"When we go into a forest that has not been interfered with by man, our thinking mind will see only disorder and chaos all around us. It won’t even be able to differentiate between life (good) and death (bad) anymore since everywhere new life grows out of rotting and decaying matter. Only if we are still enough inside and the noise of thinking subsides can we become aware that there is a hidden harmony here, a sacredness, a higher order in which everything has its perfect place and could not be … Continue reading
Think Like A Tree
Ways of knowing: separation and participation
"...the essential reality of nature is not separate, self-contained, and complete in itself, so that the human mind can examine it “objectively” and register it from without. Rather, nature’s unfolding truth emerges only with the active participation of the human mind. Nature’s reality is not merely phenomenal, nor is it independent and objective; rather, it is something that comes into being through the very act of human cognition. Nature becomes intelligible to itself through the human mind. … Continue reading
The Re-Integration of Nature | Galen Fulford | TEDxFindhornSalon
From 40 days in the Utah Canyons working with convicts to natural buildings growing food in the future, Galen's wide-ranging talk covers our loss of connection with the natural world to how nature and technology can support each other to grow food, purify the air we breathe and the water we take for granted. Galen Fulford has been implementing ecological solutions to solve problems of water scarcity and water contamination on an international scale for the past fifteen years. He uses his … Watch video
Lessons from Living in Nature
"Nisha Srinivasan and her husband Ragu Padmanabhan had Silicon Valley careers, when in 2008, soon after having their son Aum, they promptly sold everything and moved to rural India. They wanted to farm, but had no experience in it and so set out as students of the land - for instance, when they planted 9000 trees on their barren land, thousands didn't make it, but thousands blossomed into a mini-forest. They jumped in with the intention of living and being in a way that was better aligned with … Continue reading
Satish Kumar: ‘Brexit is a distraction … creating all these divisions is a waste of time’
Findhorn Fellow and Editor Emeritus of Resurgence & Ecologist magazine, Satish Kumar, speaks to the Guardian about his 43 years at the magazine, its merger with the Ecologist, and his vision of the future.... "Amid the chaos and uncertainty caused by the Brexit vote, it’s perhaps not surprising that other pressing issues have been pushed to the back of the collective consciousness. Yet with the perspective of a man approaching his 80th birthday, Satish Kumar is convinced that the fallout … Continue reading
A Love Letter to Wilderness
This love letter to wilderness celebrates the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Wilderness Act with stunning images and excerpts of poetry and words on wilderness from Edward Abbey, Ralph Waldo Emerson, John Muir and Wallace Stegner. In 50 years, the designated wilderness areas in the United States has grown from nine to 109 million acres, including national forests, national parks, national wildlife refuges, and Bureau of Land Management lands. Watch video
Common Ground
No matter how many walls we build fences we stretch across this landscape – No matter how many names we speak against the others to make them different, wrong – Each of us was born from the soil of this land to breathe the same air, drink the same water – We share one sky – our lingering looks at changing clouds and the pattern they cast on the hills we call home – And in the folds of these valleys, the woods, fields, hedgerows, daily conversation of wren, robin and blackbird is broadcast to … Continue reading
Nature Matters by Jini Reddy
Jini Reddy, freelance writer, shares her story one year on from Findhorn's New Story Summit.... My week at Findhorn was a gift, no question. Just being among people from around the globe who are bringing heart to their lives and work was pretty profound. There was much inspiration and food for thought. I'm still in touch with friends I made there. I loved the dunes and found great peace on the beach - I still carry that peace with me. Continue reading
Engaged Ecology: Seven Practices to Restore Our Harmony with Nature
"It has rained steadily through the night, a gentle hushing sound in the thick tree canopy. In the morning light, crickets thrill and every leaf trembles and gleams. Soft mist gently rises as the creek gushes along its deep habitual groove in Rose Valley, a place as beautiful as it sounds: my home. "Amid such grace, one might forget the planet is in chaos. Wars rage… and the trees grow slowly. And yet, if one pays attention, the very poignancy of the Earth’s beauty is the reminder of her … Continue reading