Embracing the Essence of Spirited Ecology
Spirited Ecology is an innovative approach that blends spirituality and ecological consciousness to foster a deeper connection between humans and the natural world. It encourages individuals to recognize the interconnectedness of all living beings, urging them to appreciate the intrinsic value of nature and all its inhabitants. This holistic perspective emphasizes that our actions have a direct impact on the environment and that it is our responsibility to care for the Earth.
Central to Spirited Ecology is the understanding that human well-being and environmental health are intertwined. By adopting sustainable practices and cultivating mindfulness, individuals can contribute to the overall health of the planet. This approach also underscores the importance of community engagement and collaboration in addressing environmental challenges.
By integrating spiritual principles with environmental stewardship, Spirited Ecology seeks to create a paradigm shift in the way we perceive our relationship with the natural world. It promotes reverence for nature, sustainable living, mindfulness, and community involvement as key components of a balanced and harmonious existence.
As we face unprecedented environmental challenges, Spirited Ecology offers a hopeful and transformative path forward. By embracing the spirit of nature and fostering a deep connection with the Earth, we can work together to create a more sustainable, compassionate, and thriving world for all living beings.
Rekindling the Spirit of Nature
In a world consumed by rapid urbanization and technological advancements, the call of the spirit of nature can often be muted. However, renowned environmentalist and author Dr. Jane Goodall reminds us of the profound connection between humans and the natural world.
“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make”.
– Goodall
Recent studies suggest that embracing the spirit of nature can have transformative effects on our well-being and mental health. According to a study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, spending time in nature significantly reduces stress levels, increases positive emotions, and fosters a sense of belonging to something greater than ourselves (Capaldi et al., 2014). In the words of naturalist John Muir, “In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.”
Despite the undeniable benefits of connecting with the spirit of nature, modern society seems to be drifting further away from it. The World Wildlife Fund’s 2020 Living Planet Report reveals that global populations of mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, and reptiles have declined by 68% in just 50 years (WWF, 2020). This staggering decline serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need to rekindle our relationship with nature.
In an attempt to revitalize our bond with the environment, initiatives like the Spirited Ecology movement promote a holistic approach to environmental stewardship that combines spiritual principles with ecological awareness. By fostering a deeper connection between people and the natural world, Spirited Ecology aims to promote sustainable living, environmental stewardship, and a more harmonious existence on Earth.
As we embark on a journey to rediscover the spirit of nature, let us heed the words of Chief Seattle, a 19th-century Native American leader: “Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect” (Seattle, 1854). By embracing this interconnectedness, we can begin to restore the balance between humanity and the natural world.
Key Principles of Spirited Ecology
Interconnectedness
Recognizing that all living beings and ecosystems are connected and interdependent, Spirited Ecology seeks to foster a sense of unity with nature. By understanding these connections, people can work together to create a healthier, more sustainable world.
Reverence of Nature
A core principle of Spirited Ecology is that the natural world should be treated with respect and reverence. This means honoring the intrinsic value of all living beings and ecosystems, regardless of their perceived usefulness to humans.
Sustainable Living
Spirited Ecology encourages individuals to adopt sustainable practices in their daily lives, such as reducing waste, conserving resources, and supporting local economies. By making conscious choices, individuals can minimize their environmental impact and contribute to the overall health of the planet.
Mindfulness and Self Awareness
Practicing mindfulness and cultivating self-awareness can help individuals better understand their impact on the environment and make more informed decisions. By being present and attentive, people can develop a deeper connection with nature and work toward more sustainable lifestyles.
Environment and Sustainability Updates
- Nature Ecology & Evolution, Published online: 19 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41559-024-02401-zPollution in urban areas causes higher rates of mutation than in unpolluted areas. This Perspective discusses the effects of these mutations on the health, evolutionary fitness and ecology of urban organisms.
