Why Education for Nature Lovers Sucks 

This video was made in collaboration with Andrewism. If you want to find out more about how the entire education system needs an overhaul, watch his video on education here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-9ZGYtHPtZwM.html

Fantastic video! It's unfortunate that even folks in the ecology field have to limit themselves to the whims of capital.

‘Communicating about climate change needed to be softened to appeal to people who didn’t believe in climate crisis’ ... what a world we live in. I just want to say I really appreciate you creating these videos. Not too many people are covering these topics and especially not with the insight that you have. Please keep them coming.

"Ecology without class strugle is gardening" _ Chico Mendes

There was a large tree that once stood tallest in the forest that slept not too far from my house. I used to go there, and read on the lake’s edge. The tree standing proudly on the other side, waving to me from afar. It was especially pretty in the fall, when it shone a bright orange amongst the reds and browns. The wind would blow strong across the water, carrying the tree’s leaves to me. That tree isn’t there anymore. Nor does the forest sleep. A restless highway works there now. Cars constantly fly through it like screaming insects. Polluting the air with fumes and noise. Their synthetic hearts pop and chirp then quickly explode into great mechanical lion's roars. The trees never spoke so violently. The birds and beetles never hated so boldly. I still remember that tree. From time to time. Grieve its loss in a way not too dissimilar to that of an old friend passed away far too early. I use that highway all the time now. I've gained a quicker route to my work and favorite restaurants. Still, I can never seem to shake the all too real feeling that I had lost something that day. Something convenient routes and paths could never atone for. Somehow I feel crazed to think such things. Somehow I know I'm right. Somewhere in the heart of hearts there cries something real and breathing. Something big, yet grieving.

I grew up in regional Australia, and was privileged enough to live on a small property with some bushland which I regularly played in as a kid. Then when I reached adolescence, schoolwork and extracurricular activities left me too busy and exhausted to spend time in nature. After leaving school, I wanted to find a qualification that would facilitate that intimate connection with nature I’d had as a child but never fully realised or appreciated. But I found that most of the “environmental” jobs were focused on the biology side of things; it’s like you said - everything is micro-analysed and often detached from the overarching context of nature. I did about 18 months of units relating to Sustainable Development, but again it all felt too clinical and focused on being hyper-technical than what I really wanted which was to explore the more emotional and philosophical aspects of the environment. I ended up dropping out of higher education altogether, since I realised what I was looking for was not compatible with the current education systems. More recently, I’ve gotten more fulfilment out of exploring witchcraft and solarpunk than any of my academic endeavours. The closest I’ve heard of anyone getting that fulfilment in an academic context is through “Arts” like philosophy or sociology rather than the sciences. Unfortunately, the “Arts” are often the most underfunded qualifications in academia and not taken very seriously, for being “too emotional” and “not requiring much skill or intelligence”. There’s a whole classism conversation to be had around that, but I think it’s important to foster passion in education, not as a means to profit and/or acclaim but for the fulfilment in itself. I wish education wasn’t so divided between “technical” and “emotional” subjects and methods - ideally, there’d be a blend of both which are tailored to the needs and interests of each student. Contrary to what the education system would have us believe, those who are passionate and emotional can ALSO be very smart and informed on their subjects. Stoicism is not apolitical and is not necessarily synonymous with logic and reason I do think the sciences’ focus on creating individual niche scientists is another example of that detachment, there doesn’t seem to be much collaboration between them in order to build up a quilt of big picture context. Even when there is, it’s usually based on hyper-specific topics which the layperson often can’t apply to their everyday experiences. Their spineless appeasement of forces that are fundamentally incompatible with their teachings and supposed values doesn’t help either.

i study biology in Poland and our campus is located at the outskirts of the city, near a forest. many elective classes took place in there - looking under fallen trees, searching for underwater invertebrates in the streams and identifying plants with our professors. From what I understand some of these classes are old as the profesors themselves and some are newer, recently added as electives.

