and lost others, but this is my best effort to date. In the main I want to offer something positive, building towards what we know is possible. Nature shows us sustainable ways of co-existing that are fairer for all living beings, providing hope for a world that is co-operative and sustainable. We just need to become literate in what nature can teach us.

Further reading:

1 RICHARDSON M, et al. 2022. Country-level factors in a failing relationship with nature.

2 State of Nature Partnership. 2023. State of Nature Report

3 Finding Nature. 2020. Beyond Nature Contact to Connection

4McFARLANE R, MORRIS J. 2017. The Lost Words

5 Julies Bicycle. 2022. Creative Climate Justice Guide.

6 Take the Jump. 2021. Same Access, Different Responsibility

7 MACKAY C, SCHMITT M. 2019. Do people who feel connected to nature do more to protect it?

8 ALBULESCU P et al. 2022. A systematic review on the efficacy of micro-breaks for increasing wellbeing and performance.

9 CARSON R. 1962 Silent Spring.