experiencing, and working with the Earth and the natural world.”
A key part of the mission of Gardens for Humanity is the importance of joining art and gardens. Adele, as an artist, poet, philosopher and activist, has drawn much of her inspiration and energy from her love and connection to nature. This connection to environment and to gardens as human-made environments inevitably connects people to beauty in all its varied manifestations and relationships. Beauty is the heart of spirit, visible 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 environmental educators it is recognized that environmentalists are born from their love of nature, from the feeling 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 degradation proves less compelling than love in committing to protect the environment. 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 community 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.
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