Somewhere along the way, many of us have forgotten that we are part of nature. We see ourselves as separate, superior even and we have felt ourselves to be masters of the land, the air and the water.
The world has been shaped to suit us; we have bent it to our will and taken from it without thought for the consequences. Because nature does not fight back in a way we immediately recognise, we continue, unconscious of the deep disconnection we have created.
While we cannot individually undo what has already been done, each of us can take small steps to make a change – we can choose to tread more lightly, to protect and restore what we can. When enough people take these small steps, they grow into something greater. Just as tiny acorns grow into mighty oak trees, over time, our individual actions can spark a movement, a shift in awareness, and a reconnection with the world we are a part of.
We are not separate. We never have been.
We came into being as part of the same natural world as everything else here. We breathe the air that the trees release, the same air that has moved through forests, over oceans, and into the lungs of every living thing that came before us. We are not separate from nature, we are part of it – everything is connected and we are part of the same great pattern of life.
Yet, our senses have become dulled to this connection. In the rush of modern day life, we have forgotten to listen to the language of the wind in the trees, to feel the wisdom of the changing seasons, and comfort ourselves with the quiet grounding of the earth beneath our feet.
To reconnect with nature is to come home to ourselves. It is to remember that we are not visitors here—we belong.
The Wisdom of Trees: A Network of Connection
Science has now confirmed what ancient wisdom has long known; trees are deeply connected, not just above ground but beneath the soil. Their roots are intertwined, working with mycorrhizal fungi to create vast underground networks through which they share nutrients, information and even warning signals. Sometimes called the “wood wide web,” this hidden network allows trees to communicate, support struggling neighbours, and pass food and energy to others in need. There is a wonderful book called ‘Finding the Mother Tree’ by Suzanne Simard that details how these connections were discovered
A mother tree, an elder of the forest, will send carbon-rich sugars to younger saplings growing in her shade, helping them survive until they reach the light. When a tree is dying, it often releases its stored nutrients into the root network, and also its wisdom, unselfishly giving back to the forest even in her final moments. This natural symbiotic system reveals a truth we ourselves all too often forget, that nature exists through connection, cooperation and care.
If trees—rooted in place, unable to move—understand the importance of working together, what does that say about us? We, too, are part of this network of life. We, too, are meant to support and be supported and we can relearn this by learning from nature.
Finding a way back to nature
Rebuilding our relationship with nature takes time and courage. We need to slow down, listen and be present. It is not about dominating the wildness or trying to fix nature, it is about surrendering ourselves and merging, allowing ourselves to be guided, nourished and healed by natures presence.
How can we do this? It begins in small ways.
Touch the earth – walk barefoot on the grass, press your hands into the soil, feel the rain on your skin. Let your body remember what it is to be part of the land.
Listen with intention – pause and hear the birdsong, the howl of the wind, the hum of insects. There is a conversation happening all around us all of the time, we just need to choose to hear it.
Breathe deeply – inhale the scent of damp earth after rain, of pine needles warming in the sun, of wildflowers opening to the morning sun. These scents are stories, reminders of a time when we were fully awake to the world around us.
Move with the seasons – watch the way the trees surrender their leaves to the wind, the way the river swells and recedes, the way the land rests in winter and blooms again in spring. There is wisdom in these rhythms, a flow that is the same as our own cycles of growth, change, and renewal.
What happens when we reconnect?
As we return to nature, we gradually return to ourselves. We begin to feel a deep sense of belonging, of comfort, a security and a grounding that so many of us seek but rarely find. In the rustling of the trees, we hear a familiar voice—one that reminds us of who we truly are.
It is not always easy. The modern world pulls us away, distracts us and we feel that we do not have time to simply be. But finding the time is worth it and becomes less of an effort once we have practiced it. When we reconnect with nature, we awaken something ancient within us—an understanding that we are not separate, not alone, but part of something vast, beautiful and alive.
Nature is not something we sometimes visit, it is home. We are part of nature and in finding our way back, we find our way back to ourselves.