Friluftsliv

This blogitem introduces you to the concept of Frilufsliv.

A fundamental understanding of men and nature.

A concept well known in Scandinavian countries, but becoming a trend elsewhere!

Enjoy what I gathered,

enjoy your compassion with and immersion in nature ;-)

Introducing

The following picture is a search on the concept in Google pictures:

Think you get an idea!

"What, then, is it? "

Mountaineering educator Nils Faarlund on Friluftsliv (in Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature and religion):

"“An unselfish I-Thou relationship that tries to come away from the anthropocentrism of a nature-dissonant society,” Faarlund concludes. Inherently, friluftsliv, as Faarlund, Ibsen, and Nansen want to define it, is a fundamentally spiritual belief that simply getting out into nature, enjoying the hike, the climb, the ski, the swim, is an essentially personal religious experience that gives the greatest possible meaning to human life."

Let's explore the concept more in two popular articles

MacsAdventure: 

"Friluftsliv, a word coined by Norwegian poet Henrik Ibsen, literally translating to ‘free air life’ is the word used to broadly describe the connection to nature that is so strong in Norway. This article explores how a respect and love of the outdoors is developed. "

Friluftsliv: a Norwegian Philosophy.

McLendon on Mother's nature network:

How 'friluftsliv' can help you reconnect with nature

"The Norwegian word, coined in 1859, has come to embody Norway's cultural enchantment with nature. It doesn't translate easily to English, but the basic spirit of friluftsliv hides inside all of us."

Sit back and relax

Documentary by Charlotte Workman

"'Friluftsliv' is an ancient Nordic philosophy of outdoor life. It is an engrained philosophy in Norway and Sweden but relatively unknown to the rest of the world. This philosophy embodies the idea that returning to nature, is returning home."

See it on Vimeo, click here. It.'s 11 minutes long.

And finally if you want to go deeper I have some articles and a reference to a book:

Two articles if you want to read more..

Outdoor Recreation and the Nordic Tradition of "Friluftsliv": A Source of Inspiration for a Sustainable Society? by Klas Sandell

"This article starts with a discussion of outdoor life as both a consequence of and a reaction against the industrialized and urbanized society. Thereafter comes a short presentation of the Nordic 2 outdoor tradition of "friluftsliv" (open-air life), including its "allemansrtt" (everyone's right of access to the countryside within certain limits). Finally the complicated issue of interaction between environmental experience and environmental perspective is raised and a preliminary model of the interaction between outdoor life and environmentalism is presented."

Friluftsliv: The Scandinavian Philosophy ofOutdoor Life by Hans Gelter:

Abstract:

This paper explores the roots of the Scandinavian outdoor lifestyle of friluftsliv and its philosophical implication as well as its applications for environmental education. Friluftsliv as a philosophy is deeply rooted in Norway and Sweden but has lately obtained a more a superficial meaning by the commercialization of outdoor activities. The philosophy and biology of friluftsliv is explored showing its importance as a means, in environmental education, to facilitate a true connectedness to the more-thanhuman world. 

Nature First: Outdoor Life the Friluftsliv Way (Bob Henderson, Nils Vikander eds)

Have a look inside this book on GoogleBooks, click here.

And if you like a book review.


Pilgrimage and Place is also on Facebook.If you like you can like the page there.

Celebrating life

On my personal FB page I noticed I included a collection of events I could name 'celebrating life'.

I collected them here, to celebrate summer.

Enjoy these tips for all life lovers, for those open to life.

Think resembles pilgrimage, being from home, looking for something, immersing in nature, social and self (the elements of meaning of place;-)

and even sometimes becoming a new you, transformated and ready for life.

Glastonbury Festival of contemporary performing arts

In june 2017 they "created the largest ever human peace sign as a symbol of our unity and love for one another".

More info on the festival here,

No Mind Festival

"No Mind is Scandinavia’s biggest alternative festival – a transformative gathering to open our hearts, become alive and free in our bodies, and relax into a wisdom beyond the mind."

Here's a look at last years event, hope it makes you happy.

click to see movie

Some time ago I saw Three miles north of Molkom.

Here's the trailer.

click to see movie

More info on the festival here.

Solstice Stonehenge

June 21 was the day of the solstice. Celebrated in many places, here's (click here) a compilation of photographs from The Guardian of Stonehenge June 21. 

Burning Man

Starting Aug 27, "Once a year, tens of thousands of people gather in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert to create Black Rock City, a temporary metropolis dedicated to community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance. In this crucible of creativity, all are welcome."

This year's theme is Radical Ritual, a temple will be erected.

Here's a movie of last year's event. What to expect...

More info, much more, on their site.

