15 Sep The Power of Biophilia

I spent the night camping near Molas Pass. The clouds were amazing. It was golden hour and the sun on the Grenadiers was stunning. There was a curious unformed blob shape of a rainbow. The whole scene was breathtaking. It led me to pondering how it is that humans are wired to find such views beautiful. I wondered if lizards see beauty and wondered if it is possible that they could find the same things beautiful. I’m guessing not. Perhaps smaller things closer to them they are amazed by.

My conclusion was that the fact that we humans can find beauty in nature is the essence of Biophilia. We have a deep connection to nature that causes us to respond to it and resonate with it. Seeing such striking natural features makes us feel good and inspired, maybe hopeful and invigorated.

These are good feelings to experience and help explain why it is valuable to spend time in nature. Alas, not everyone has all the ability or time they might like to spend in the mountains. Much easier is to walk outside your house and sit in the yard. This is why it is so important that humans have nature to commune with at home.

One of my all-time favorite things a client ever said to me, shortly after we installed his new landscape, was, “Thank you for the hummingbirds”. Prior to our work he’d had a neglected lawn that did nothing to attract much nature, so this was a new experience for him to be able to have at home and he was giddy about it. So was I that I could give this gift to somebody – this is what it’s all about!, I thought.

This is the value of a well-crafted landscape. It leverages the incredible power of Biophilia. It nurtures nature, which – in so doing – also nurtures the people who live there, who can now spend time being awed by the wonders of nature, which come in all sizes, from massive mountains to tiny hummingbirds.

For specific ways to embrace Biophilia at your home check out this article.

To the glory of the garden,

Eva Montane

President, Columbine Landscapes