[Last modified: October, 16 2024 01:10 PM]
Sat in Russel Square Park on a Friday mid-morning, I am immersed in an environment of natural elements within the big concrete city of London. Although aesthetically designed by men, the old, tall trees define this park, reminding us of what existed before the city. The trees stand large, elegant, integral — they possess history and meaning, tell a story, create an atmosphere.
The atmosphere is one of peace, calm, tranquility, safety. Sounds of water flowing from the fountain, birds chirping, people walking and talking at ease. This atmosphere is amplified in contrast to the busy, noisy urban chaos around—cars and construction. I watch as people enter and immediately slow down, are eased and opened in the softness of the natural environment. People are drawn to the grandness of the trees and the sweetness of the squirrels. Nature invites them to connect, to be transformed and infused with awe, just for a moment and a photo (to capture these precious experiences), before they continue along their ways.
Some people sit on benches, enjoying moments of rest and respite. Some are absorbed by their digital devices in online worlds, albeit seeming at ease. Some are interested in the man-made elements of the central fountains and other people as they walk about. A little boy is captivated by a squirrel, he follows it where it takes him, under a grand tree and amongst fresh autumn leaves. Hands on the earth, is whole world is engrossed by the natural world in this moment, as he interacts with it at the most innocent level.
There is a diversity of interest and interaction, as people engage with the natural environment in divergent ways. Similarly, people are moved and transformed by nature in different ways. I wonder what the principles shaping these differences are (life history, upbringing, experience, attitude), the non-identical ways and degrees people are changed by interactions with nature, and how they influence how individuals and communities feel responsible for protecting, conserving and cultivating their natural environment.
In this context of a park in cosmopolitan central London, it is evident that no one feels a particular personal attachment to questions of conservation in this location. Instead, most people simply exist in and appreciate the small beauty’s of this environment, allowing their perception to be expanded and their mood to be elevated to a state of peace and joy. In itself, evidence of the multifaceted power of interaction with nature, of which I will explore.