Finding Balance with Community

We're all trying to find balance between what we ‘think’ we should be doing for our environment and what’s possible within our busy lives.

If you’re like me, you struggle with trying to do “all the things” to support climate action, like refilling your water bottle, driving a hybrid car, remembering your reusable bags. These things are important but, to me, it never feels like enough.

Maybe we're thinking about climate action incorrectly when we think of it only as a list of individual things that we have to do.

Recently, thanks to author Leah C. Stokes and the Yale Climate Solutions newsletter I was introduced to the idea of “climate waves”. In the newsletter, Stokes pushed back on the idea of an individual “carbon footprint” and leaned into the idea of collective action. She suggests we think a little differently: “Rather than acting by yourself, think about joining with others to make the biggest impact possible.” 

So maybe it’s not just about measuring your impact by your individual actions but also looking at how we can work with others to effect and scale change.

In my work, I am fortunate to be surrounded with like-minded individuals who are doing just that: we have changed daily individual habits to better support our environment but we are also offering community programs that create space for collective learning, discourse and action. At Woodcock Nature Center we’re riding “the wave” all day long!

You don't have to carry the weight of climate action by yourself. Find your people and participate in something larger. Hopefully, by doing so, we can find more balance and shared joy in our climate journeys, deepening our collective impact while creating more opportunities to connect with one another around a shared goal.