Coming from a Wildlife Ecology background and with a Master's Degree in Ecological Restoration and Wildlife Policy, I feel very seen by this video. Now that I work regularly with Zoos, National Parks, and Museums, I'm seeing the exact same problem with fields having to do with Paleontology and Animal Care based careers. The fear of accidentally being seen by the public and by higher up managers as "Too Political" is a massive problem. Furthermore, the field itself is inundated with managerial class professionals who've taken the only "profitable" jobs bossing around folks with an actual expertise in the animal/ecology/biology side of the issues.

We desperately need to incorporate social ecology and systems thinking into our education system but as this video shows even those of us who get to study ecology and natural science aren't getting taught about the true nature of the ecological crisis. Fuck capitalism - a solarpunk future is possible! 🌱🌻☀️Great video as always!

i went the opposite way. wasn't outdoorsy as a kid and enjoyed school, read during recess. but then i got scared about climate change and studied environmental science and ended up largely working outside and vibing with ecology. i guess i lucked out!

Damn, you said exactly what I've been thinking for a while! Why are most school playgrounds are paved with goddamn asphalt? I wanted a degree in "Bioecology" to oppose forestry monocultures, but first year in, and I find out my job is actually to make these monocultures possible! I started with reverence for pollinators, now I gotta catch them all for a pointless collection. I feel my mind shifting under these constraints, and I hope I won't loose track of the goal by the time I'm done. I think school should teach about the systems that govern us, teach us ways to feed ourselves and encourage discussions about our feelings.

Learning about nature should be a staple in the classroom like English and Math. Its bizarre that we arent taught anything about the intricate world we LIVE in.

For a good while, I was thinking about what you said at the beginning. I wasn't particularly interested in nature as a kid. Surely you must have missed something. Then, I finally remember. Of course I loved nature. I loved it a ton. It's just not something that the whole compartmentalized system called nature. I was in love with astronomy, which really is as much about nature as oceans or mountains.

I wish these videos got more views. Your ideas are very important for the world's future.

Thank you for validating my choice to not study Ecology in HE in the UK. I am currently training to become a Forest School leader though! I want to help people connect with nature, explore their curiousity and hopefully remediate some of the mental health struggles people face. I think this is one of the most solarpunk avenues for nature lovers, without having to endure a soul sucking corporation or hold out for an elusive NGO/non-profit post. I had the privilege to meet some kids from some of the most deprived parts of town and see their joy as they were able to explore a new aspect of nature, whether it was paddling in the sea or swinging from a tyre swing under an old oak. Nothing beats that. It may only be a little thing and may not change their material conditions, but I hope they can hold on to it all their lives. Also RWK comes up a lot at training, and she was in my personal statement when I applied to uni. I only just found your channel, but it's nice to know there are solarpunk Brits

I think a couple things that could be instantly done to improve our school systems are one, increase modes of instruction immediately (make more multi sensory), reasonably increase outdoor time, and limit the mandated week to four days instead of five, even if that means slightly longer school days. A rethinking of the grading system would be lovely as well but just those two changes alone would yield wonderful results imo.

Yes ive spent about 14-15 years now in school and just the last 6 months feel SO HEAVY! Ive been able to keep my love and curiosity of nature alive, but the kind of nature i come across feels very artificial. I greatly appreciate your video! Didn't know i needed someone to say this.

the fact that this video is so niche is only further proof of your point.. ty algorithm for bringing me here tho!

I went to school for an agricultural sciences degree that was supposed to allow me to choose my own path. It was only once I was already in the school that they told me I would have to spend the last two years of my degree taking required classes. I would have to retake a year of biology simply because my previous classes didn't fit their program. I would also have to take multiple indoor science classes and indoor science labs I had no interest in. Most of my degree had nothing to do with plants or their care. The "economics" class I had to take was an anti-science and poverty-blind horror that killed my fragile love of academia forever. Now I will never get a degree, because I've seen how completely useless it is to anyone with a genuine interest in anything. On top of all of this, my poverty and disabilities were never accommodated, rarely acknowledged with anything other than skepticism or distaste. In the USA you have to go to school full time if you want scholarships, grants, assistance, or consideration in the school. Part time is seen as not taking your education seriously and thus you are not eligible for any sort of help. The fact that people could give more of themselves over a longer period doesn't matter. They just don't care about their less privileged students at all, or following through on any promises, or actually make degrees that function outside of getting a high paying industrial job.

