Not without a fight
Stop us if you’ve heard this one. Human societies and the byproducts of our ingenuity have always left their marks on the natural world, but over the past couple of centuries our methodologies for food, energy, transportation, commerce, housing and more have become the planet’s biggest problem. Harm was never intended, but tremendous harm was and is being done. The ramifications of a warming climate are radically destabilizing natural ecosystems, triggering a mass extinction of flora and fauna. Millions of humans are already suffering severe consequences of these actions, disproportionately in regions least responsible for and least benefitting from industrial innovations. This is not the way anyone hoped humanity would be reminded of its intertwined fate with nature, but here we are.
It’s a lot to process, which is why people tend to sit as long as possible in a state of denial about all of the above before eventually skipping the productive “do something” phase and jumping straight to despair. That’s not how we go about things, though, and if you’re here, it’s probably not your style either. We’re not content to accept the grim projections of unmitigated climate change as an inevitability. There’s a lot of work to be done, so let’s do it together. Our Get Involved page is a great place to start.
How stewardship helps
Reharmonizing humanity with the rest of nature while dealing with the fallout of past missteps is no small task and we all have parts to play. Some are leading a massive transformation in our approach to energy or awakening the power of public awareness and the will of the masses. Others are primarily concerned with addressing social inequities the climate crisis lays bare or adapting human systems to survive what cannot be reversed. The Stewardship Network is focused on directly intervening in natural ecosystems for more positive outcomes, assisting natural areas or species with helpful human actions. Read more about what stewardship means to us here.
In the face of such high stakes and dramatic needs, we understand if removing an invasive plant species, monitoring wildlife, installing urban green spaces, or cleaning up a river sometimes sounds too small to matter, but this is climate action and it’s absolutely vital. With help and rejuvenation, our ecosystems can sequester carbon, cool sweltering cities, protect life-giving resources, and reduce the impacts of drought, wildfires, and floods. The lands and waters we rely on have developed over a time scale humankind cannot fathom and undoing our negative influence upon them restores their strength. With strength, they endure. With endurance, we’ve bought ourselves time to get it right. It won’t be enough without revolutionary changes and bold choices, but our collaborative stewardship undoes harm, fortifies nature against the coming challenges, and gives our sisters and brothers a fighting chance.
Does TSN do all this for nature’s sake or for human benefit?
Yes : )
