Biophilia

"It means redesigning schools and campuses to replicate natural systems and functions. It means greater contact with nature during the school day but also unsupervised hours to play in places where nature has been protected or allowed to recover." (Orr 205)


This statement made me think about my childhood in school and I realized that my schools really did not put outdoor activities as there main priority. Yes, we had recess where we could run around and play but it was not for very long and before you knew it you were right back in the classroom. I think schools need to change in a way that there is more activities that involve kids going out and exploring the nature around them and learning crucial things that go on in their environment. It would be great if kids could go on field trips to the park, farms, or even explore river trails that can open their eyes to a world sometimes unknown to them.

Kindergarten class on a nature trail.

Photo taken by: Melissa Howard

"And needing animals, we will need to restore wild landscapes that invite them again." (Orr 207)


Animals are essential to our environment but I think a lot of people have forgotten this and instead only view animals as an attraction found in a zoo. We need to have a better relationship with the animals were we can learn from them and see how they benefit the environment in their own natural habitat. However, all we seem to be doing is destroying more and more land where these animals live and transporting the animals to zoos across the world; decreases the value of the environment more and more. Protecting animals in the wild is a great step in the right direction, as well as, protecting the lands these animals live on; because we have lost sight that everything in this world is connected to each other.

Tree of Life Concept by: Dan Goozee

"The biophilia revolution is about the combination of reverence for life and purely rational calculation by which we will want to both be efficient and live sufficiently. It is about finding our rightful place on earth and in the community of life, and it is about citizenship, duties, obligations, and celebration." (Orr 203)

I really do not think our society realizes how bad of a problem we have created for ourselves. We are in the mind-frame that anything can be fixed with money and technology; and though these two things can help we need to look at this issue from a deeper stand-point. In fact we need to face these problems with a sense of wisdom and higher capacity for rationality that we can better our environment and the planet we live on. We are so focused are trying to find an elaborate scheme that we forget that change happens by simply doing the little things like recycling, saving water and energy, etc. The more people who become aware and chose to make a difference to save our environment increases our chances of having a better planet. 

Concept by: Anthony Clavien