eyes4earth.org
Consciousness for Connectedness
  • Home
  • About
  • What is…?
    • Meaningful Nature Experience
    • Connectedness with Nature
    • nature-based synchronicity
  • Research
    • PhD Dissertation
    • Research Insights
    • Bibliography
    • Helpful Links
  • Publications
  • Experiences
    • Fauna (Animals)
    • Flora & Landscape
    • Share Your Own!
  • Poetry
  • Media
    • Video
    • Music
    • Images
  • Blog
Blog 0

Connection, Commitment & Community in COVID-19

By Matthew Zylstra @eyes4earth · On September 21, 2020

An online Special Session delivered by Dr. Matthew Zylstra at the Fynbos Forum 2020

Summary outline:

  1. Connection: i) Lockdown Experiences/Insights; ii) Theory; iii) Practice
  2. Commitment: i) Health & Wellbeing; ii) Behaviours; iii) Responses
  3. Community: i) Roles; ii) Worldviews; iii) Research-Action Agenda
  4. Discussion

Note: There were some technical issues which prevented the speaker from being able to see or hear audience comments until the very end, when the ‘share slides’ feature was disabled.

This tumultuous year has illuminated many societal blind-spots and aspects of people’s lives that they may have previously taken for granted. In particular, the COVID-19 induced lockdown reminded many individuals how vital contact and connection with people and nature is for their health, wellbeing and resilience.

Now, as lockdown levels in South Africa ease – yet with the perpetual prospect that they may tighten again – we need to be more proactive in our understanding of how nature can play a key role in averting expected psycho-social impacts and mental anxiety as result of the COVID-19 stress, lockdowns and livelihood losses. Unchecked, this rebound could ripple across society with devastating effects.

This session invited participants to reflect on their experiences of nature during lockdown, and highlights other insightful stories which emerged locally – in terms of appreciation of fynbos and its species – as well as from around the world.

The session unpacked the concept of “human~nature connectedness” in both theory and practice, and summarise some of the stream of findings to emerge in recent times which reinforce why we all need nature, now more than ever. It also touched on curious and unexpected insights, particularly regarding neurophysiological impacts and how increased nature connectedness correlates to conservation commitments.

Yet, despite the recognised importance of nature connection for heath, wellbeing and pro-nature/pro-social behaviours being increasingly recognised around the world, there appears to be a significant (policy) gap in South Africa. Why? What is being done and what more can be done? How might experiences in fynbos help? We reflected on whether international examples and trends have applicability here.

Finally, we touched on the prospects for future research, implementation and advocacy – which ultimately link connection as foundational to durable pro-conservation behaviours, particularly when ‘held’ or reinforced through engaged community.

Share Tweet

Matthew Zylstra

Matthew Zylstra, PhD is an ecologist, lecturer and facilitator focusing on human~nature connectedness. His transdisciplinary research has entwined ecology, environmental psychology, and education in support of deep learning and wellbeing. He is a keen naturalist, especially in coastal and marine ecosystems.  Matthew’s PhD dissertation on meaningful nature experience, nature connectedness and its role in transformative education is freely available for download here »

Be the first to share a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Recent Posts

  • Interview on ‘Dierepraters’

    September 17, 2021
  • Armageddon Dating & Polyamorous Place Relationships

    January 31, 2021
  • Keurbooms Lagoon 2021 Calendar – now available

    November 21, 2020

Instagram Feed

This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: No feed found.

Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to create a feed.

Follow On Facebook

Topics / Tags

Africa Americas Attention Birds Cetaceans Community Outreach Consciousness CWN Education Human-Wildlife Interaction Insects Interspecies Communication Interviews Mammals Marine MNE Non-Native Species Oceania Perception Poetry Sensory Awareness Spirituality Synchronicity Traditional Knowledge Video Wilderness

Follow On Twitter

My Tweets

Meaningful Quotes

The success of an intervention depends on the interior condition of the intervenor.

— William O’Brien
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Archive

About

eyes4earth.org is a portal into meaningful nature experience and connectedness with nature. It draws on scientific research and experiential insight to explore implications for sustainability education and consciousness.
Learn more »

PhD Download

The PhD research underpinning certain content on eyes4earth.org was completed in early 2014.

The final dissertation is freely available for download here.

Learn more »

GIVE

eyes4earth supports masiyembo.org: an initiative that is creating opportunities for people to find meaning and wellbeing through nature. Join us in giving others the chance to experience renewed connection with earth.Donate via GivenGain


© 2007-2021 eyes4earth.org