Nature is a Human Right: New York Restoration Project

05/09/22 • 79 min

The pandemic has shown us how crucial Nature can be. When there was nowhere else to go we still had our parks, our shores, our gardens. But millions of people in cities around the world had little to no access to green spaces, and still don't. The New York Restoration Project (NYRP) is changing that. NYRP is working in all five boroughs of New York City to ensure that every New Yorker has equal access to Nature. By transforming abandoned lots into gardens, clearing trash, restoring parks, creating community gardens and community outreach programs, and advocating for greater access to green space, NYRP is growing our relationship with the Earth and the natural world one New Yorker at a time. Why does this matter? We won't protect what we aren't connected to. With each garden, each green space, each restored park, NYRP is reminding us of the bond and the responsibility we have to the natural world. Tune in for our conversation with Executive Director, Lynn Kelly, to learn more, get inspired, and take action on behalf of urban green spaces today.
SUPPORT NYRP's work: Learn more, donate, and get involved at https://www.nyrp.org/en/.

CHALLENGE: The Green challenge. Offer something to your favorite green space in the form of a donation, volunteering time, appreciation of it, or care for it. Pick up trash every time you’re there or remove weeds. If you don’t have a favorite green space in your local area then go find one. Or support a natural space that you love or that you’ve always wanted to visit – a national or state park.Giving back to a place you appreciate it forms a new relationship with it- you’re now part of its story. Nature gives us so much, let's give something back.

TAKEAWAYS: 1: We won’t protect what we don’t value. What we can’t see. What we don’t experience. 2: The best way to make change is to get our hands in the dirt and get involved. 3: It’s time to prioritize what truly matters.

Visit www.wecanremaketheworld.com for more info and resources.

Visit www.wecanremaketheworld.com for more info and resources.

Previous Episode

Healing A Planet in Crisis: Tony Rinaudo

Have you ever wanted to give up? Do you have moments of such strong doubt that you begin to wonder if things will ever actually get better? Tony Rinaudo, our guest today, has been there too. And gotten to the other side. After years of failed attempts to help transform the barren landscapes of west Africa into fertile ground, Tony had an aha moment that not only changed his life but the lives of millions of farmers, animals, and plants throughout Africa. The method that Tony has developed, FMNR (Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration), is re-greening Africa, shrinking the Sahara Desert, bringing food security and financial freedom to millions of farmers and their families, and healing the Earth in the process. Tony teaches us that seeking to live a life of purpose combined with not giving up can lead to miraculous change.
SUPPORT Tony's work and take action today: Learn more , donate, and get involved at https://fmnrhub.com.au/. And check out Tony's book, The Forest Underground, coming to all major digital platforms this week!

CHALLENGE: Grow something. Build a relationship with living things in the way that Tony did. Raising plants requires patience and faith. With persistence we can often raise something beautiful that we have nurtured. Connect with Nature and the miracle how these tiny seeds can grow into fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers if they have the right conditions and care. Our ideas for a better world can take root with patience and persistence in the same way.

TAKEAWAYS: 1: Moments of doubt and difficulty are always part of the story, but there is also always hope. 2: Sometimes the solutions we’re seeking are right in front of us if we can just open our eyes. 3: One person can change the world.

Visit www.wecanremaketheworld.com for more info and resources.

Next Episode

Why No Matter What We Still Have Hope

It's not easy to stay focused on the positive. But it's essential. In a world with growing challenges it can be easy to lose sight of the millions of people who are making the world a better place, especially when the media often focuses on drama and fear. There are two truths being told out there in the world - that humanity is doomed and that humanity can change. If we look around at current events and global systems and don't accept that all we have is the status quo - that a better world is possible - then there is reason for hope. It comes down to three important questions: what do we believe about ourselves, what do we believe about each other, and what do we believe is possible? If we believe we are capable of making change, that most people want to be part of building something better, and that anything is possible when we work together, then nothing can stop us from rethinking and remaking the world.
Join us for an honest look at the reasons we all struggle to stay hopeful, and what we can do to find our resilience and keep driving toward a better path. Visit wecanremaketheworld.com for more episodes, information, and resources.