Nature's Diversity: A Blueprint for Human and Environmental Resilience

What can we learn from Nature about diversity?

Can Nature teach us about diversity in ways that resonate with our daily lives? Discover the surprising connections between biodiversity and human well-being in this thought-provoking episode.

We unravel how interdependent species in a thriving ecosystem create resilience against environmental changes, and how monoculture practices in modern agriculture stand in stark contrast.

We discuss the broader implications for urban planning, and why these natural benefits are crucial for individuals in lower socioeconomic areas.

Join us for an insightful journey into how embracing Nature’s diversity helps make the world a better place for every living Being.

*** Since this episode was recorded, the candidates have changed. The call to vote at the end should now say "vote for the WOMAN who..."

Resources:

• https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(24)00023-8/fulltext
• https://rgs-ibg.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/geo2.127
• https://communities.springernature.com/posts/the-association-between-mental-health-and-biodiversity
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468265922000166
• https://nodglobal.com/pollinators-biodiversity-and-healthy-ecosystems/

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

What can we learn from nature about diversity? The answers may surprise you. Join us on Season 2, episode 11 of Give a Fuck, presented by Spark Consciousness, for all the details. Welcome to Season 2, episode 11 of Give a Fuck, presented by Spark Consciousness. We are dropping knowledge bombs and answering your burning questions about nature, animals, spirituality, mental health, women's empowerment and other profound topics. This podcast probably won't change your life, but hopefully it will give you some food for thought, some guidance on this twisted path we call human existence. My role as an award-winning story keeper and catalyst for healing humanity and Mother Earth is to help you reawaken to your own connection with nature and, through this reconnection, reacquaint you with your intuition. What you do with it, how you incorporate that into your life, is up to you. I hope you'll make changes that benefit both you personally and Mother Earth as a whole. I hope you'll share what you learn here with others and that they'll make different, more compassionate and enlightened choices too. Either way, take what works for you, leave the rest. Always work to be the best version of yourself and try to leave the world a little better than it was when you arrived. A quick shout out I want to say a humongous thank you to Carrie from Total Mortgage Group. She is phenomenal Possibly the best mortgage broker who's not with a bank that I have ever, ever, ever worked with. So I don't know what state she's certified in other than Massachusetts, but if you're looking for a place in New England, definitely reach out to her. At this juncture is where I would normally answer questions from listeners that are submitted via patreon. I encourage you to sign up and submit a question. I want to make sure that I am answering all of your burning questions. It does not have to be about this show or this episode. It can literally be anything. It's like ask me anything on Reddit. So go ahead and submit those questions and I will make sure to answer them right here and now. We will jump into the seitan of the show. What can we learn from nature about diversity? Well, a healthy ecosystem is biodiverse. It has more species and the fate of the ecosystem is less likely to be tied to any one species, so unexpected environmental changes that might be bad for one individual species are less likely to have a negative impact on the whole ecosystem. As we've learned in previous episodes, pollinators and flowering plants are interdependent, and flowering plants are interdependent. As the number of pollinator species increases, the number of plant species they can support and be supported by also increases, and because of their pivotal role as primary producers in the larger food web. As the number of plant species goes up, the number of species of all other types of organisms in the ecosystem can also expand. Now, diversity in pollinator populations benefits plants and agriculture, and if we look at what Big Ag does in this country, they do what's called monoculture, where they're growing one type of crop over a large area, and so that does not enhance or protect pollinator diversity or plant diversity. Diversity or plant diversity.

Speaker 1: 4:04

In a study published in Geo, geography and Environment, they found that the lower bird diversity in Michigan was actually associated with higher hospitalizations for anxiety and mood disorders over an 11-year period. Similarly, another study in Canada discovered that adults living in Canadian cities with more bird and tree diversity actually had better self-rated mental health, so lower anxiety and depression. And that's just looking at different species of birds through their windows. They're not even active bird watchers, they're just people going about their daily lives. These results suggest that there is a greater likelihood of having many different bird species in a person's area of residence might positively contribute to mental health, particularly for people in lower socioeconomic status, which, in the US, unfortunately, they're unlikely to get because of where they are forced to live, because of their socioeconomic status, as we've talked about in previous episodes, we are literally just forcing them to not be able to rise above, even though society is also, at the same time, saying pick yourself up by your bootstraps. We're not giving them even the most minimal tools, like bird diversity, in order to be able to do that.

Speaker 1: 5:24

Now, these findings in these two studies I just mentioned. They could have implications for biodiversity conservation and health policy decisions, as governments are increasingly facing challenges such as global biodiversity loss and growing public mental health problems, increased homelessness, and the list goes on and on and on. So now let's generalize this through the entire web of life, okay? So, given that a healthy ecosystem is diverse and humans also benefit from a diverse and healthy ecosystem, it stands to reason that diversity is actually beneficial for humans as well, despite what certain parties in America and across the globe might have you believe. Now, first off, a diverse human population is richer in cultural experiences, beliefs and ways of interpreting the world. Now, while this can be challenging at times, it's also a beautiful opportunity to learn from each other. As we make space to truly listen and hear the diverse experiences and beliefs of our community, we enrich our understanding of life, nature and our global experience as humans on the planet. Second, as we discussed, viewing a diverse population of birds has a positive impact on our mental health and emotional well-being. It seems like a pretty short leap from there to recognizing that seeing and interacting in compassionate ways with people who do not look like us would also be good for mental health, both for the majority population and those in more disadvantaged socioeconomic status.