- Nature Ecology & Evolution, Published online: 18 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41559-024-02399-4Through genetic and molecular analyses of interspecific stigma–pollen interactions, the authors show that Brassicaceae plants use an integrated pollen discrimination system and a shared pollen rejection pathway to reject conspecific self-pollen and heterospecific pollen. This establishes a mechanistic link between self-incompatibility and speciation in this clade.
- Nature Ecology & Evolution, Published online: 17 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41559-024-02390-zIn an analysis of how biotic interactions regulate hominin evolutionary dynamics, the authors show that speciation is negatively related to species diversity in Australopithecus and Paranthropus, in the same way that it is in many other vertebrates, whereas the genus Homo is characterized by positive diversity-dependent speciation and negative diversity-dependent extinction.
- Tears, shouts and interruptions marked residents' comments Wednesday night over a proposal to exterminate geese in Bristol, Conn., parks.
- Wolves killed several yearling cattle in north-central Colorado this week, bringing the total number of wolf kills of livestock this month to six.
- Birdsong is a welcome sign of spring, but robins and cardinals aren't the only birds showing off for breeding season. In many parts of North America, you're likely to encounter male wild turkeys, puffed up like beach balls and with their tails fanned out, aggressively strutting through woods and parks or stopping traffic on your street.
- Have you ever wondered if there are more insects out at night than during the day?
- Researchers from Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) have conducted a vegetation analysis over the last 30 years using satellite images from two environments in the Sierra de Cazorla Natural Park (southeast Spain)—one with wild ungulates such as deer and the other predominantly with domestic ungulates specifically Segureño sheep—which concludes that these types of herbivores produce different effects on vegetation.
- Northwest Atlantic harbor (Phoca vitulina vitulina) and gray (Halichoerus grypus atlantica) seal populations are recovering from early to mid-20th century exploitation, increasing their biological interactions and bycatch in Northeastern US commercial fisheries. We evaluated the seals’ diet composition and compared their prey to commercial catches to assess trophic overlap and potential competition with commercial fisherman target catches. We obtained 148 harbor and 178 gray seal stomach samples from bycatch events that occurred between 2004 and 2018. We learned from the hard part remains that the majority of seals bycaught are young-of-the-year (≤12 […]
- Forests in the United States continue to lose biodiversity and many fail to regenerate due to high deer (family Cervidae) abundance. Declines in biodiversity and overall ecosystem health due to high deer populations increases prevalence of wildlife and human diseases associated with increasing tick abundances and decreases forest resilience and the ability to deliver benefits provided by healthy ecosystems. In the eastern and midwestern United States, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are the main stressor, while in the western U.S. elk (Cervus elaphus) and black-tailed and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) can become equally […]
- There is no current population estimate for Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus) in Scottish waters and their distribution in the northeast of Scotland and the Northern Isles is poorly documented. Using a combination of citizen science and historical sightings data, photographs of Risso’s dolphins from northeast Scotland and the Northern Isles were gathered to gain an indication of the presence of the species in this region. A review of all available sighting records from as early as 1933 (n = 1,904 records), showed a historical presence of Risso’s dolphins in the study locations, […]
- Despite the sensitivity of ecosystems in extreme conditions, only 0.029% of the Antarctic continent is currently granted special protection as Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA). Additionally, protected areas are unevenly distributed and unrepresentative of the biodiversity of Antarctica. The Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties are thus striving to establish a more coherent network of protected areas. In this context, the Otto-von-Gruber-Gebirge was identified as an area highly worthy of protection due to its unique ecosystem including one of the largest snow petrel breeding sites, and relative pristine nature. However, in the process of […]
- Serotonin (5 hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is a biogenic amine of ancient origin that is widespread among animals. It plays multiple roles during development and in adults as neurotransmitter at synaptic level and neuro hormone controlling complex behaviors in both vertebrates and invertebrates. Tunicates occupy a key phylogenetic position to understand the evolution of serotonin functions since they are the sister group of vertebrates. The presence of serotonin in tunicates was first reported in adults of the ascidian Ciona robusta (formerly Ciona intestinalis) in the 1946. Since then, serotonin systems have been in many […]
