Nature Starts at Home

As we scroll through all the latest beautiful photos on Instagram or flip through the Facebook pages of inspiring outdoor adventurers we follow, the inspiration to get outdoors rapidly grows within us.

We come up with a gameplan to get outdoors, the location is chosen and we set out on our trip. It may be the local forest, an oceanside remote beach or even a rugged mountain top. The adventure ensues and we decide that this is where we want to spend every weekend. Each weekend passes by spending all our time in the backcountry and we feel that we are at one with nature.

This is where we need to look at the big picture, the outdoors we are spending our time isn’t where our most effective positive impact will be most felt. We need to remove the mask that modern society has placed over our eyes and awaken to a new way.

Through little questions we can ask ourselves each day, collectively all of us as a powerful wave of change, can make a difference.

Is the drive of senseless consumerism leading to excess and waste? Ask yourself next time you pick up that must have if it is really needed and what went into its creation. The amount of resources required for that second TV or the “rec room” full of duplicated furniture adds up.

Do I need this 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms? Have you looked at the homes our great grandparents lived in? There homes were often half the size of our current homes. The amount of trees alone spared by houses that aren't so large just to fit our “stuff” is astounding.

Can I walk or ride? Do I need that second vehicle? We all know how much environmental impact vehicles have on the world around us but do we think about the little things that add up quick. Your home will make a big difference here, closer to work and in a community that has walkability to all your needs will greatly reduce your carbon impact due to decreased driving.

We can decrease our purchases but we still need many things. Have you thought about the quality of the product you are buying? A good quality item will last longer and longer means less replacement and waste. What impact does that manufacturer have on the environment? Are they purchasing from environmentally friendly suppliers and what is their position to making a better future? Can you source that item locally which in turn supports your tight nit local community and has added benefit like decreases transportation impact.

I moved to Vancouver Island almost two years ago now and these are the questions that went through my mind leading to us relocating across Canada looking for a fresh start of intentional living. The true awakening didn’t come until I started spending more and more time in nature and saw the correlation between our daily choices and what they might hold for the future of my favourite outdoor spots.

I’m still learning how I can be a better resident on this place we call Earth and you can to. Join along for the ride with me on my Instagram account @Stasher_BC as I strive to live #BeyondTheUsual .

Make sure to follow tentree also and their efforts to be a leader in making environmentally sound corporate choices and a company striving to make a difference. I have been along for the ride with the team at tentree since the beginning and they are the genuine with their care and passion for nature. We can all make a “positive impact”, we just have to start today, why wait for tomorrow.

Check out Chris' instagram at @stasher_bc!

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