Speaker 1: 7:03

One of the biggest challenges we face in society today is that, as humans, when we see someone who doesn't look like us, our immediate reaction is fear. In the wild natural world, when humans see other animals who don't look like them, their initial reaction is curiosity. Now, yes, there are definitely predator-prey rules. I'm talking about species who are in similar places in the food web, or even wild beings who've just never been around humans. They react with curiosity, not fear. Fear is learned and it can therefore be unlearned, and you see the same thing in dogs, unless your furry kid has been taught to fear other dogs. When they see a strange dog, they react with curiosity. They're doing that whole sniffing each other like crazy. Who are you Sniff? However, if they've been harmed by a strange dog or been taught to fear other dogs, their reaction is different Because, again, fear is learned.

Speaker 1: 7:58

Now I actually had a dog for a little while and this poor dog he had been attacked by another dog and walking him was very challenging because every time we saw another dog he freaked the F out and he was big and strong and ultimately not the right dog for me, although I wished that he had been because he was lovely in every other respect. But it was very hard for me to walk him because I am a tiny person and although I am pound per pound pretty strong, it was just very hard. But he learned that fear because he had been attacked. Other dogs that were approaching him weren't out to bite him, they just wanted to sniff him and play because they were in that place of curiosity. And my mom experienced this with her dog as well. It was a tiny little Bichon, sweet little dog and she was walking him and normally he was very friendly and sociable, loved other dogs, loved other people, loved life. And one day she was walking him and a couple of Dobermans had gotten loose from their yard and I have nothing against Dobermans, okay. Again, their behavior is taught and learned. And these Dobermans weren't actually out to hurt my mom, but they saw this tiny little Bichon and their thought their brains went rabid. They went to that predator prey place and chased him, went rabid. They went to that predator prey place and chased him and although he was perfectly safe and unharmed because my mom kept him that way, walking him was different. After that he was afraid.

Speaker 1: 9:23

After that, fear is learned, and this is true for humans as well. And sadly we have spent centuries teaching fear and passing it along to each generation, to the point where it's not even a conscious thing anymore. Fearing those who don't look like us, be they other humans or other beings we share the planet with, is so deeply embedded in our culture that it is going to take a tremendous conscious effort to reverse it. And we're at a tipping point now where this fear has to change. The dialogue has to change. We must start approaching each other with curiosity, with a desire to hear, learn about and understand each other's experiences. Society is hurting in a bad way. Minorities and the economically less advantaged feel it more and are the unfortunate scapegoats for what is a truly systemic national issue. That's an unfortunate truth, and it has got to stop Now.

Speaker 1: 10:19

As always, we are trying to focus on solutions here. So what can you do to bring this new understanding, based on nature's beautiful diversity, to your community? I've got a couple ideas, and I would love to hear yours too. One is that you can lead by example. Be the person who listens to different cultural experiences, who truly takes in what another's life experience has been and is a safe place, who approaches others and life with curiosity rather than fear.

Speaker 1: 10:47

If you're in one of those scapegoated communities, share your experiences wherever, whenever and however you feel safe to do so. That may be social media, that may be letters to the editor, that may be giving speeches, that may be attending protests. There's a million ways you can do this. What's important is that you share, but do it in ways and places that you feel safe. I do not want anyone who does not want to do so to put themselves at risk of physical or emotional harm. We're already being harmed. And here's the big one guys Vote. I cannot express enough how important this is, the only way we can be assured of people who are willing to protect our freedoms and enhance our freedoms and work with communities and listen to us and try to find curiosity and compassion. And breed that in our culture is to go to the polls and make sure we're voting and making our voices heard. If you are in a state that does not have mail-in ballots and you know someone who can't drive to the polls, bring them or, better yet, organize a community-wide poll carpool for those who need it.

Speaker 1: 12:00

What other ideas do you have about sharing the power of diversity with your community? Hit me up through the contact info on my website with your best ideas. Did you feel a glimmer, a spark, a light in the dark during this episode? You'll love my customized free mini course, which is specifically designed to respect and respond to your individual journey, taking you from where you are right now to your next level of harmonious living. Get started by answering three quick questions found at the link in my show notes. You can also support the show as a Patreon member or episode sponsor. Learn about all of these opportunities and find additional resources about the topic covered in today's episode in our show notes. Hang on to the word vote to help jog your memory and remind you to hop on back over to season two, episode 11 of Give Us Fuck, presented by Spark Consciousness, to find all of that awesome info, and I will see you next time.