World Naked Hiking Day

And finally, June 21 wasn't only the day of the solstice but also World Naked Hiking Day

embrace nature

establish a sense of inner freedom 

#nakedhikingday

#glastonbury 

#nomindfestival

The rights of Nature, good living

Some weeks ago several news outlets published on a river in New Zealand getting the same legal status as humans have.
In this contribution I'll bring you up to date.
Inform you over some recent publications, get into the older ones. Have a look into some relevant organisations.
Show you a nice TED presentation, and point you to two relevant concepts like ecovillages and buen vivir.

Photo by Jim Clayton

If you want to read on, here are two pointers.

See CNN's article on the Whanganui River here.

See also The New York Times, Lands and rivers can be people

This isn't a solo development, likewise actions are on it's way for the river Frome in the UK.

Also the Ganges and the Yamuna in India were given the status of living human entities. See The Guardian article here.

And, while preparing this entry, I read on the Facebook page of Rebecca Solnit a link to Himalayan Glaciers and forests that have been declared human rights.

Photo in India Times

See here for the article in India Times.

A nice overview article you find on Intercontinental Cry, Indigenous Philosophies Reframing Law.

Photo in Intercontinental Cry

And likewise status changes are already performed elsewhere.
But, what a contrast to discussions on legal status as human of unborn children.

In fact, several organisations 'live on it' ;-)

Here are three to get you started.

See The Rights of Nature

See Rights of nature

Or, in Dutch, Rechten voor de Natuur

Books

For some background on the history of men-environment have a look at this book:

Roderick Nash, Wilderness and the American Mind

is a great book on the history of attitudes toward wilderness and the environment in the U.S..

“The Book of Genesis for conservationists”—Dave Foreman

Roderick Nash’s classic study of changing attitudes toward wilderness during American history, as well as the origins of the environmental and conservation movements, has received wide acclaim since its initial publication in 1967. The Los Angeles Times listed it among the one hundred most influential books published in the last quarter century, Outside Magazine included it in a survey of “books that changed our world,” and it has been called the “Book of Genesis for environmentalists

Further there is this 2015 report Fighting for our shared future by Sheehan and Wilson to download.

Another classic.

" Originally published in 1972, Should Trees Have Standing? was a rallying point for the then burgeoning environmental movement, launching a worldwide debate on the basic nature of legal rights that reached the U.S. Supreme Court. Now, in the 35th anniversary edition of this remarkably influential book, Christopher D. Stone updates his original thesis and explores the impact his ideas have had on the courts, the academy, and society as a whole. At the heart of the book is an eminently sensible, legally sound, and compelling argument that the environment should be granted legal rights. For the new edition, Stone explores a variety of recent cases and current events--and related topics such as climate change and protecting the oceans--providing a thoughtful survey of the past and an insightful glimpse at the future of the environmental movement. This enduring work continues to serve as the definitive statement as to why trees, oceans, animals, and the environment as a whole should be bestowed with legal rights, so that the voiceless elements in nature are protected for future generations. "

(text through Google Books) 

Here you can download the 1972 article in pdf by Christopher Stone ' Should trees have standing - toward legal rights for natural objects '.

Some background...

"Fighting for Our Shared Future: Protecting Both Human Rights and Nature’s Rights explores 100 case studies from around the world of co-violations of nature’s and people’s rights."

TED

See also the TEDx Findhorn presentation by Mumta Ito:

"by enshrining Rights of Nature in law, we protect the environment that we all need for our very existence."

2016

(14:18)

Added May 13 2017:
Have perhaps also a look at this article on Ecologist

Nature's rights: a new paradigm for environmental protection.

I would like to introduce two further concepts, ecovilages and buen vivir.

Ecovillages

"Kosha Joubert shares how community-led regeneration can become a source of solutions for today’s societal challenges. Kosha takes us on a journey around the globe to discover ecovillages, envisioning a world of empowered citizens and communities, designing and implementing their own pathways to a sustainable future, and building bridges of hope and international solidarity."

Have a look at TEDx Geneva's presentation.

2015

(15:22)

Buen Vivir

Familiar with the concept of buen vivir? Does the good living comes from South America?

This 'nature rights concept' "departs from a social philosophy, known in Spanish as “buen vivir”, in which the concept of a good life proposes a holistic approach to development that intertwines notions of unity, equality, dignity, reciprocity, social and gender equality – a rallying cry to move beyond Western ideals and practices of development and progress largely measured by profit."

(See exhibition at the University of British Columbia throughout 2017.)

See this basic article in The Guardian (2013) on the concept with addition links.

Buen vivir: the social philosophy inspiring movements in South America.

Read more (Dutch!) on this concept in the 12 page MO paper

Buen vivir:Komt het goede leven uit Zuid-Amerika?

Puliki

Sean Yoro (Hula) used chalk and water to paint these murals somewhere in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. A message on wildfire, deforestation and climate change.

