Connecting with nature
Hello. My name is Ann Macdonald. In Wild Eco Design, I focus on connecting with nature. And because modern life makes it difficult to see our human interdependence with nature, I strive to uncover this mutual relationship for myself, and for you. I explore ways to build awareness of nature and care for our planet. I do this through illustration, surface pattern design and writing
Like most people, I want future generations to have and love the plants and animals that have been with us for thousands of years. Because of the threats to biodiversity and the threat of climate change, I am inspired to create for the sake of our grandchildren’s grandchildren.
Connecting with nature, myself
For me to create work that communicates how we connect with nature, I work hard at building my own awareness of nature. This is what I do:
- observe, draw, take notes and learn about the plants and animals in my own environment, and within their ecosystems
- garden and grow food using eco friendly methods, which raises my awareness of nature in my own back yard
- learn about loss of biodiversity (and see loss around me, especially birds and insects)
- seek to understand climate change and ecosystem breakdown
- research sustainable and net zero living, and try to live as sustainably as I can within my means, and within my control
- use my art and design skills to celebrate local community and the local environment
- write blogs, and illustrate and design to share my growing knowledge, and lastly,
- practice mindfulness, with a focus on ‘inter being’, a concept like ‘interdependence’, coined by Zen master Thich Nhat Hahn when he introduced ‘mindfulness’ to the west.
Achieving my goals is a slow process. Through connecting with nature myself, I raise awareness of nature in myself. And from there, I can turn my own awareness into a form that I can share. Like Joanna Macey, in Active Hope, I believe we can shift our way of thinking, work together, and learn to care for our planet and one day live sustainably. So I invite you to enjoy Wild Eco Design, the things I have created and written about so far, and the things I plan to make and write about as the future unfolds.
If you would like to know a little more about me, you can read my blog A Child in the Wild.
Your FREE habit tracker
This any-time-of-the-year habit tracker is for changing the small things in life that can make a world of difference to you and planet A. You can learn about this in my blog Habit Tracking