I finished higher education with a masters in biology, with a focus on aquatic ecology and conservation. Like you said, there was almost no connection to nature itself during those five years except for a couple of field trips. It was only when I finished my degree that I had the time and energy to go visit and reconnect with nature, but after a year of looking for a job I had to settle for something in the industry, below my pay grade. I like the job enough that I keep doing it, and often I work next to nature, but in essence there is little I use my degree for now. Still, I have no regrets or anything, just dissapointed in both the educational system and society for not giving a damn about the natural environment and only thinking about profit motives.

I just discovered you and I feel you so strongly that I subscribed immediately. I studied geography and geology... I have seen and felt everything you've touched on. Now I'm desperately pushing myself in this highly capitalist society just to get myself into a position where I can quit and start a homestead. I'm so burnt out that I just wanna cry constantly, but force myself to smile and play my role until I can finally gain my freedom. I brought this on myself because I'm trying to change my citizenship... but I'm so close to that goal that I can taste it! Knowing there are people like you who see what I see is a blessing. Thank you for giving me hope that the future will be different and that future generations won't have to face what I've faced. Keep doing what you do! ❤

As a nature-loving kid, thank you for speaking on this. I haven’t gone outside as often as I wish I feel I could in years, and the work you do really renews my determination to try harder! :D

Excellent video, it's genuinely sad how nature is slowly sucked from us turning us into working machines, designed for useless office work, and I always enjoyed outings while I was in school and most classmates retained that info better, the current system just seems to want biological computers. I am now studying an environmental science degree and oh god it hasn't gotten better, the fact that it's an environmental carreer helps and even with that we only had like four outings(i am in Spain, valencia may vary in other countries) along the whole year and even then it had to be justified by some kind of job, I love earning knowledge of the natural world and the teachers have been mostly great and dne their best but it straight up sounds like the system is broken and it falls on professors to teach how economy has an effect and what perpetual growth means for the climate, instead the pure subject was more bland the only thing I really got out of it is that I wanted to become an environmental educator and teach about the environment, and there are barely any jobs about it of course and half of them are dreadful most of the ecologist and biologists I've talked to have just given up, and even a bad alternative like volunteering emds up being more office work than anything the system is just rotten to the core and grat at rotting everything Sorry for the rant and thank you for so expertly putting the thoughts I've been having about my chosen career and giving a bit of optimism, I wish most people would aspire to a solarpunk world instead of a technoutopic one On a sidenote it would be nice to have a video about what can one do if they have an environmental related degree and don't want to sell their soul to a consultation companies

Ecology is a core standard in our science education here in NY and NJ, and where I grew up in California. Plenty of trips out to parks and wild places too. I'm so glad I got that experience and get to be a part of bringing that to kids too

This video said so many things I’ve been feeling since I got my degree in Ecology. I have a master’s degree and while it sounds like I may have spent a little more time out in the woods during it (probably not by much though), I came away deeply disappointed with the experience and, like you said, the lack of attention to the real issues affecting the environment. Came back home to put everything I’ve learned to use and there are all of zero jobs. As you pointed out, most are consulting jobs for developers and it would absolutely destroy me to be on that side of the equation. All I want to do is dedicate my life to saving the biodiversity that is so threatened by anthropogenic climate change and yet I can’t do that and also pay my rent. Trying to get together a presentation to give my local government about why it’s important to put money into this sort of thing but I have a strong feeling it will fall on deaf ears. Wish I had something more to contribute to the conversation but unfortunately I spend a good deal of my time slack jawed at the inaction of those in charge. Great video and thanks for getting this perspective out into the world! We’re in desperate need of it 🙏🏼

not an ecology major nor in a related field but i felt a similar kind of disillusionment when i realized just how integral of a role the profit motive plays in maintaining and exacerbating climate change and ecological destruction. even when i try to soften it all to talk to people i'm close to about how something is harmful and prioritizing profit and the interests of the rich over the climate i get everyone telling me i'm ruining the vibe. it's so disheartening

