Between Two Pines.

A story of conservation and reconnection.

In the new world we live within, disconnection from the natural world has become more common than its counterpart. Society edges past the boundary of artificial living considerably more each day, new generations of children bare the fruit of this lifestyle, growing accustomed to the grey of concrete as a norm, whilst their association with the colour green is dominated by a popular coffee company.

Reestablishing our personal and societal connections with mother nature has never been as necessary as now. We live in an age of unprecedented mental health conditions brought forward by current lifestyles, with the looming presence of a major extinction level event around the corner of each industrial progression. Science and medicine are constantly battling data, searching for an answer to the problems we have manufactured. As our disconnection to the natural world progresses further, we forget that often the answer to our issues can sometimes be far more simple than we expect.

Immersion in the wildlife of our country is something I hold highly in my priorities. It’s something that I know makes me happier, and if neglected for weeks on end will ultimately bring on a depression. I noticed this through my stages at university- first through the onslaught of COVID, and secondly in the great battles against deadlines…

During my time at Uni, I have been lucky enough to score some amazing opportunities of work in my field of conservation; having spent two seasons as a Ranger for the NTS. This brought a new angle to my view of nature in Scotland, altering me to some of the issues we face in land management, and introducing me to the education sector of public engagement. Learning how many peers in our society lack base level knowledge of our world was a shocking revelation, but redeemed by the enjoyment of teaching those I met new facts that benefited their understanding and connection to the place around them. 

The satisfaction and enjoyment upon helping people understand our world felt like a higher purpose to me, a higher “why” to my role that extended toward my pursued degree in conservation. Fast forward to the present- this new-found joy of using my knowledge and experience to teach others has resulted in the creation of the Napier Conservation Volunteers! A new society for students around Edinburgh, with the aim of bringing people together to connect with the natural world through conservation and restoration activities. This is something I can offer to students that our university does not. I have met so many brilliant people and had fantastic days out with those who have attended. I do not regret establishing the society, as it has given many students a new opportunity to ignite their connection with nature, and to learn new skills as they visualise our footprints in the environment, and what their hands can achieve in a day. 

A common consensus from our trips I will add- the stress of deadlines, work days, and emotional turmoil, seem just a little bit easier to handle when you can smell the new spring budding, hear the morning concert of Song Thrushes, see the violet carpet of bluebells unveiling themselves, and feel the Oak leaves pat your back as you share a moment with the world.

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks” John Muir 1898.