Reviving our innate connection with Nature.
As our lives get busier, connected to technology, with nature deprivation, absorbed with our urban lives, we become increasingly disconnected from the natural world and the ecosystem. Traveling to the picturesque Carpathians, Skhidnytsya in Ukraine, where the air is somewhat rarefied and very clean, a way of life close to nature and in tune with the seasons persists. People are interwoven with natural systems thus, human activity here boosts the environment and Nature to thrive. The place has encouraged my reflection on how we can benefit from traditional ways of life combined with today’s innovation and knowledge towards nature.
Life on Earth has part of one complex living system. We need to shift the dominant view from one that sees us, humans, as separate from the natural world — and therefore, understand and value all living beings as vital to the wellbeing of our interdependent planetary system. My reflection is based on my travel experience, as well as on readings that focus on sustainable leaving which celebrate passionate people inspired by nature.
” Whenever I leave the wilderness, though, I consider the line I just crossed. What did I leave behind, I ask myself, and is the land here less wild? Am I wild, in that crossing, returning to the techno-hum of the human-made?”
– Brendan Buzzard (conservationist)
I thought worthwhile to consider the travel I made some years ago to the Carpathians ( from Truskavets to Skhidnytsya in Ukraine). I understood why it is considered one of the last exquisite wildernesses not just in Europe but worldwide. This place is located in a picturesque corner of the Carpathians at an altitude of 600–900 meters. The air here is somewhat rarefied and very clean, and there are various local medicinal waters.
Human activity encourages the environment and nature to thrive. Humans are intertwined and important to the ecosystem here. The knowledge has passed on from generation to generation. It is constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment, their interaction with nature, and their history, and provides them with a sense of identity and continuity, thus promoting respect for bio and cultural diversity as well as human creativity.
The people I met living in both villages have a way of life lived close to Nature. They consciously make space to Nature to thrive and wonder. What is the most interesting I observed in the area is the way human activity and the natural systems and how they evolved together. So profoundly intertwined humans are vitally important to the ecosystem here. There is a strong connection between tradition and biodiversity. Working the land by hand and in natural ways, in turn, creates a colorful and vibrant wealth landscape. What strengthens the vitality and productivity of this land is the authentic way of life. This authenticity filters down into the local food culture, celebrated nationwide. Subsistence farming ensures real, wholesome food: stored, pickled, jarred, dried, and of course fermented. Fermented foods from last year’s harvest are still on the table, along with fresh cottage cheese, eggs, vegetables, wild berries, and honey.
As global food becomes ever more genetically modified, monoculture, chemically supplemented, these two villages are a nostalgic reminder of our connection with the land, our food, and the natural systems of which we are apart. Interestingly, this progressively uncommon coexistence with nature is rarely recognized by the people who live it. They know no different, so it is often visitors who open their eyes to how rare and precious it is.
I perfectly understand why is needed to preserve those areas on the planet as the ultimate solution to keeping its unique habitats and biodiversity intact. For me, Skhidnytsya is a demonstration of the human ability to work with nature and live alongside a wide range of species harmoniously. Life is slow, work is hard, food is good, and the people are steadfast. In these strange times, we seek silver linings and moments of learning — both through private reflection, and community collaboration — to become truly changed.
The future of our existence lies in regeneration, seeking to restore and replenish what we have lost, to build economies and communities that thrive, and that allows the planet to thrive too. Collectively, we can reimagine the way we create, connect, and evolve our built environment to ensure that regeneration for decades to come.
