Bringing nature home is healthy for you also the planet

Like most people, you've probably felt the effects of too much negative news – from pandemics and the climate crisis to political conflicts at home and abroad. Lastly, something positive and non-judgmental you can do to improve your physical and mental well-being while helping the planet. Waiting for you right in your backyard (and front!)

In April, I'll be writing about turning your home into a conservation area, something people everywhere do in small steps or giant leaps and small yards or large yards. And it's not just a good thing to create a good feeling. So instead, we will explore why this growing movement is an integral part of cleaning up our environment.

There is no doubt that nature needs our help. For example, North America has suffered a net loss of 3 billion birds (29%) since 1970. And it's not just birds. A 2020 study found that land insects are declining at an alarming rate of 9% every decade. Similar declines in density and diversity have been observed in the plant and animal kingdoms.

Our insects play a central role in this. Even if you are the one who appreciates these little creatures from afar, they are essential for survival. In the complex network of interactions between species, they are the primary conduit between energy collectors (plants) and energy consumers (especially mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles). Without a healthy insect population, the entire ecological network will collapse. Without insect pollination services, much of human agriculture would cease to exist, to put this in perspective.

Protecting the Earth in the form of state and national parks, land trusts, protected areas, and wildlife sanctuaries plays a vital role in protecting our planet. However, there was a limit to what could be done by preserving the land. The separate areas are too small and too independent to do the job.

How can we solve this problem? About 83% of the United States is privately owned. Most of this land is residential, retail, commercial, agricultural, and mining resources. Most public lands are also used for essential functions such as education, recreation, and resource extraction.

 It is not healthy for our planet and not healthy for us. Unfortunately, our modern society has separated us from nature, nourishing our bodies and souls.