This week’s song is Green Garden by Laura Mvula which was released as the second single from her debut album Sing to the Moon, in 2013. The song describes a peaceful scene in a green garden where one can take in the beauty of nature, as well as freedom and joy. In a garden you can have a sensory experience and connect to the earth.
Green gardens only get green when property owners decide to take steps to be more proactive in planting native trees and plants, avoiding toxic fertilizers and pesticides, and being responsible stewards of the land by showing concern for wildlife and our precious pollinators. In this current moment of constant chaos, it’s hard to think about our gardens, as just getting through a day is a monumental task. How can we find a sense of community and a common thread that connects us in these difficult times? We all need some joy, and so gardening, forest bathing, and getting back to nature is good for ones psyche. Conservation reminds us that we have a responsibility to the places we call home. We don’t have to be scientists. We don’t have to work for an environmental organization. We don’t have to be experts. We can begin simply by paying attention.
June Boyle joins us to explore the connections among nature, our sense of place, community belonging, and civic participation. Drawing on her experiences with local conservation efforts, local government, community events, environmental organizations, she talks about how shared work around conservation and the environment can create opportunities for people to meet, learn from one another, and become more invested in their communities. June is a communications specialist and organizational effectiveness practitioner, and the founder of Cerco Consulting. She helps mission-driven organizations clarify strategy, strengthen communications, and move important initiatives from vision to action, working primarily with organizations in conservation, ecological restoration, and sustainability.
For more info go to homegrownnationalpark.org, joinwildr.com, lesslawnmorelife.com, healthyyards.org and cerco-research.com/blog/
Also check out hudsonriverradio.com and themanyshadesofgreen.com