What Is the Essence of Nature?
Have you ever wondered what nature looked like before we started losing it?
I thought about this while volunteering at Birrarung Riverfest.
Riverfest was such a joyful day. People came together to learn about the river, volunteer, make things, explore, talk and, most importantly, spend time outdoors.
I got to be part of that through volunteering, and what struck me was how simple some of the activities were. You don't always need a grand environmental campaign to get people to care. Sometimes, you just need to get people outside and give them a reason to connect with a place.
Because once you spend time somewhere, it starts to feel like your place.
And that got me thinking about younger people.
What happens when nature becomes something you only hear about?
I grew up seeing fireflies in bunches.
Not one. Not two. Bunches!
Now, I can count the fireflies I've seen on one hand.
It's difficult to explain the difference to someone who has never seen them in abundance.
How do you miss something you never knew existed?
We often tell young people that they need to care about biodiversity, rivers, forests and wildlife. We give them statistics. We show them pictures. We talk about species loss and climate change.
All of that matters.
But I think we're missing something: Experience.
If you have never seen a river full of life, walked through a forest, watched wildlife up close or simply spent an afternoon outside without looking at your phone, nature can feel like an idea rather than something you are connected to.
And I think that's why events like Riverfest matter.
Not because one festival can fix everything, but because it gives people a chance to experience nature. A child who spends the afternoon beside the Birrarung, gets their hands dirty, learns something new, makes a friend, sees an animal or simply has fun might leave with something more important than a fact.
They leave with a memory.
And memories can become care.
Bring young people to the river
If we want the next generation to care about nature, we can't just tell them that they should.
We have to bring them to it.
Bring them to the river. Let them hear the water. Let them get muddy. Let them see wildlife. Let them volunteer. Let them ask questions. Let them have fun.
Let nature be something they experience, not just something they learn about. Because one day, they will be the ones deciding what happens to these places.
And I hope when they look back, they don't have to say, “I remember when this place was beautiful.”
I hope they can say, “I remember how beautiful it was and I remember being part of protecting it.”
Maybe that is the essence of nature.
Not simply what exists around us, but our relationship with it.
And perhaps the best thing we can give the next generation isn't another warning about what they might lose.
It's the chance to fall in love with what is still here.
Acknowledgement: A big thank you to the Australian Conservation Foundation, Tangaroa blue, Yarra Riverkeeper Association for hosting Riverfest and giving volunteers like us the opportunity to connect with nature, learn about the Birrarung and contribute to its care.
So what can you do?
You don't have to start with something huge. Find a river, beach, park or patch of bush near you and start there.
Here are a few places to begin:
Australian Conservation Foundation: Join a local community group, volunteer at an event or find other ways to take action for nature.
Yarra Riverkeeper Association: If you're in Melbourne, you can volunteer in activities including clean-ups, planting and citizen science along the Birrarung.
Tangaroa Blue Foundation: Join a beach or waterway clean-up, help collect marine debris data or even organise your own clean-up.
Or simply go outside.
Take a walk along your local river. Sit under a tree. Look for birds. Go barefoot on the grass. Bring a friend who normally wouldn't come.
Sometimes, caring starts with simply spending enough time somewhere to realise that you don't want to lose it.
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