I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
All of us at least once would have heard these lines from the poem Daffodils by William Wordsworth. Like him, many great poets and writers have always given Mother Nature a significant space in their writings and musings including the Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling which was inspired by Pench National Park in Madhya Pradesh, India.
According to researchers, Mother Nature as we see her today has developed over 4.5 billion years. Initially, the earth was not sustainable for any kind of living thing. The atmosphere had no to very little oxygen, and the same was the case with water. The land made of molten magma and the atmosphere was toxic to survive. Slowly, the earth cooled down, and life started blooming on it. It began to rain, and Nature as a Mother, nurtured it, filling the empty earth with trees, living creatures like animals, birds, and marine life.
Noble Prize recipient Wangari Maathai was among the most proactive voices campaigning for a reconsideration of Mother Nature as an object deserving dignity and respect and retribution. Maathai called for a broader perspective on ecological issues, thinking beyond the economic worries, and underlining the fight for our very existence, through the fight for our Planet.
During the 70s, the Chipko movement, led by Indian women, is an interesting example of non-violent ecological activism. Its members gathered to literally hug trees in order to prevent them being cut for industrial use.
Unfortunately, over the years we have ill treated Mother Nature. Our increasing use of plastic, emission of CO2, industrial waste, increased use of chemicals, deforestation, poaching, and oil spillage in water bodies have toxified and polluted her. We forgot that by doing this, we have degraded the quality of our own lives. Covid-19 is a grim reminder for us to pull up our socks and help mitigate the damage.
Simple Things You Can Do to give back to Mother Nature:
- Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Cut down on what you throw away.
- Volunteer for cleanups in your community.
- Educate.
- Conserve water.
- Choose sustainable.
- Shop wisely.
- Use long-lasting light bulbs.
- Plant a tree.
Also Read: A Journey of a Thousand Miles