- There is consensus within psychological, physiological, medical, and social science disciplines that active and passive exposure to nature enhances human well-being. Natural infrastructure (NI) includes elements of nature that can deliver these ancillary well-being benefits while serving their infrastructure-related purposes and, as such, offer great promise for agencies including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a means of enhancing economic, environmental, and societal benefits in civil works projects. Yet, to date, NI are typically framed as alternatives to conventional infrastructure but are rarely competitive for project selection because there is no […]
- Community decision making based on the sustainability of ecosystem services is an integrated process that involves multiple complex decisions and is greatly aided by an understanding of how those decisions are interrelated. The interrelatedness of decisions can be understood and even measured based on connections between actions and services and influence of services on domains of human well-being. These connections can be formed into a network structure so that quantifiable properties of networks can be applied to understanding decision impacts. We developed an eco-decisional network based on weighted social-ecological networks as a […]
- Amphiboreal taxa are often composed of vicariant phylogroups and species complexes whose divergence and phylogeographic affinities reflect a shared history of chronic isolation and episodic trans-Arctic dispersal. Ecological filters and shifting selective pressures may also promote selective sweeps, niche shifts and ecological speciation during colonization, but these are seldom considered at biogeographical scales. Here we integrate genetic data and Ecologic Niche Models (ENMs) to investigate the historical biogeography and cohesion of the polymorphic rockweed Fucus distichus throughout its immense amphiboreal range, focusing on trans-Arctic asymmetries, glacial/interglacial dynamics, and integrity of sympatric eco-morphotypes. […]
- IntroductionQuaternary glaciations, in particular the last glacial maximum (LGM), have shaped the contemporary distribution of many species. In Europe, survival of temperate species during range contractions was mainly associated with refugia in Mediterranean peninsulas, allowing south to north recolonization. Additionally, the Ponto-Caspian refugium provided an east to west migration route.MethodsHere, we investigated genetic diversity and structure of the dispersal-restricted Primula vulgaris Huds., a temperate herb of supposed Caucasian origin, using 12 highly polymorphic nuclear microsatellite loci to trace the colonization of this species in three European regions. We studied 38 populations, namely […]
- IntroductionGlobal warming promotes geographical variability in climate, although the trends differ for the lower and higher latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. By the end of the current century, the climate models project an increase of up to 20–30% in summer precipitation for northern Europe, accompanied by an increase in atmospheric humidity. Information on the effects of increasing precipitation and air humidity on the performance of northern trees is scant.MethodsWe studied the effects of artificially elevated air relative humidity (RH) and soil moisture on growth, phenology and needle/shoot morphology of 5-year-old Norway spruce […]
- IntroductionUnder climate change, drought is increasingly affecting forest ecosystems, with subsequent consequences for ecosystem services. An historically exceptional drought in Texas during 2011 caused substantial tree mortality. We used 2004–2019 Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data and state-wide weather data to examine the climatic conditions associated with this elevated tree mortality.MethodsWe measured moisture extremes (wet to dry) using the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) at two timescales (12- and 36-month). We quantified heat wave severity using the Heat Wave Magnitude Index daily (HWMId) over the same period. We performed statistical modeling of […]
- The Mura-Drava-Danube transboundary UNESCO Biosphere Reserve represents one of the best-preserved wetlands in Europe. The Reserve’s riparian forests play a significant role in ecosystem functioning and pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) is one of the keystone species of these forests. In recent years, pedunculate oak trees in the Reserve displayed symptoms of necrotic lesions on their leaves. The lesions varied in size, from small, circular to irregular reddish brown to grayish spots to larger necrotic areas that resembled leaf anthracnose and extended along the leaf nerves. In 2021, symptomatic leaves were collected in […]
