Part 2: What’s Your Relationship with Nature?

Lys Wainwright
Let Our Fuel Be Kind to Nature
3 min readMar 19, 2021

In Part One of the blog, we went through the survey I conducted (Connections Between Nature and What We Consume). We also talked about some of the varying responses that were given by two of the vegan participants. This was an important first part, because the differences between them can help prevent people from stereotyping, labeling, etc. In Part 2 of the blog post, we will go over the responses of those who do consume animal (bi)products. For the sake of context, there were six participants willing to participate in the survey. Fifty percent are vegan, and the other fifty percent are not vegan.

In the survey I asked, “What parts of your lifestyle connect you most to nature?” One participant answered, “My identity as a runner motivates me to get outside.” There isn’t anything wrong with this answer, it’s shown for the sake of showing contrast in responses. However, we are able to connect to nature my more deeply than by the labels we identify ourselves with.

Another participant said, “I have loved nature and being outdoors since I was a child. Now that I am an adult I try to live as minimally and as simply as possible and getting away from the demands of society and work are important. Getting outdoors to a lake or swamp or on a hike or even in my backyard is incredibly helpful for me to manage stress. The sights and smells of the plants and flowers and water, it’s perfect. Animals also connect me to nature a great deal. I don’t just say that I love animals, I actually do.”

This response shows the capability we have as people to really notice details about our environment. This person has also recalled fond memories in childhood of loving nature. The creatures and ecosystems that exist around us are to be acknowledged and honored.

Overall, this survey was very interesting, I was validated by things that I learned but I also came to be surprised by some of the answers I received. Interestingly enough, the participant who identified as a runner spends more time on average outside than any of the vegans who participated. However, this person also has the least to say about their personal connection with nature. All vegan participants wrote passionately about how they feel in and about nature.

We can see some correlations to Veganism being somewhat of a bridge towards nature and man. There is no silver bullet solution to main being in harmony with nature. The most beneficial way to connect with nature is practicing mindfulness in the world we live in. We should be empowered to go against the grain of what our past generations have melted into our brains. By taking this route of intellectualization, we see how consuming animals/animal bi-products simply can’t be aligned with honoring nature.

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Lys Wainwright
Let Our Fuel Be Kind to Nature

I’m a Business Major with a passion for entrepreneurship and small business pursuits. I love climbing, hiking, and playing music. All vegan.