Where do you feel the most content?
If you had to name a place or an environment that you feel most at peace in – what surrounds would you choose to put yourself?
Urban or country?
While cities have their attractions and beauty in a contrived way, nature can rarely be topped –
Ask someone to describe a beautiful place, and I suspect most (if not all) would describe some wonder in nature – shorelines, beaches, mountains, open plains, forests, waterfalls…
While we humans strive for balance and serenity –
Nature is in perfect harmony with itself
A quality we admire and aspire to.
I’ve always loved nature.
From the ever changing seasons of the English countryside to the arid outback of Australia.
I’m at one when immersed in the wonders of this world.
And until recently I never knew that this feeling I had, had a name –
‘Biophilia’
Biophilia is a term that nearly 30 years ago Edward O. Wilson coined to describe what he believes is humanity’s innate affinity for the natural world.
Biophilia is an innate love for the natural world,
that Wilson believes is felt universally by humankind.
It literally means an appreciation of life and the living world –
a love of nature and all living things.
Our evolutionary history means that in the presence of nature we thrive, and in its absence we suffer.
It’s hard not to be in awe of nature when you come across bright blue spiny crays – Euastacus – up a creek in an Australian rainforest 🙂
Or find yourself in the presence of a tree that is 1,500 years old.
Or spy a Lyrebird, busy foraging in the leaf litter.
The Lyrebird’s name is derived from the shape of the male’s tail feathers resembling a lyre –
But after watching the video below, and seeing their amazing mimicry capabilities, I can’t help but feel the spelling Liar Bird is more appropriate!
All the photographs in this post were taken on a recent expedition to Green Mountain – The rainforest that surrounds O’Reileys in the Lamington National Park in SE Queensland.
We walked the 10.6km Box Forest track that takes you down through the rainforest to the crystal clear West Canungra Creek.
The vegetation is spectacular, and the wildlife prolific and stunning.
Such as this brush turkey.
Or this female bower bird (below left) with her remarkable violet eyes –
And as we got back closer to the civilization of O’Reileys, this Crimson Rosella who spotted the apple I was eating and came down to help himself to a chunk, and the King Parrot on my head who was just weighing up the situation to try the same ploy!
Getting up close and personal to nature is a joy –
Being amongst nature is an inherent requirement humans require for happiness and contentment.
I wonder how much of our yearning to go out and discover the world, as we set off to travel, is more a deep rooted desire to go out to explore nature?
A yearning to experience the physical wonders of the world, enjoy the beauty of it’s flora and encounter the diversity of it’s fauna?
Amongst which are not just cute fluffy furballs!
Even in paradise dangers lurk… In this case, it was a red bellied black snake we saw on the side of the path sunning itself :/
Are you a ‘Biophilia’?
Do share in the comments below,
where in the world do you feel most at peace or content?
Does nature do it for you?
As always, a fabulous post 😉
Thanks Phil ~
So, where is it you feel at ‘one’ with nature?
Where’s your favourite spot? 🙂
Well now, that’s a hard one… I think a couple of my favourites have to be when I am quietly gliding through the mangroves in my kayak or… lying in my swag about 2000 k’s inland, out in the middle of the bush watching the crystal clear night sky put on a show, just magic 😉
Yes, I definitely believe in Biophilia – how interesting that ‘that’ feeling does have a word. Thank you for finding out 🙂 I guess we are Biophiliacs? Now that will be an interesting thing to say when someone asks, “Tell me something about yourself.” Lovely story Linda, and fabulous photos – made me want to head into nature right now. For me, a tropical rainforest or tropical beach although I have to admit the giant kari forests of the South West are awesome.
I did wonder whether that would make us biophiliacs or even biophiles??? – but being a relatively new term I couldn’t find any references!!
Interesting that your first two places in nature also involve some warmth thrown in for good measure!
And yes, the giant kari forests in SW WA are an absolute delight 🙂
Biophilia! What a great word to describe the human nature. Lovely pictures there, truly amazing fauna you spotted!
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A great word for a great feeling 🙂
And the variety of fauna was quite wonderful!
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What wonderful photos. Never heard the term “biophilia” before. My new word for the day.
Its a wonderful word, isn’t it?
Particularly for someone like me who feels it every time I’m immersed in the wonders of Nature 🙂
Such wonderful diversity in your nature shots. I’ve learned several interesting things in this post — including the word “Biophilia”. I’ve got to test my husband (who appreciates nature more than most people I know) on that. Although I love cities, I thoroughly enjoy spending time in places of natural beauty — mountains, oceans, etc. But I also love the stark beauty of deserts very much.
Maybe you’ll have to come back to tell us what your husband said, Cathy 😉
We worked out on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert in Western Australia for 3 months, and like you I loved it –
In Australia the view is scattered with a dry Spinifex (large type of spiky grass) but as you walk through it looking down at the red sandy ground there are minuscule coloured wild-flowers –
Nature always manages to grow and adapt to its environs – As long as humans stay out of the picture and don’t interfere!
I had never heard of biophiles until reading your post. I am very much a nature girl. Mountains, in particular, speak to me.
Mountains… sigh!!
I went to Switzerland at the end of last year and immersed myself in the Alps ~
Soooo wonderful 🙂
I am definitely a biophiliac and feel most comfortable in nature, especially the mountains and deserts. Love all you saw on this trip looking at the big and small.
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I think I’m a bit like a kid in a candy shop when it comes to nature 😉
Mountains and/or valleys, deserts and/or rainforests – I’m simply smitten!
Great to find your jottings here in your blog…. yes I am definitely Biophilia !!! Everything you say resounds with me … and my place for peace and feeling at one with nature is definitely a rainforest , even if it is just remnant … somewhere where it is cool, and soft and the sounds of nature surround me…. a trickle of water and the wind through the leaves….punctuated by the bursts of song and calls from our feathered friends….. there is nowhere better… and yes… I even hug the trees to feel their solidness and the texture of their bark 🙂 Great post thanks!!
So happy to ‘meet’ another biophile Adrienne!
If you love nature and I see you are in Australia, have you checked out Paul’s site Garden Guests?
He focuses on the insects and reptiles he spots in his back yard in Far North Queensland and manages to capture the most wonderful photographs of them in the process 🙂
Beautiful photographs. Exquisite nature!
This rainforest is one of my favourite places in Australia Sarah 😀