As the annual celebration of Earth Day approaches on Wednesday, April 22, the connections between our planet and and the people who live here have never been in a brighter light.
Especially with the annual event hitting its 50th year in 2020.
A recent column by Dan Kraus with the Nature Conservancy of Canada showed just how much nature can help us rebound from COVID-19 – and just how much we can learn from out past actions when it comes to preventing future outbreaks.
“Crises have a way of unveiling truths, flaws and misconceptions in any society, our immediate crisis is reinforcing the importance of family, community, health care and food security,” Kraus said.
“But at the root of the current crisis, and fundamental to the solution, is our relationships with the other species that share our planet. Earth Day is an opportunity to reflect on how we value all species, including our own, and our connections to the natural world.”
As Kraus points out, even as the human world struggles with the disease and its societal effects, nature is continuing to do it's thing. And that includes the many processes that help us live our day-to-day lives.
Like wetlands filtering drinking water, trees holding soil in place along rivers and streams while at the same time purifying our air. And life in general has continued to move on – a drive around Moose Jaw on any given night and you're bound to see deer from Wakamow Valley wandering the streets, an occurrence that is almost regular in these days of less traffic and fewer people out and about.
And as spring continues to approach with warmer and warmer weather – a high of 21 C is expected for Canada's Most Notorious City next week – that means plants and crops will start to bloom. That means pollination, with the billions of bees, butterflies, beetles and other insects helping that process along and ensuring our food security.
And then there's the simplest of them all.
“Perhaps the most important service that nature provides is how contact with the natural world can benefit us,” Kraus said. “There is clear evidence that spending time in nature improves our well-being. Many people are practicing safe physical distancing outdoors. But even just looking at pictures of wildlife, virtually exploring nature and making plans to visit natural areas once it is safe to do so can help to nurture our mental health.”
The news isn't all positive when it comes to nature and COVID-19, though, and that's because of human actions.
Wildlife and rare species food markets can still be found all over the world, with a wet market in China believed to have been the source of a bat-pangolin transmission that mutated into the novel coronavirus.
“Growing calls to shut down the illegal trade of wild animals, including endangered species, will support conservation and reduce the probability of future outbreaks,” Kraus said. “But the loss of nature and disease is not just limited to foreign places. In North America the rapid spread of Lyme disease has been linked to human-caused alterations to food webs and habitats and climate change.”
Kraus concludes by pointing out a silver lining: with social distancing and self-isolation, there's no better time than the present to learn about nature and wildlife while taking advantage of the vast source of internet resources and another, easier to find source.
“If you have a backyard, it’s an opportunity to explore how nature can be welcomed back home in the place you live,” he said.
“Discovering, knowing and sharing your relationship with nature is critical,” Kraus added. “Use this time to connect with nature. Help your children to find this connection and a love for the natural world. This relationship will change you. And you can change the world.”
