Summary

The website content recounts the author's personal journey of nature connection, beginning with a childhood memory of feeding a squirrel and culminating in a call to action for readers to share their own nature-connection experiences.

Abstract

The author, Désirée Driesenaar, shares a poignant childhood memory of encountering a squirrel in a forest, which sparked a lifelong appreciation for nature. This experience is described as a formative moment that led to a deeper understanding of the importance of nature connection for human well-being. The narrative progresses to the author's adult life in Well, Netherlands, where a reconnection with nature occurred, emphasizing the transformative impact of engaging with the natural world. The author also presents a poem, "Fur and Nuts," which captures the beauty and serenity of nature. The article concludes with an invitation for readers to participate in an ongoing storytelling and poetry challenge, sharing their own childhood memories of nature connection, and provides links to the author's social media and website for further engagement.

Opinions

The author believes that early experiences in nature are crucial for developing a lifelong connection to the natural world.
The author holds a reverential view of nature, as evidenced by the poetic description of the squirrel and the walnut tree.
There is an opinion that practical stewardship of the earth can arise from personal connections with nature.
The author values mindful travel and nature appreciation over mass tourism, as indicated by the caution against "mindless tourists" in the Maasduinen national park.
The author's perspective includes the idea that sharing personal stories of nature connection can inspire collective action and awareness about environmental conservation.
The author suggests that social media can be a powerful tool for building a community around the shared value of nature connection.

NATURE CONNECTION

A Longing for Fur and Nuts

What were your childhood experiences in Nature? An everlasting storytelling/poetry challenge.

Made in the beautiful garden in Well. Picture by author.

It is one of my very first memories. We were on holiday somewhere in the east of our country. A forest environment with lots of opportunities for play and adventure.

And I saw my first squirrel.

She came up close.

I remember my father feeding her. She ate out of his hand. And I was mesmerized! What a beautiful creature! So cuddly and playful. And seriously burying her nuts.

I could watch her for hours at a time…

It was my first aware nature-connection experience. And I only remembered it later in life when I found out how mighty important nature-connection is for human beings like ourselves.

So, tell me your story.

What is your first nature-connection memory?

I’ll first tell you a bit more about my path since and share a poem.

Fast forward 2013. I came to live in Well. Good name for a place. It was here that I connected to my source again. Mother Nature. Gaia. Here I learned how to connect to nature, to myself, and to others. And I learned practical ways of becoming a steward of the earth.

And I enjoyed my rightful place on the planet for the first time in my life.

The picture at the top was taken in Well.

This walnut tree was my companion. Together with two chestnut trees, a pond full of frogs, and a nearby lake to swim in.

And of course, a family of squirrels.

Fur and Nuts

Your little claws hold your food close to your heart.

No one dares to steal.

No one dares to do anything but watch and admire.

Your brown fur is shiny like the teak wood of my grandma’s drawer base cabinet.

The sun is shining through the long hairs of your wavy tail.

They say your fur is full of fleas but I don’t care.

Fleas are part of our ecosystems as well, aren’t they?

Your walnut tree is silent and strong.

You are aware of her bark and her spirit.

Am I equally aware of yours?

National Park the Maasduinen

Fast forward 2020. I’m again staying in Well but in a different place. Simpler. Wiser. Together with my partner Mike. And still very much connected to nature.

Well is located in one of the National Parks of the Netherlands, the Maasduinen. River dunes near the river Meuse. It’s a beautiful part of our country near the German border.

Don’t think wild nature. There is no such thing in my country. But as far as it goes, Limburg is a good place to be.

The Maasduinen national park is one of Limburg's best kept secrets - DutchNews.nl

Ask anyone if they know of a big nature reserve in the Netherlands, and they are sure to come up with De Hoge Veluwe…

www.dutchnews.nl

Don’t tell our secret to everybody. We wouldn’t want mindless tourists flooding our (artificial but beautiful) lakes and forests. But there is always space for mindful travelers wanting to connect to nature.

You might meet my friend the squirrel.

I would love to make this little story into a call to action.

So, tell me your story.

What is your nature-connection memory?

Please tag me and I’ll read yours for sure. We might be able to turn it into an everlasting storytelling/poetry challenge about nature-connection childhood experiences.

Let me tag some friends who might want to play. Amy Tree Rasheed Dennett Keno Livia Dr John Lets Save Earth Gurpreet Ashok Zairah Josine Martine Elisabeth Tom Simona Marlane Salam Daniella Robert Kathryn Karen Rebecca Maria Maria Kim Kat Tej and many others who I certainly didn’t forget. The list is just getting too long for me to continue…

Feel invited, all of you!

And if you want to connect, you can find me on LinkedIn or Twitter. Or somewhere in the world, watching another family of squirrels…

I’m Not Fighting to Save Our Miracle Planet. Are You?

Why I’m not fighting the old, but building a new, lush tomorrow

medium.com

Fibonacci Wonder Poetry

A Fibonacci Poem, inspired by nature’s numbers, the golden ratio, and the writings of Amy Marley and Tej.