experiencing, and working with the
Earth and the natural world.”
A key part of the mission of Gar-
dens for Humanity is the importance
of joining art and gardens. Adele, as
an artist, poet, philosopher and activ-
ist, has drawn much of her inspira-
tion and energy from her love and
connection to nature. This connection
to environment and to gardens as
human-made environments inevita-
bly connects people to beauty in all
its varied manifestations and relation-
ships. Beauty is the heart of spirit, vis-
ible in all of human experience. Our
humanity is touched and cultivated
when we experience beauty.
In order to nurture the next
generation of protectors, experiences
with gardens and art will become
essential, as will play and adventures
in nature. In the community of envi-
ronmental educators it is recognized
that environmentalists are born from
their love of nature, from the feel-
ing that they belong in nature. This
belonging is an emotional connection,
and people want to protect what they
belong to. Reading studies and horror
stories about environmental degrada-
tion proves less compelling than love
in committing to protect the environ-
ment. We have seen many put their
lives on the line over the years in
order to protect nature and our planet
because they love it.
A program of Gardens for
Humanity that uses art to develop
love and appreciation for the natural
world is called “Celebrating the Art
in Earth.” Through art, third grade
students observe nature and create
art and performances based on the
nature and environmental themes
they learn about. One of the students
who participated in a multi-media art
lesson on plants said, “I will never
look at a vegetable or a flower in
the same way again!”
When the Sioux leaders of
the action against the oil pipeline
through their territory said they
were protectors, they described the
strength of their love for nature
and peaceful resistance. One young
woman said, “The term ‘protester’
is a colonized term for standing up
for what is right.” The tactics that
the pipeline company used were
brutal, violent and disrespectful.
The protectors used the strength of
song, prayer, and their commitment
to the land, culture and commu-
nity to maintain their resistance
to the pipeline. When we cultivate
the consciousness of belonging to
nature we will successfully grow its
protectors and empower them with
inner strength.
IMAGINE l FALL 2016 7