I studied biology in new york and one of my labs was researching local wild grape species to find their resistance genes to add to the commercial grapes in the area

I thought this video would have like 200k views. Its needs that or more! Great video, i loved hearing your insight on the topic!

amazing video c: ..also, to think that even just more freedom of movement could change the atmosphere of classrooms so much, it would be so easy too ..always pitch ideas for a better living environment to your local councils, you never know if they can do sth. even though most times they dont :c

Thoughtful video topic. I spend most of my day in nature, for work, and at home. One way I expose my children to the outdoors, is to share nature photos with them, of which I take dozens each day. I’ve witnessed the absolute destruction of hundreds of acres of forest, for the construction of housing/strip malls, etc. It hurts to watch as every living organism is being killed, or displaced. Think about that scene from “Watership Down”. It happens every day.

Ooft this s was a hard watch. As someone who studied ecology through to post graduate level many years ago this is absolutely accurate. You only need to compare the salaries of jobs that aim to protect and repair nature vs those that destroy nature for profit and you can clearly society’s values. The jobs the irk me the most are the very well paid ‘sustainability’ roles that are clearly mostly green washing and the policies/recommendations of which continue the wrecking of the world.

I took a climate and atmosphere course for a year and had a couple of modules there on climate. I'd say my experience was slightly different to yours. Both modules focused on macro effects so although it was unspoken it was clear that our industrial capitalist society was having all of these damning effects on the earth. In a course on pollution it was made very clear that industry is killing people with the poisons it releases, and that in the current day this has a socioeconomic bias for poorer nations in the global south. They were still limited in outlook, the only solutions explicitly address were studies of regulation policies. Climate science really is a mess though endless money funneled into making predictions and no opportunity to get anything done because of our current political and capitalist system. Although most climate scientists are not happy about this and would prefer to work on solutions its clear that academia molds people into the thought process of good proposals = policy = change. ie politics isnt changing cos the science isn't realiable enough!/s

Great video! Awesome to see more and more thoughtful and staunch solarpunks

Loved the video!! When I was young, maybe 7-8 years old or so, I remember my science classes at school having units focusing on local flora and fauna. We had projects where we would make compost bins and fill them with worms to see how they broke down organic material, homework assignments where we would go out in nature and take sample leaves from trees and identify them, talk about local birds that could be found in our area and what their behaviors were, things like that. It was my favorite thing I’d ever learned in school back then; I’m in my mid twenties, now, and I still take so much joy in getting to grab my friends’ attention and say, “look over there, that’s a female cardinal!” or “those white flowers, that’s wild carrot!” I’ve always had a fascination with nature, but those lessons in my childhood really solidified that interest. I ended up going into the arts for my studies, but I still do my best to help with conservation efforts and caring for the environment around me. The right lessons at a young age can have a great impact when it comes to respect and love for nature!!

I've been reading Tristan Gooley's work, The Natural Navigator, How to Read Water, etc. And his entire point can really be boiled down to "Go out and actually look around, not just straight along the path toward your destination." He doesn't take quite the same tack as Kimmerer, but does frequently mention indigenous knowledge. Particularly how, while some specialized areas like nautical navigation are explicitly taught over years, a lot of the nature knowledge is simply acquired by being out in it and is so automatic that many couldn't even easily articulate HOW they know there's a river in that direction or there's likely to be a storm tonight. Humans just fall into tune with our environments, and that makes it very important to select your surroundings carefully and choose to engage actively with new surroundings. All the while recognizing the irony of me sitting here reading this in a book while it's 41°C outside. XD My eyeless-cave-newt self managed to burn in the shade the other day.

