Tiny Ecology Post 3
What is the value of my sit spot? As I reflect on this question, I take some time to think about the mini forest in my front yard. I look at the birch trees and laugh remembering how I encouraged my boys to see how high they could climb, all the while my heart was in my throat and muscles tense ready to catch a falling boy or two if needed! I also think of how that same birch who gives us fun times also gives us allergies to the point of me having a thought to cut all the birch on our property down. But just as quickly as that thought popped in my head, my heart hurt to think of destroying such big, beautiful trees and so that thought was abandoned. The branches and leaves of the trees in my little forest shade the front deck in the early morning sun and block the lights of vehicles from our bedroom windows as they drive around our cul-de-sac. The sound of rustling leaves in the wind is calming and Happy Valley-Goose Bay (and other Southern Labrador Communities) has become increasingly windy over the years. We have sparrow-type birds that visit as well as a squirrel occasionally. Our cat, Storm, loves to visit this area too when she gets outs of the house (good thing she isn’t a runner!). It has a faint scent of the forest that triggers other memories from being out on the land. To my family and me, there is a lot of value placed on this little mini forest.
But what if this little forest got destroyed somehow? Of course, we would be upset and I’m sure there would be tears. There would be little heart pains every time we turn the corner to drive up the cul-de-sac and see our house. In the grand scheme of things, it would not be devastating to lose this arms-length away mini forest. Especially, since we have a forested area only a stone’s throw away from our property, the beauty of living in Labrador.
What if we were not located in Labrador, instead located in a big city? A loss of this mini forest would be devastating. It would serve as our connection to the land, our little piece of heaven. Without this connection, there would be a piece of us missing. To only be surrounded by houses and lawns, concrete and steel buildings would damage the psyche, and additional intentional trips to neighborhood parks and wide-open spaces would be needed potentially causing additional greenhouse gases during transportation to those areas.
As I continue to sit in my mini forest and reflect, my mind validates that place-based framing is essential in climate initiatives and stories. Hodson (2019) stated that we are shaped by our relationships and interactions, and I believe that also includes our relationships and interactions with the land, water, and ice. Many of our readings confirm that framing our messages can inspire action (Hine et al., 2016; Maibach et al., 2011; Hodson, 2019). The location of our property would determine the actions that we would take depending on how emotional or devastated that we would be if there was a chance of losing the mini forest.
References
Hine, D. W., Phillips, W. J., Cooksey, R., Reser, J. P., Nunn, P., Marks, A. D., Loi, N. M. & Watt, S. E. (2016). Preaching to different choirs: How to motivate dismissive, uncommitted, and alarmed audiences to adapt to climate change? Global Environmental Change, 36, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2015.11.002
Hodson, J. (2019). An ecological model of climate marketing: A conceptual framework for understanding climate science related attitude and behavior change. Cogent Social Sciences, 5(1), 1625101. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2019.1625101
Maibach, E., Nisbet, M., & Weathers, M. (2011). Conveying the human implications of climate change: A climate change communication primer for public health professionals. George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication. https://www.climatechangecommunication.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Climate-Communication-Primer-for-Public-Health-Professionals-1.pdf