"The artwork is called Puliki, which means 'to embrace' in Hawaiian."(cnn)

Hula Studios

(2:10)

See also the CNN coverage here.

See more on Sean Yoro on this Blog 'di Arte Contemporanea'

Sean Yoro is on Facebook.

The Rewilding Movement

Perhaps the subject of this blogitem is an anthropocene subject par excellence ;-)
Want to know more about rewilding? Just read and look on for this quick introduction.

"The short film (3’39) explains Rewilding Europe’s vision and approach to make wild nature a normal part of a modern Europe in the 21^st century. Learn why we believe there is a historic opportunity to shape our natural landscapes of the future. Find out how rewilding can provide new perspectives for rural communities living in Europe’s countryside."

George Monbiot tells us in this Ted presentation on the reintroduction of wolves in the National Park Pick your own language...

See the movie here

And see his manifesto for rewilding the world here.

However, read here a counter article on Popular Science 

"Has The Reintroduction Of Wolves Really Saved Yellowstone?

Recent science suggests that, while important to restoring Yellowstone Park's ecological health, wolves are not the primary solution. Let the fighting commence."

But lets enter the core concept. See John Carey in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA in his 2016 referenced article. (As long as they are allowed to publish scientific material ;-)
You can also download the pdf article there if you like.


Have a look at a pilot project of Rewilding Europe in Spain and Portugal: the case of Western - Iberia

(22:41)

Nice, the idea of forest that's to be feared, in contradiction to the 'view in the UK'!
A view from North-Rhine Westpfalia, wilderness in orderly Germany?
(4:17)

Another nice article is The Call of the Rewild

Ed Gibney in The Humanist 2016
Rewilding as a contra-concept to museum piece preservation of nature.

If you like to browse rewilding movies just click here to enter the world of youtube.

Travelling and nature, nature and human

This, I think, is an interesting compilation on some popular topics of nature.

I'm deeply researching landscape, experience and pilgrimage. So, yes, also interested in relationships of human - nature, let's skip the dichotomy;-)

Perhaps it's the postmodern motive to long for the rural/nature to escape from the urban.

Perhaps humans have attachments to specific landscapes, like the savanna as ancestral environment of early Homo in the savanna theory. Which perhaps leads to problems with our modern environment? 

Well, I compiled some nature snippits.

Have a look at what nature does for the brain,

find out of nature is right for you, 

know about this nature practice: shinrin-yoku?, 

enjoy the nature therapy, 

plus a bonus and some additional links to other readings and research.

And by all means, try the nature therapy,

it's not the real thing, but does it work in any way for you?

Startoff with an article from the Guardian.

"Travel broadens the mind, but can it alter the brain?

Studies suggest that taking a gap year or studying abroad can positively influence your brain to make you more outgoing and open to new ideas.

Click here to see the article.

I'm nature

WWF

(1:21)

Is nature right gor you?

Nature RX

(1:32)

Shinrin-yoku or Forest bathing

(1:11)

(More on Shinrin-yoku here)

(And if you like an introduction video on the subject here)

If you're not in the position to enter the forest at the moment, I'll provide a substitute.

Nature therapy

Semi:Free Creative

(30:41)

TED Presentation by 

Emma Marris: Nature is everywhere -- we just need to learn to see it

Notice the definition of nature!

(15:52)

See TED site here.

And when we are walking and attending nature, perhaps we'll get hugged for embracing the idea to preserve and honour what's left.

(China and the US finally embraced the Paris climate treaty in sep 2016 ;-)

Polar bear Nissan Leaf

NissanMalaysia

(1:02)

Furthermore:

Eyes4Earth.org covers insides on meaningful nature experiences and is based on the phd study of Matthew Zylstra.

Additional reading:

American Scientist,

A Walk in the woods (click)

(not scientific but references in comments)

Benefits of walking and solo experiences in UK wild places

Elizabeth Freeman, Jacqueline Akhurst, Katrina Bannigan and Hazel James

Health Promotion International, June 2016

"Benefits of the WSE (Walking and solo experience)  that contributed to a general sense of well-being were: 

(i) gaining a sense of freedom and escape; 

(ii) gaining a sense of awareness and sensitivity to one's environment and its influence 

(iii) gaining confidence in being able to cope and take action; 

(iv) gaining a sense of perspective on and appreciation for life."

The benefits of nature experience: Improved affect and cognition

Gregory N. Bratmana, Gretchen C. Daily, Benjamin J. Levyc, James J. Gross

Landscape and Urban planning, 138, 2015

"• Nature experience produced clear benefits for affect (e.g., decrease in anxiety and rumination). 

• Nature experience produced some benefits for cognition (complex working memory span task). 

• Supports the idea that exposure to natural greenspace can improve affect and cognition."