The enduring and elemental importance of natural history

Thomas Lowe Fleischner

The Ecological Citizen Vol 8 No 1 2025: epub-115-1 to 9

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First published: 7 September 2024 | PERMANENT URL | DOWNLOAD CITATION IN RIS FORMAT

Abstract

Natural history – a practice of intentional focused attentiveness and receptivity to the more-than-human world, guided by honesty and accuracy – is the oldest continuous human endeavour. In the evolutionary past of our species, the practice of natural history was essential for our survival, imparting critical information on habits and chronologies of plants and animals that we could eat or that could eat us. Natural history continues to be critical to human survival and thriving. It contributes to our fundamental understanding of how the world works by providing the empirical foundation of natural sciences, and it contributes directly and indirectly to human emotional and physical health, thereby fostering healthier human communities. It also serves as the basis for all conservation efforts, with natural history both informing the science and inspiring the values that drive these.

Keywords

Biodiversity, Conservation, Harmony with Nature, Natural history, Societal change