This month we're reading the book Losing Eden: Our Fundamental Need for the Natural World and Its Ability to Heal Body and Soul by Lucy Jones
Today many of us live indoor lives, disconnected from the natural world as never before. And yet nature remains deeply ingrained in our language, culture and consciousness. For centuries, we have acted on an intuitive sense that we need communion with the wild to feel well. Now, in the moment of our great migration away from the rest of nature, more and more scientific evidence is emerging to confirm its place at the heart of our psychological wellbeing. So what happens, asks acclaimed journalist Lucy Jones, as we lose our bond with the natural world--might we also be losing part of ourselves?
Delicately observed and rigorously researched, Losing Eden is an enthralling journey through this new research, exploring how and why connecting with the living world can so drastically affect our health. Travelling from forest schools in East London, to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, via Poland's primeval woodlands, Californian laboratories and ecotherapists' couches, Jones takes us to the cutting edge of human biology, neuroscience and psychology, and discovers new ways of understanding our increasingly dysfunctional relationship with the earth. Urgent and uplifting, Losing Eden is a rallying cry for a wilder way of life - for finding asylum in the soil and joy in the trees - which might just help us to save the living planet, as well as ourselves, from a future of ecological grief.
Reading Group Discussion Questions:
1. How have your experiences in nature and wilderness shaped your understanding of its importance? Do you have a particularly memorable experience of when wilderness came alive for you?
2. How does the book define “Losing Eden,” and what are some factors contributing to this phenomenon?
3. What are the potential consequences of our increasing disconnect from the natural world, both individually and as a society? Have you experienced any of these?
4. Jones uses climate change, mental health, socio-economics, and racial equality as reasons to care about the green world. Does one of these (or another) resonate most strongly with you?
5. What role does biophilia play in our connection to the natural world? How can we nurture this innate tendency?
Biophilia is the idea that humans naturally tend to connect with other living things and the natural world. e.g. feeling relaxed in the color green, being drawn to bodies of water, etc.
6. How does socioeconomic status influence access to nature and the potential benefits of spending time outdoors?
7. What responsibility do we have to protect the natural world for future generations?
8. Are there steps you might take to increase your connection with the natural world?
You're invited to participate in the IPWA Reading Group! We'll delve into the topics of wilderness, preservation, and conservation through reading, contemplation, and discussion.
This group meets in-person in Boulder, Colorado every other month. All are welcome (IPWA and the general public). We'll gain a deeper understanding of wilderness through fiction and non-fiction selections, including works by renowned authors such as Aldo Leopold, Timothy Egan, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Wallace Stegner, Terry Tempest Williams, Edward Abbey, E.O. Wilson, and others.
Past readings included:
January 2024: A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
March 2024: The Big Burn by Timothy Egan
May 2024: Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer
July 2024: On Trails by Robert Moor
September 2024: The Wild Places by Robert MacFarlane
These books are widely available at local libraries, bookstores (such as our local favorite, Boulder Bookstore), and online retailers.
Please consider joining us for an upcoming Reading Group gathering at the Rayback Collective, in Boulder, CO! We'll share our reflections about the book and our own experiences. All are welcome (IPWA and the general public). If the weather is good, we'll be at one of the picnic tables in the courtyard. Beverages and food are available from the Rayback Collection and various rotating food trucks.
November 7, 2024 - Losing Eden: Our Fundamental Need for the Natural World and Its Ability to Heal Body and Soul by Lucy Jones, 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. at the Rayback Collective in Boulder, Colorado - RSVP here
January 23rd, 2025 Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival by Bernd Heinrich - 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. at the Rayback Collective in Boulder, Colorado - RSVP here
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