There’s a lot to love about the Garden.
Are you in love with nature? Passionately loving life on this green earth?
Two months after his passing, I have been reflecting on the influence of the father of biodiversity, E. O. Wilson. He promoted biophilia, the love of life and all that is alive. His theory is that we are all drawn to nature and living things. Isn’t that a beautiful impulse?
I cherish Wilson’s perspective that we are intrinsically drawn to the natural world. Just like any relationship, though, loving nature is not a passive pursuit. Love takes care and commitment, time and attention.
While we reap immediate benefits — both physically and mentally — after a visit to the Garden, when we fall deeply in love with nature, we are also spurred to take action on its behalf.
Sometimes this means spending time in our own backyards, caring for the scraggly bush that will blossom next season. Sometimes, it’s being a more conscious consumer and deciding we can do without one more “thing.” Maybe it’s choosing non-toxic cleaners or more environmentally friendly transportation options. Maybe it’s volunteering at the Garden or learning how to take care of our region’s prairies.
How are you stoking the flames of biophilia, your passionate love of life and all that is alive?
Claudia Gee Vassar, President & General Counsel
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Read the February 2022 e-newsletter for more, including Horticulture Help with freeze-damaged plants; information on the importance of “super trees;” and the story behind the Garden’s first wedding, held in March 2020.