As the planet continues to warm and natural disasters like wildfires and flooding become more frequent, 59% of youth and young adults surveyed globally say they’re very or extremely worried about human-caused climate change. This is climate anxiety: Young people are worried that the adults in charge, their governments, aren’t taking action, and they’re fearful for their futures — and for their families and communities.
Trelasa Baratta says the solution is getting kids outdoors and actively caring for — and learning from — nature.
“We have to see nature as a teacher, an Elder, and we have to have the humility, the respect, to be open to those lessons,” she explains. “Indigenous communities have learned from the land, which is why we know what we’re supposed to do. I think that all communities can do the same.”
“Indigenous scientists are here to help,” adds Baratta. “The knowledge isn’t quite as valued in the scientific community yet, but it’s getting there — I see momentum.”
A growing body of research shows that conservation and biodiversity management are most effective when Native communities are the environmental stewards. Indigenous people manage more than 21% of the world’s land and protect a substantial portion of its remaining biodiversity. As a result, governments and Western-trained scientists are taking an increased interest in Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). Centered on the deeply place-based relationship Indigenous people have with the lands where they live, TEK is grounded in a holistic understanding of ecosystems. It guides stewardship in a way that ensures ongoing access to important resources, medicine and food.
[Appeared in Finding Nature News. Photo Courtesy of Trelasa Baratta.]
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