Microdose Nature #4
Nature in the Oscars, John John Shreds the South Pacific, Scientists Go Punk Rock, and Flower Power.
Hey friends. Welcome to Microdose Nature, a monthly-ish roundup of things that stirred my juices about the human/nature relationship, curated through a Nature Junkie lens. Enjoy.
1. Putting Nature in the Picture
The words and images that permeate culture shape us more than we know. I’ve been ranting for years that arts and entertainment need to be as big of an influence, if not bigger, on our relationships with nature as data has become. BAFTA alberta is doing something about it. They put together a bunch of resources to nudge film makers to help reverse the trend of nature disconnect. Bravo!
2. VELA
3X world champ John John Florence knows a thing or two about putting nature in the film. His latest installment, EDGE OF THE OCEAN | VELA, is a slice of JJF’s recent life, sailing and surfing through the South Pacific with his wife and son. The nature is achingly beautiful, JJF’s surfing is as buttery and inspiring as ever, and the cartoon-like left he scores serves as a reminder that the goods are still out there, if you’re willing to put in the work and carve your own path.
3. The Bull
I’m a sucker for stories about people who choose life paths that defy the mainstream arc of school>job>marriage>house>career>retire>die. Probably because I’ve tasted it enough in life to know its value. But it’s been a while, so it tugs beneath the surface. Some part of me deep down, wherever the muse lives I suppose, paces around impatiently mumbling, Hey, you can still do this you know. And the more digital life becomes, the more the muse tempts. Another part of me counters with the warmth of family, friends, community, and the creature comforts I have at home. I like both. So…tension. The Bull is a short film (thanks for the reco Jimbo!) about a surfer that took the dusty, less trodden road in Baja. It’s also a story about staying connected to nature. It tugged at me equally with wanderlust and appreciation for everything that I call home.
4. F*ck Looksmaxxing
As soon as I clocked this trend my disgust meter blew a fuse. If you’re not familiar with looksmaxxing, it’s the social media-driven trend of maximizing your physical appearance to absurdly unhealthy levels (think body dysmorphia on steroids, literally). I’m sharing about it because I think it’s yet another signal of nature disconnect/screen addiction gone wrong. And because Rich Roll and Adam Skolnick recently discussed it on his podcast, where Rich threw down this beauty of a rant.
“You’re being sold a fucking lie. This is not the answer…put the phone down, read a book, go outside, make friends, build something, do shit together…”
If you know anyone in your life who has been sucked into looksmaxxing, please take them to the beach, mountains, forest, or desert. Right away. And leave their phone behind.
5. Deforestation Decreasing in the Amazon
Sometimes I catch a glimpse of good news about the planet. This is one of them. While it’s too early to tell for sure if this is a short term blip, multiple data points show near record declines in Amazon deforestation over the last year, backed by enforcement efforts. If you want to dive deeper, here ya go.
6. The Nature Record
I think we need punk rock now more than ever. Where’s The Clash when you need’em? A few years ago, a group of scientists started working on The National Nature Assessment, a report on the health of nature in the U.S. When Trump regained office, the report was blocked. Instead of turning tail, the scientists summoned their inner Joe Strummer, went private, secured funding, and have released a draft of the report, now called The Nature Record. It’s over 800 pages, so here’s the TL;DR. Our state of nature is pretty dicey, but the most clear signal (Chapter 13 for the nerds) is all about how good nature is for our health and wellbeing. Even if you don’t have time to read it, click through to let these scientists know that their work matters.
7. Nature in the Oscars
I don’t care much about the Oscars, but I do love films and want to support putting nature in the picture at the highest levels of the game. Also, two things piqued my interest this year. One is that the chase scene in One Battle After Another (up for best picture), was filmed in one of my favorite local nature playgrounds, the Anza-Borrego Desert. Two is that just before publishing this I listened to Chloé Zhao, Director of Hamnet, nominee for best director (in addition to winning best picture for Nomadland in 2021), and apparently quite the nature lover, say this on The New Yorker Radio Hour podcast about the role of nature in the film.
“My instinctual human self knows that when you go into nature, if you have a relationship with nature, then you develop a very embodied spirituality…It’s an embodied safety that you feel within oneness. And that you can only find in nature when you become one with your surroundings.”
8. Spring is Happening.
I’ve been tuning into Spring’s signals in recent days. Flowers blooming. Butterflies fluttering. Beautiful birds migrating. It feels fresh. In honor of One Battle After Another, here’s a shot I snapped few springs ago from Anza-Borrego Desert.
Enjoy the ride,
Jeff
The nature record looks sick af, I'll try to read a bit
I love that you’re doing this!