MOTHER NATURE
Since time immemorial, we humans have been driven to answer questions about the world around us. Whether it’s about curing diseases, powering nations, or even about how a seed turned into a tree of titanic proportions, questions are a conundrum that we seek to solve. As a result, we learn new facts and skills to aid us in answering these questions typically by observing our environment. As we grow up, we create our own inventions by creatively utilizing the information and skills we have learnt. How else would mankind have achieved significant moonshots, such as the discovery of electricity, the first flights and most importantly, the Internet)? With these advancements, the human race has gone from dwelling in caves to lording over the metropolises of today. However, we must not forget that our mentor, Mother Nature herself (who we are ruthlessly weakening for our own purposes) still has much to teach us. Indeed, there are still a bucket list of lessons we can learn from her.
The first and foremost lesson Nature can help us master is the importance of balance. The great environmentalist Edward Abbey has quoted “Balance, that’s the secret. Moderate extremism. The best of both worlds.” As proof of the wisdom of his words, a close examination of any natural environment will reveal a balance between the organisms existing there. Mess with it, and the area falls into anarchy. One only has to glance at the tale of Yellowstone Park’s wolves to see the truth of this statement. Waaaaaay back in 1926, when grey wolves were removed from the area, the elk population, their prey, started rising fast. Real fast. They rose so fast, the trees of the park got overgrazed. This set off a chain reaction, which went on to hurt almost all inhabitants of the park. But when the wolves eventually returned in 1995, the environment gradually returned to normal. As we learn from this event, maintaining balance is key, even in our lives. As an example, we have to balance work with exercise to live a successful life, as too much or too less of either one leads to adverse effects. From this, we learn that nature is indeed, a good teacher.
In addition, Nature also teaches us that everyone has a role in society. As humans, we occasionally suffer from depression and despair. However, these emotions can sometimes overwhelm us, to the point where we commit suicide. This may appear trivial, but 1 death from suicide every 40 seconds globally is no laughing matter. However, if we were to heed nature’s words, this can be changed. After all, in ant, bee and termite colonies, every individual plays a vital role in the community. Without the hard work of these individuals, the community would fall apart at its foundations. The moral: Everyone is valued by society, no matter your size, colour or ethnicity. If our youth understood this, perhaps the world would be a better place.
Moreover, nature helps us understand the restrictive, yet rewarding Realm of the Morals. In particular, nature inculcates in us the power of patience. Indeed, in a fast-paced world, we come to expect instant results from whatever we do. Even the slightest amount of waiting leaves us whining and grumbling, especially when it comes to teenagers. Here, Nature again comes to the rescue, guiding us to the right track with multiple examples. A prime example of patience in nature comes from the redwood forests of Northern California, U.S.A, home to Hyperion, a redwood who stands at a staggering 116 metres! However, we need to remember the backstory behind this tree: it’s been growing for over 600 years! From this, we learn that any great success in life requires a tremendous amount of patience, with which anything is possible.
In a nutshell, I strongly feel that nature is one of the best teachers we have, and that we should utilize her potential to the maximum. After all, Nelson Mandela, the great peacemaker has once said “Education is the most powerful tool we can use to change the world”. Therefore, let us learn from nature as much as we can, so that we may strive towards the brightest future possible.
