3 Actions

Undertaking positive actions towards addressing both our disconnect from nature and our eco-anxiety can bring multiple benefits. We can view these in the context of a traditional system in which humans and nature have worked together for millennia: floodplain meadows. Similar ecosystems in which humans actively enhance the natural diversity while also supporting themselves exist around the world: the Chagga gardens of Tanzania, the Chinampas of Mexico, the fishponds of China.

A number of groups and individuals are now exploring the history of their local landscape, to learn more about how land has been managed in the past and their connection to it. Most floodplains were managed as meadows in the past, because the production of food was central to community survival. These meadows were managed by the whole community, with the product being shared. Exploring our shared food production history and perhaps your own family connection to past landscapes, can help bring a sense of connectedness to the current landscape.

Many community groups are actively involved in floodplain-meadow restoration projects, either managing the meadows themselves or producing plants as plugs that can be added to an existing meadow. In the latter case, seeds are collected from old meadows, taken home, grown on, and eventually planted out into a restored meadow, increasing its diversity.

Re-invigorating traditions such as shared hay cutting using scythes, producing plug plants or exploring land-use history through art or storytelling, can be powerful ways of reconnecting with nature.

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