Reconnecting on Earth Day
I’m unsure how I feel about Earth Day.
There tends to be a lot of mixed sentiments about what to do because, well, in hindsight, it is just another day. Like most eco-related celebratory days, they come and go and get caught between our busy schedules, and before we know it, we haven’t even slowed down to stop and think about what it really means.
Personally, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about slowing down and considering the world around me, and what I feel I’ve uncovered isn’t complicated; in fact, it’s quite simple.
When we take the time to notice nature—and I mean really notice it—we can discover the endless detail the world has to offer. We uncover this specialness that has been hiding in plain sight. In her book, This One Wild and Precious Life, Sarah Wilson writes about this sense of disconnection from life we can experience. It’s no shock that we live at an overwhelming point in history, and as a result of the complicatedness, we can lose our sense of connectedness to our moral beliefs, one another, and even ourselves. But what is brilliant about this book is that Wilson argues that this feeling can be cultivated into paving a radical and hopeful path forward. It’s an excellent read that is very relatable, funny and vulnerable; I love how it speaks to this bound connection we have as humans to the earth. And how we should act as guardians to respect, value it.
Being in nature just feels good; you lower your inhibitions and appreciate the world, and in that moment, all can be well. My mum always says ask, and you shall receive, which seems fitting, given that being out in nature has been linked to a range of health benefits: lowered stress, better mood, improved attention, the list goes on really. And while it is presumptuous to assume that everyone has access to wide open spaces where you can bask in nature, visiting your local park green space, or even stopping on the street to notice a flower can be truly grounding.
I also find that I have a huge sense of appreciation and calmness about the world when I listen to nature-orientated podcasts. There’s something about the innocence of the animals, the fact they are blissfully unaware of the world humans have created, and how you, as the listener, just are in complete awe, knowing that at every moment of every day, there are millions of species of animals simply living their lives too. It makes me feel warm and happy thinking about Gorillas moving from place to place each night to nest—which I learnt listening to Ologies with Alie Ward on the Gorillaology with Tara Stoinski episode—or that biologists have discovered that humpback whales sometimes come to the rescue of other whales and even seals when being hunted by Orcas—this I found out on the RadioLab podcast episode titled The Humpback and the Killer.
Considering that much of human history has been rooted in commoditising off animals for our own gain, I feel we have much to learn from other species; this hierarchical structure that puts humans at the top has limited our perspectives to acknowledge just how much potential there is to learn from other species, treating them equal rather than beneath us.
With all this said, this journey isn’t just about going out and smelling the roses, but also an opportunity for reflection, to evolve and grow into versions of ourselves who embrace togetherness. When we embrace slowness, there is time to learn, and my there is much to learn! I find that following and interacting with Instagram accounts informative and engaging, and the wide breadth of publicly accessible and free education is exciting! Content coming from The Slow Factory Foundation, which is an open edu source for all things fashion and sustainability with a range of experts who lecture on their given specialties, is especially great. As well, Atmos, a climate and culture media outlet inspired by nature, also has the most informative and beautifully designed educational resources for countless climate issues.
Earth Day is to be embraced, to celebrate our fabulous home, planet Earth. We should nurture and appreciate all nature has to offer us and acknowledge that it existed long before we arrived and will continue long after we exist.
At Lovaan, we are working collectively to organise our responsibility as stewards to ensure that our garments are cherished, valued, and safely disposed of if and when the time comes.
If you have any further questions on how we are addressing our responsibility at Lovaan, please contact CUSTOMERCARE@lovaanstudios.com.
Words by Rani Muker, Lovaan Production Assistant.