Very interesting videos! Thank you for this absolute gem of a channel! Also, thanks to Andrew for another great introduction.

You have spoken to some of my deeper inner feelings I had during my childhood. I felt so stifled as a child in middle school and high school, stuck inside and desperate to get out. Thanks for making this

It is so strange to me how so many people lack a wonder of the world, not just of nature (mostly that), but also of everything else. So many people seem to have no curiosity nor fascination with the world in any aspect. And that is... terrible. But, i guess it makes more sense when you are actively encouraged not to your whole life.

I clicked on this video right away, because of the title and your username. I was not disappointed. I was homeschooled under the Charlotte Mason method, which incorporated as much about nature and the natural world as regular "science." If you are really serious about brainstorming ideas on how to reform the crappy education system, I would definitely look into it. It was started by an English school teacher: Charlotte Mason, with a direct emphasis on the Natural World and "living books" instead of dry textbooks. I have always been an animal-lover; and this style of teaching really helped me in appreciating nature more: we would regularly go on nature walks, write about and draw what we saw. I naturally read every book on any animal we had in the house. Now, as an adult, I still love nature, but regularly struggle to interact with it in the day-to-day, as do my peers. I have been looking for a career to be in said Nature. Over here in the US, we have our National Parks, which are run by Big Government (which is part of the problem) but also pay better than my other options. And I would also get health benefits. Very recently, came across the solarpunk movement, and became very excited about it. I hope to see this become a big movement, and to help it along, but also not exactly sure where to start.

You speak out of my core, thank you a lot for making this video, it is healing to come across people who think, know, feel this

thank you for expressing what i feel so deeply, amazing video!

9:02 to my surprise, from the very beginning in my environmental sciences course one of our sustainable development professors always told us that. one thing i noticed is that it's actually a general consensus between the teachers in this university that climate change is also deeply linked with social justice, capitalism, etc. where i live usually the options people have are: 1. pursuing a phd and/or being researcher in some university or private company 2. non profit: which I havent really heard about many 3. government agency: the most common, I know of a LOT of people who land internships while studying and after graduation, they're offered a permanent position so all in all i think i have it a little better than you in terms of finding a fulfilling job(?)

I spent k-12 going to a school that aimed for almost everything you described at the end of the video. I spent high school learning how to garden, build boats and take them out on the water, sitting in the woods with friends, and even learning archery and sword fighting. Nature has always been embedded in my education, and there’s an interconnectedness to the earth that lets me know I’m alive. I can always fall back on it. Now as a freshman in college entering a regular university, the change is so drastic that I wonder how anyone survives public school in America at all. I find myself wondering how on earth it’s acceptable for humans to learn in these environments so devoid of organic matter. It drains the life out of me to be boxed up under fluorescent lights and separated from the outside world :| that’s why I’m dropping so many classes lol. I hope you know that places like you described are absolutely possible and already exist, so if you ever lose hope for the education system, know that there’s communities actively working to change that 💚 (sorry this is so long)

This video is SO important! I wish everyone had the opportunity to watch it. Thank you!

You should have a conversation with the headmistress/founder of Liberty Woodland School, in SW London. There's a lot to do in this area and working with others to help spread the message can only be to the good.

I'm a environmental studies student who actually did a literature review on the effects spending more time in nature has on children last year. Lovely to see this topic covered on youtube, you did a fantastic job!

