[OPINION] You can have a relationship with nature despite the lockdown

In this time of isolation, wherein millions are forced to stay at home due to the “enhanced community quarantine (ECQ),” how do we keep ourselves attuned with the natural world? A recasting of humanity’s relationship with the environment is happening in this age of uncertainty – one that urges a critical reflection of our individual and collective actions, and an envisioning of probable futures.

The pandemic has affected our mobility and interactions. We spend most of our time confined within the walls of our homes and we cannot travel to explore mountains and seas. Perhaps it is important, then, to take this time to reflect and find more viable ways to sustain our relationship with nature even if we are under ECQ. 

Longing for nature is a normal emotional response during this lockdown. I believe our relations with the environment and the ways we live through our bodily senses does not only happen out there in the wild, in distant mountains or vast seas, but also here, where we are currently situated. 

There are ways where we can experience an intimate relationship with nature in this time of lockdown; we just have to focus on using our senses:

• For those who have pets, continue interacting and nurturing relationships with them, for they can teach us how to flourish in a multi-species world. 

• For those who have backyards and gardens, observe which birds are visiting the trees and listen to their songs; some of them are the reason why we see a wider distribution of trees in the neighborhood.

• Plant vegetables and be part of the growing food system. 

• Experiment on how to propagate seeds, and make your seedlings available for reforestation efforts.

• Document plants and insects in your backyard and contribute to citizen science efforts. 

• For those who are stuck in condominiums, look out your windows and observe if our native flowering trees, like narras and banabas, are already in bloom. 

• Pay attention to the smell of the plants, tree bark, and flowers. Discover the richness of smellscapes in your backyard.

• Watch documentaries, listen to podcasts, or attend online courses related to the environment and sustainable living to inform future plans and actions. 

• Encourage our frontliners to find solace in the trees they spot on their way to work.

• Find time to befriend a tree on your way to the market for groceries. Maybe it is worth considering making parks accessible again to the public (with measures on physical distancing) to help with our well-being. 

The 50th anniversary of Earth Day is today. Environmental organizations and individuals continue their narratives of conservation, activism, and hope online. We cannot do the traditional tree planting activities and usual mass gatherings, but we can still contribute in our own ways – conserving electricity and water, growing plants and food in our backyard, joining conversations online dedicated to protecting the environment, and improving our attunement with nature through our senses.

This time of pandemic may be seen as a time of vigil as we commemorate Earth Day – a day that encourages us to think through systems and relationships with nature even if we are physically not together as a community. It is high time that we continue developing empathy for people, with other species, and the environment as a whole. – Rappler.com

Bryan Joel Mariano is a graduate student of human geography in UP Diliman and a research fellow at ColLaboratoire 2020. He currently works at Forest Foundation Philippines, a non-profit organization that helps conserve and protect the country’s forests and biodiversity.