A big shout out and thank you to James Norman for his thoughtful article about what lies beneath Melbourne snorkelling. Thank you also to everyone who has bought the book A Beginners Guide to Snorkelling in Melbourne. It was a pleasure to help people overcome that initial fear and get among the fishes.
And while many of you don’t live here, I’m sure the article resonates. As I said in the article:
“People are increasingly looking for a window into the natural world which we don’t get from work and news.”
Why we are reconnecting with nature
All over the planet people are reconnecting with nature. We’re lucky in Melbourne to have things like the world’s smallest squid (Pygmy Squid) and the world’s biggest seahorse (Bigbelly Seahorse) within metres of our shore. Indeed, James and I found a Pygmy Squid within moments. Wherever you live though, I’m sure you have similar experiences with unique local wildlife. Indeed, wildlife is literally the only thing that is unique about our own living landscapes. Think about how much animals are used as icons for countries and regions. Everyone has beaches, mountains, lakes, rivers and cities. Only local wildlife is unique to where you live, because it has adapted to maintain functioning ecosystemsHow ecosystems function An ecosystem is a community of lifeforms that interact in such an optimal way that how ecosystems function best, is when all components (including humans and other animals) can persist and live alongside each other for the longest time possible. Ecosystems are fuelled by the energy created by plants (primary producers) that convert the Sun's heat energy More.
Our future depends on reconnecting with the animals that live in our own neighbourhood. This is how we learn to appreciate our mutual role and dependence on nature. This article illustrates just one of many examples of how that is already happening worldwide.
What lies beneath: Melbourne’s often maligned surf has created a growing snorkelling scene …
Extract from The Guardian
Wading into the warm, crystal-clear water at the northern end of Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay – bearing flippers, a snorkel and a mask – a colourful underwater wonderland teeming with life opens up just metres from the shoreline.
Within a few minutes, we spot a tiny headshield slug and a pygmy squid (the smallest known species of squid in the world). A little further out at the popular Ricketts Point snorkelling spot in Boonwurrung country, we found ourselves floating … READ MORE
What will it take to protect our local environment?
Wherever you are in the world, the restorative power of nature is there to heal. Our minds, bodies and even whole economies benefit.
That realisation is transforming the way we think, behave and vote. It’s the first step in rebuilding a habitable world. It puts people and animals at the centre of solutions. I’ll be writing a lot more about this soon in my new book How to Survive the Next 100 Years: Lessons from Nature, which is out in May.
