I readily admit that I’m addicted to planet Earth documentaries.
If it has anything to do with sustainability, environment, wildlife, the mystery and beauty of nature…anything remotely green, I’m in!
We all know the adage “out of sight, out of mind.” Isn’t it true that if we become disengaged with something, when it is no longer visible to us, we can become less attuned to the importance of it? I believe so.
Nature documentaries remind me of the incredible sacredness of our planet, that it is a living, breathing Being, and that I am part of the matrix—I do not exist apart from the web of life.
My partner and I recently unsubscribed from Netflix. It was part of a purge we were doing toward mindfulness and presence—what was truly important to us and why?
I realized that this was a colossal mistake as soon as I heard about two documentaries soon to be aired. It was only a matter of time before I succumbed to my own misery and signed up again. It has been worth the good-natured poking I received from friends and family about my short-lived abstinence.
A Life on Our Planet—David Attenborough’s Witness Statement
Following Attenborough’s incredible career as a broadcaster and natural historian, we observe the decline of the planet’s wilderness spaces since he began his work during the 1960s until 2020. It is a visceral testimony of human impact on earth, and cannot be anything but moving.
The plot begins in the ruins of Chernobyl, and immediately, one understands the scope of what is to follow. It would be disheartening if we stopped right there, but the planet has its own intelligence, and we are taken on a journey of incredible possibility.
The thoughtful contemplation of one man will undoubtedly create waves of change.
Watch this moving documentary for personal and communal solutions. The last moments took my breath away—Pachamama yearns to be wild.
Kiss the Ground—The Solution is Right Under Our Feet
It’s easy to give up hope looking at seemingly irreparable environmental damage. What can one person do when it comes to such a large-scale dilemma?
Watching this docu, I realized that even as a person who thought she understood many things about carbon, soil, wild spaces, and the importance of topsoil, I still had so much to learn. The carbon cycle is explained brilliantly. There were many aha moments.
The solution really is beneath our feet. I literally wanted to run outside and kiss the earth, feel my bare feet on the soil, expand my organic garden in sustainable ways, and learn more ways I could be part of the solution.
Like Attenborough’s witness statement, although this docu takes us on a divergent road, it also speaks to the importance of re-wilding.
Best of all, we can take action here.
There’s a lot of talk about poo in this film. All kinds of poo. The role of animals (non-human) in the solution may not be an ideal viewpoint for some, but definitely addresses the serious topic of topsoil erosion. We have approximately 6o harvests left on the planet if we do not pay attention to this environmental disaster.
Let that sink in.
Fortunately, we are not left with doom and gloom but real, practical, employable solutions.
Although my heart did cry watching both well-executed films, and while I was sobered by the world my granddaughter is born into, I was also humbled by the fact that we can turn this thing around. Re-wilding the planet is also re-wilding our souls. We can be sustainable and wild if we choose to be.
Personally, I believe in grassroots movements that eventually buoy shifts in government. I believe in personal responsibility toward Ecoside. The planet knows how to be healthy; we just need to support the process. There are many people doing good work in this arena.
Part of that is awareness, and even the act of watching films like these is a step in the right direction. Perhaps they will wake us up to the emergency at hand and mobilize action.
I believe in the good nature of humans. Together and individually, if we do not shut our eyes and ears, we can be agents for a healthy planet.
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AUTHOR: MONIKA CARLESS
IMAGE: NETFLIX/YOUTUBE
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