Perhaps one of the most important things we can all do to live sustainably and make more sustainable lifestyle choices, is to learn about and to celebrate people and place.
In every part of our world, cultures that have existed for thousands of years are working to keep their culture and traditions alive and available for generations to come. From Azerbaijan to America, Ireland to India, and New Zealand, Zimbabwe, if you look you will always find a long standing host culture that is active, thriving, and persisting in our modern world. Whenever you move or travel to a new location, take some time to learn about the past, present, and future of the place-specific host culture of that area and you will find your experience much more rewarding.
Once you've learned about the cultural heritage of a place you live in or are visiting, take some time to learn about the key geographic features. We all know that visiting a major natural landmark can be life-changing. So it should come as no surprise that living near a certain river, in a certain valley, or next to a certain mountain range has shaped the way the local host culture views the world and if you let it, it can help shape your worldview. Find out what rivers and mountains define the area and bioregion, learn about waterfalls and prairies nearby, and plan to spend a lazy afternoon walking through a forest or hanging out by a pond to watch wildlife. Speaking of wildlife, take some time to learn about the native plants and animals of the places you live and visit. From butterflies to bats, you'll most likely be quite surprised by the number of species that occur only in the place your are living or visiting.
Do all this and you'll have a whole new appreciation for the people and places where you live and travel.
The story of the Mine Bay Māori Rock Carvings in New Zealand
>> Jump to more Habitudes
Related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Additional Resources
- Hosagrahar, J. 2017. Culture: at the heart of SDGs | The UNESCO Courier
