Unless you live in a tiny cabin off the grid (if you do, lucky you!), it is unlikely you spend time in nature every day. For most of us the daily grind can easily get in the way of connecting with our natural world. We plan road trips, and adventures. We google the best overnight hikes in our areas, and we spend time in stores like REI, Patagonia, and MEC dreaming up our next expedition. We follow all the top nature Instagram accounts, and are constantly clicking geotags to see just where that spot was. We can’t help it. We are wild obsessed, and we want more. Unlike some other addictions, being addicted to that feeling we get from the wild is not a bad thing!
Our world is in danger. Our forests are being cut down, and our polar ice is melting. We need more people to care about nature. These 5 TED talks are a great reminder as to why we should give a damn. They are perfect to watch on those lazy Sunday mornings with a big cup of joe, when the mountains are not calling. These TED speakers are sure to light a fire in your heart and encourage you to protect and care for our mother earth!
1. Louie Schwartzberg – nature, beauty, gratitude
In this TED talk Louie Schwartzberg shares his beautiful time-lapse photography with a voice over of the powerful words from Benedictine monk Brother David Steindl-Rast. This TED talks serves as a reminder to be grateful for each day on this beautiful earth.
2. Paul Stamets – How mushrooms can save the world
Mycologist Paul Stamets discusses 6 different ways that mycelium fungus can help save the universe: cleaning polluted soil, making insecticides, treating smallpox and even flu viruses. Paul’s passion for the mycological world is infectious. This TED talk will blow your mind over and over again.
3. Sex, Spock and Climate Change – Justin Bogardus
Justin Bogardus is the creator of the hilarious Nature Rx viral video. In this talk he begs the question “does nature have a marketing problem?”. Justin talk is filled to the brim with humour and wit, while also posing very important questions about the planet we live on. Bloggers, creatives, and nature-lovers alike will enjoy this one!
4. Emma Marris – Nature is everywhere — we just need to learn to see it
In this talk, environmental writer Emma Marris brings forth the idea that we need to change our definition of nature. She worries that with the current definition of “that which is untouched by humans” we risk losing nature entirely. She believes that we should not only consider our wild pristine landscapes as nature, but also the untended patches of wild plants growing in our urban environments. She encourages us to expose our children to these wild places so that one day they may learn to love and protect it as well.
5. Paul Nicklen – Animal tales from icy wonderlands
Paul Nicklen, a renowned National Geographic photographer shares stunning photographs from his expeditions in the Great Bear Rainforest, and the Arctic. Paul Nicklen gives us a first hand look into the lives of the wildlife that inhabit these lands. His work is inspiring and moving, and it is more than just beautiful photographs. His work spreads a message. These ecosystems these animals inhabit are in trouble. We are losing sea ice at a rapid rate, and we risk losing these ecosystems entirely.
The second best thing to experiencing nature first hand, is experiencing its beauty through words and images. We have the gift of being able to do this in our tech savvy age with the click of a button. The next time you are feeling under the weather, or are enjoying an easy day inside why not give these TED talks a watch. I hope they can serve to inspire you and further fuel your love for our wild earth!