I was fortunate to be born in Chile, in a small town where wherever I looked, the white mountain range watched over the east. I always had nature close by, whether it was the sclerophyllous forest or the countless streams that originate from the mountain range. Sitting in the garden watching the clouds while dragonflies flutter around, I always had nature close to me. I always wanted to talk about trees, birds, mushrooms. So, during those 12 years I spent in school, I tried to pursue biology. I enjoyed talking about cells and metabolic cycles, but it wasn't what I wanted. For many years, I tried to get my high school to offer a course on "Ecology and Ecosystem Science". Every time I approached teachers or the administration about it, nobody took up that class. Everyone would say, "What's the use of knowing about ecology if I want to study...". I realized that despite the beautiful place where we live, few people have truly been in nature, and even fewer are genuinely interested in it. Perhaps because we were all made to believe that biology is only useful if you want to be a doctor or if you want to research how to do things more efficiently. When I finally finished school and managed to study a career in what I always wanted (Ecological Engineering), I was struck by the number of math and economics courses. I remember saying, "Why so many math and economics courses?" Although I have courses where we talk about ecology and others where we visit natural places, it still seems like people view my career and future profession as something "hippie and communist" and look down on it when one talks about nature. It's hard to change the world, but you have to start somewhere, right? We are running a reforestation campaign within the campus with some friends, and even if people don't take us seriously, we want to do this because when you love nature and it loves you back, it fills you with love for yourself and everything around you.

Great video! You are very brave to communicate your experience and share it with the world. Your message resonates with me. The education (and overall) system in the US is quite the same. I left high school and higher ed for a hands on education. I work on farms now (one is regenerative) and I read, do my own research. The teachers are out there, including you and I. The more we talk openly about our experience, we are seen and heard and felt. Take steps forward to realize that symbiotic, wonderful, playful, healthy relationship with nature is easy, entertaining, fun. Be courageous, wilderness is our nature. We’re all free to claim that for ourselves. Wishing you well on your journey back home 🌱🌿🌳 ✌️

I never thought I’d find the words to describe this feeling! Thank you for making this video ❤

Very poetic and beautiful! I think people need to start working for what they think is right and listen to feedback (sometimes). I’m quite young out of school but I’m trying to rewild my garden. Just as a little beacon for life where I live. A flicker of light in the west

Great video! I'd add, as a call to action, to join an organization that is fighting (politically) towards the future you want! Getting organized and fighting back are so important!!!

I majored in business information technology, and we did talk about clean energy, how it was becoming a cheaper option, and how younger people were demanding or leading the change. That did give me some hope, at least. I have earned my Master's degree in Data Analytics and aspire to work as a data scientist, identifying trends that could benefit the environment, among other things.

Love the uplifting vision at the end!

Incredible video, please continue to make more

Seeing more folks referencing Kimmerer’s work warms my heart 😊

I have a little story to tell. I grew up in a household of zookeepers, together with my younger sister. (I am extremely against zoos from today's pov btw) When I was little, my parents took me to the forest almost every day, they teached me to identify all kinds of animals and awoke the love for nature and everything out there. When I was 7 years old, my mother passed away. I continued growing up with my father and sister. As time went by, my father made weird, arrogant comments, when I told him about anything that I liked, that was connected to nature. He always told me, how much more he knew at my age, that my animal drawings didn't look like the animals at all and stuff. He threw away animal drawings that I had gifted him. This really hurt me and lead to me trying to get other interests, like videogames and anime. Although it was never really my thing. When I did art in a non realistic way and didn't draw animals, my father gave me compliments for that. It hurt me so bad, because it still was stuff that I did not want to draw and I only did it for attention. I got decently good at it, but hated my own art and artstyle. Someday, I gave up and got into zoology and ecology again. It felt so much better to spend my time with that. I still live with my father today and it truly scarred me for life, that I never got any positive feedback from either him or anyone else close to me, for a thing that I was so passionate about my whole life. To this day, I can't take any compliments for anything that I do, because I hear the voice of my father, telling me that he will always be better than me and everything I do is wrong. I hear him saying, that I should give up doing this and do something else. This is how you should not treat your child. Another thing: He was always extremely bad at giving gifts. It really showed, how little he was interested in his children. It's not a even a problem with money or anything: He would buy unnecessary expensive items for us that had no use whatsoever, even though we were literally telling him about small items, that we would really appreciate to get. He did it for his own ego. He has a new wife now, it's a far distance relationship. So only sometimes, me and my sister meet her. And I kid you not: She has been kinder about our interests, she has given us more compliments and small useful gifts than our father EVER has. (For example: she gave each of us a small set of pencils, as we both do art) In this very short time period of two years. She even framed a picture I have drawn of her dog and placed it on her shelf. Even her three sons gave me compliments about my drawing. And not just throwing it away... It's amazing, how different this family functions from ours and how much more healthy it seems.

