“Every industry does go back to nature at some time.” - Aditi Mayer

Before attending The Garden of Tomorrow Festival, I would have defined nature as the living environments and ecosystems around us – the trees, oceans, national parks, and all the animals they contain. I wouldn’t have thought to include myself in that definition. But after a day of engaging discussions on language, art, and activism I was prompted to reflect on my place, on our place, in nature and how this disconnect has shaped the way we approach the climate crisis. Throughout the event, I encountered people, ideas, and practices that challenged my perspective and deepened my understanding of what climate action can look like. I left The Garden of Tomorrow feeling more connected to nature and community. The event reminded me that we can collectively create a more enchanted, creative, and joyful path towards a sustainable future.

The Oxford Dictionary defines “Nature” as “the phenomena of the physical world collectively, including plants, animals, the landscape, and other features and products of the earth, as opposed to humans or human creations.” But how do you define nature? The We Are Nature campaign, started by House of Hackney and Lawyers for Nature, began as an effort to revise the dictionary definition of “Nature” to include humans. By including us within the concept of nature, the campaign hopes to shift the narrative that has positioned us as being separate from nature and reconnect us with the wonder and joy of the natural world.

Until The Garden of Tomorrow, I hadn’t thought deeply about how this linguistic separation shapes my own relationship to nature and role in the climate space. This disconnect has seeped into our social culture, activism, and perception of the natural world around us. So how can we remedy this and begin to shift the narrative to be a part of nature, and not apart from it? A panel featuring Isaias Hernandez, Bonnie Wright, Frieda Gormley, and Jess Damuck offered many answers to this question. Their answers shared a common thread: reconnecting with nature begins with a genuine curiosity and wonder. “I think the best thing you can do and be is curious…ask questions, be curious,” says Damuck. Slowing down and listening to people within and outside of your communities, admiring the beauty of the land, and creating “pockets of joy” can help us reclaim our place in nature. This discussion inspired me to consider my own sustainability practices. I left the panel asking myself how I would move through the world differently and what actions I would take if I truly subscribe to the belief that I am nature.

To me, what made the panel on Radical Re-Enchantment so thought provoking was the question posed it the beginning of the discussion: What if we reclaimed wonder as a catalyst for change? The idea of “Radical Re-Enchantment” is an alternative to the doom and gloom of current climate narratives and invites us to learn from nature and connect with the earth outside of dogmatic and purely scientific ways. This approach, according to the panelists, looks like artistry, beauty, and a sincere reverence for the land and earth. Aditi Mayer describes re-inchanting herself with nature as an intersection of “craft, culture, and climate,” offering creativity as a powerful tool towards a more sustainable future. I learned that re-enchanting ourselves with nature can transform climate work and sustainability practices from simply being an obligation and necessity to an act of admiration and devotion to the earth around us. Caring for the Earth can be just as creative and imaginative as it is necessary.

The Garden of Tomorrow Festival brought together speakers and Changemakers from diverse backgrounds and industries to explore how imagination, creativity, and language could shape activism. I gained a deeper understanding, a renewed connection to my place in nature, and a new perspective on the way I participate in the climate movement. Perhaps the most significant takeaway from this event is a conviction that like the trees, oceans, national parks, and animals–we, too, are nature.

-Allyssa Salcedo