- Cytospora canker caused by Cytospora chrysosperma has a wide range of hazards in Xinjiang, seriously affecting the development of Xinjiang’s characteristic forest and fruit industries. Climate change affects the distribution of fungal species and may exacerbate the risk of forest diseases such as cytospora canker. The present study was conducted on C. chrysosperma and makes predictions of potentially suitable area based on 133 records of C. chrysosperma distribution points and 47 environmental factors. We applied the MaxEnt model adjusted by the Kuenm package for feature class parameters (FC) and regularization multipliers (RM) […]
- IntroductionMortality of the riparian alder population caused by Phytophthora pathogens has been studied for over 20 years throughout Europe, recently gaining more importance in the context of evident climate change. The main objective of this study was to examine the pathogenicity of species from the “Phytophthora alni complex” present in the Czech Republic (P. × alni and P. uniformis) and P. plurivora to Alnus glutinosa seedlings grown at ambient and elevated CO2 concentration.MethodsAn underbark inoculation test was performed with seedlings grown from seeds collected from two Czech alder populations, one suffering from […]
- IntroductionPlastic pollution in coastal regions poses severe environmental challenges. This research aims to examine the impact of an individual's outdoor lifestyle and their perceptions of responsibility for litter management-specifically the roles of governments, businesses, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Cornwall council, and volunteers-on their engagement in activities aimed at reducing plastic pollution.MethodsThe study surveyed 972 individuals in Cornwall, UK, to gather data on their perceptions and behaviors related to plastic reduction initiatives. The survey employed binomial logistic regression tests to analyse the relationship between respondents' views on responsibility for litter management and their participation […]
- IntroductionIn the riverine areas of Bayelsa State, Nigeria, the intersection of climate change and flooding poses an escalating threat to the livelihoods and well-being of women traders. This qualitative study investigates the experiences and adaptive strategies employed by women traders in response to climate change-induced flooding.MethodsEmploying an exploratory research design with purposive sampling, 46 women traders participated in the study, involving 23 in-depth interviews and three focus group discussions. Thematic analysis was applied to scrutinize the collected data.ResultsThe study unravels the impacts of climate change-induced flooding on economic, social, and gender dynamics, […]
- The present study investigates the relationship between food waste and sustainable development, aiming to reveal contextual insights and present novel findings regarding the pivotal importance of waste and environmental strategies toward a circular economy. This research represents an effort to delineate methodological and thematic contributions, thoroughly analyze key themes, examine co-citation patterns, assess collaboration among countries, and identify current knowledge gaps in the literature. As waste management takes precedence within the framework of sustainable development goals, policymakers, and academia will better understand how effective food waste management can contribute to environmental sustainability. […]
- Achieving net zero in the UK requires radical improvements in energy efficiency in housing combined with the decarbonisation of domestic heating. Achieving the energy efficiency goals requires a systems approach which takes account of variations at the level of individual properties but also the levels of neighbourhood and the local governance context. Our study provides insights into the scale of the challenge and how this varies by spatial context using property-level energy efficiency measures from Energy Performance Certificates data between 2008–22 and covering approximately half of the residential stock in England and […]
- Currently, two significant problems involve the government, population, and environment: the accelerated increase in organic waste and the need to replace conventional energy with environmentally sustainable energy. The sustainable use of organic waste is being intensely investigated to generate energy plants that produce alternative sustainable electrical energy beneficial to the population at a low cost. The novelty of this research is given by the use of pepper waste as fuel in the generation of bioelectricity, giving added value to these types of waste, benefiting farmers and companies dedicated to the export and […]
- The COVID-19 pandemic was a significant disruption to the construction industry around the globe with multiple impacts, such as workforce limitations and contractual conflicts. Multiple studies have explored the impacts of the pandemic in the construction sector so far. However, little is known about how construction companies responded to the pandemic and what companies’ characteristics may have influenced their responses. The objective of this study is to explore the impacts of COVID-19 and how construction companies responded to the pandemic. To do so, semi-structured interviews with experienced professional working in Chile are […]
