I am excited to share my second ‘Nature Nurturers’ interview with the lovely Anita Stewart of Koru Health and Wellbeing. Anita runs her own naturopathic practice in Jan Jac on Victoria’s spectacular surf coast. Anita and I first connected on social media over our shared love of the natural world and I have since had the pleasure of spending time (in nature!) with Anita. There is something very grounding and soulful about being in Anita’s presence. Anita believes passionately in the healing power of nature, as evidenced by her work, and she spends as much time as she can connecting with nature. And being a keen surfer she is out catching waves whenever she can!
Can you describe what it is you love most about nature?
For me, nature brings a sense of calm. It makes me breathe more slowly and deeply, I feel more alive and attuned to my environment and more connected I guess.
Do you have a favourite place or environment where you feel most at peace?
I have only in the last year moved to Victoria’s Surf Coast so I am loving exploring my own backyard and playground which includes magnificent beaches, bush tracks for walking or biking and those stunning ochre coloured cliffs native to the West Coast.
Does your love of nature inform any of your life choices (eg. work, play, where you live) and if so how?
Definitely! I grew up on 3 acres in the Dandenong Ranges and spent a large part of my childhood also staying in our tin shed in the middle of Greens Bush on the Mornington Peninsular so it’s in my DNA. I lived in urban environments for 20 years but that’s enough. I love the city to dip in and out of but could never go back now. I guess working for myself also means I have created flexibility in where I can work and my holiday destinations seem to always be influenced by my love of nature, so yes, it’s integral to all my life decisions.
If you were planning your dream outdoor adventure where would you go and what would you do?
Having lived in New Zealand for 3 years and being attached by the heartstrings to that land I would go back at any opportunity to explore its many varied natural environments. It also has the bonus of being snake free, the joy of running through long grass bare foot is a simple pleasure I had forgotten. I’d also love to go back to Canada for a kayak adventure and explore the stunning environments of Scandinavia.
What concerns you most about the impact humans are having on the natural world?
It’s such a huge issue, sometimes the enormity of the damage caused by humans to our earth is so overwhelming it’s hard to fathom. I get just as upset seeing aerial photographs of open cut mines that look like a huge gaping wound in the middle of a forest as I do seeing some unthinking idiot toss an empty coffee cup on the road. The lack of prioritisation of environmental issues from our leaders worries me the most. They have their heads in the sand and haven’t made the connection that we are all part of the living, breathing system that is mother earth. Every decision or lack of decisive leadership directly impacts the environment and therefore us too.
What makes you feel most hopeful about humans’ relationship with the natural world?
Last week my 7 year old son was skateboarding in our court and a couple of older teenagers walked past and chucked an empty drink bottle on the ground trying to get it in the drain. He picked it up and came straight home to tell me how bad it was and pop it into the recycling. This simple act gives me hope, that children are being educated about the consequences of various choices and are being encouraged to take positive action for the environment. As parents we are role models so whether it’s taking them to a local beach clean up or helping them with a school project on an endangered animal species the passion we show is so important for sparking their interest in nature and the environment.
I am also blown away by so many passionate individuals and organisations that are doing great things to educate, inform and involve people in environmental issues. I consciously choose to limit my exposure to the news and mainstream media and choose instead to ‘follow’ and be inspired by these people and programs, it definitely works to keep my hope alive and inform my own actions and decisions.