- Digital orientation has become increasingly crucial for driving business success, but its impact on new product development (NPD) has not been fully explored in the existing literature. To address this gap, this paper draws upon dynamic capability theory to examine the relationship between digital orientation and NPD performance, as well as to elucidate the mechanism through which the former affects the latter. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis and partial least-square structure equation modeling are employed to analyze the data of 175 Chinese firms. The results indicate that digital orientation has a positive impact […]
- Smart buildings have a large number of dispatchable resources, both for power production and consumption functions, and the energy consumption of intelligent building clusters has a good complementary and interactive relationship, which can better promote the local consumption of distributed energy. In order to realize the goal of “dual-carbon” and promote the construction of a new power system mainly based on renewable energy, this paper takes the Business Smart Building (BSB) cluster with photovoltaic (PV) power generation as the research object. A peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading model with shared energy storage (SES) […]
- The tourism market for traditional villages in China is expanding, with the Huizhou region being particularly prominent. Traditional villages offer rich tourism resources. To ensure sustainable tourism development in the Huizhou region, this text explores the issues of tourism responsiveness and the sustainability impacts on the human environment in the development of traditional villages. The entropy weight-TOPSIS method is used to analyze the evaluation index system of the tourism response in Huizhou. Based on the three criteria of village resource endowment conditions, local economic development environment, and regional tourism development environment, a […]
- Due to editorial holiday, there will be very light posting the week of the April 21st-25th. Regular posting will resume on Monday, April 29th.
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- Animal and plant populations have been extensively studied, which has helped to understand ecosystem processes and evolutionary adaptations. However, this has not been the case with microbial populations due to the impossibility of isolating, culturing and analyzing the genetic content of the different species and their individuals in the laboratory. Therefore, although it is known that populations of microorganisms include a great diversity, this remains largely uncharacterized.
- During the unusually dry year of 2018, Sweden was hit by numerous forest fires. A research team has investigated how climate change affects recently burnt boreal forests and their ability to absorb carbon dioxide.
- A new study shows that ocean acidification is changing the mix of microbes in coral reef systems, which can be used to assess ecosystem health.
- Natural forest regeneration is hailed as a cost-effective way to restore biodiversity and sequester carbon. However, the fragmentation of tropical forests has restricted the movement of large birds limiting their capacity to disperse seeds and restore healthy forests.
- Marine researchers have mapped the density of one of the most endangered large whale species worldwide, the North Atlantic right whale, using new data to help avoid right whales' harmful exposure to commercial fisheries and vessel strikes. The resulting maps, spanning 20 years of whale observations, are publicly available to inform risk assessments, estimations of whale harm/disturbance, marine spatial planning, and industry regulations to mitigate risk to right whales.
- The 2010 Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the largest accidental spill in history, released almost 100 million gallons of oil, causing significant pollution. A decade later, its long-term effects remain unclear. A study investigating the impact on endemic fish species found 29 of 78 species unreported in museum collections since the spill, suggesting potential loss of biodiversity.
- Animal and plant populations have been extensively studied, which has helped to understand ecosystem processes and evolutionary adaptations. However, this has not been the case with microbial populations due to the impossibility of isolating, culturing and analyzing the genetic content of the different species and their individuals in the laboratory. Therefore, although it is known that populations of microorganisms include a great diversity, this remains largely uncharacterized.
- Researchers have found that over the last 120 years, the porosity — or small-scale holes — in mussel shells along the East Coast of the United States has increased, potentially due to warming waters. The study analyzed modern mussel shells in comparison to specimens in the Museum's historic collection.
- Mountain chickadees have among the best spatial memory in the animal kingdom. New research identifies the genes at play and offers insight into how a shifting climate may impact the evolution of this unique skill.
- Marine communities migrated to Antarctica during the Earth's warmest period in 66 million years long before a mass-extinction event.