My joy for nature never disappeared, the education system is outdated the only way to learn about the environment is through self education

Great video! As one of the first people to go through the UK's higher education system after the introduction of tuition fees I noticed a marked change over my four years as the university caught up to the new reality. Obviously there were previously degrees like medicine and engineering that were always very tightly coupled to employment, but all the other courses suddenly found that they had to justify themselves to students and administrators. They had to prove that they were a sound investment in a future career, rather than something you did to better yourself and explore your passion. Within the UK system I obviously think that abolishing tuition fees would be a great start to improve things, and add more diverse courses to the curriculum like American liberal arts, rather than sticking students on a fixed track for 3-4 years. It's not much, but it's things we can do right now that would help get education back to serving students and not the capitalist extraction machine.

Become aware of the horrifying affects of the propaganda of such phrases as, "follow your dreams", "you can be anything you want", or "you just need to manifest your desires to the universe." Wisdom is recognizing boundaries. When we study nature we are studying boundaries. I had a similar experience in the late 70's. I wanted to grow up and build ecologically friendly buildings. Then Reagan decimated the budding interest is such things. My trust of civilization never returned. I've watched the lands I love grow sicker, more crowded, and much less diverse.

I went to the university of Montana and there was so much hands on in the field class work. But that was because we were in Montana which has more cows than people in numbers. In the US there are lots of government jobs with the forest service and fish and wildlife service. But the jobs are still quite competitive.

I studied sustainable development at a university here in the U.S. They had (in my opinion) a great program examining what you discussed: how social systems interact with the environment, and vice versa - with a focus on making them more just. I feel like "sustainable development" and similar programs elsewhere are an excellent opportunity to explore this field in higher ed, sort of like "applied ecology."

Damn that sounds very similar to my experience with an Ecology degree. That softening language bit resonated with me a lot. By the end I was so disillusioned I ended up sending off and finishing my dissertation at a festival and nearly failing xD. I kinda got a job I want now. Woodland management and Conservation with the RSPCA. However its kinda minimum wage and I was volunteering there. Relying on the experience I gained working part time in a friend's tree surgery company when I was in uni on the taking apart of a chainsaw which was a test at the end of an interview.

When I was a child, i only interested in dinosaurs. Now in my 20s i like to learn ecology too much, go camping, play Monster hunter world or put insects in a big glass because learning about ecosystem is too interesting for me in the future I want to be a Hunter and be more connected to nature

At a young age I came to the realization that school isn’t even about learning and obtaining knowledge, it’s just about remembering as much as you can so you can pass your classes and graduate and not be seen as a failure to others. That’s why I’m not in college now. When I was a kid, I wanted to be an artist and go to a college but then I realized that I could just teach myself and not stress about teachers putting a grade on my work. But anyways, I live in the countryside and have been for all my life. I loved climbing trees and running around in the grass, collecting rocks from school for my rock collection, hearing the birds in the morning. I love it (except for the bugs biting me lol) but it pains me to see trees being cut down here. All it leaves behind are dead trees and the ground trampled and dug up by machinery; a wasteland. I get it if they did it for more land but still. What also pains me is seeing kids not going outside anymore, not getting to experience the same joy of being in nature like I did. They’re always inside or their eyes are glued to a screen. That’s how I was after TikTok came out; even when I was outside I was on my phone scrolling through it or Instagram. And since social media is getting so popular (more kids are hopping on it which is just insane) that’s all you see people doing, staring down at their screens.

I've found great well paying work in landscaping. Most landscaping companies are horrible for this honestly, but I lucked out with a company that uses 0 pesticides and herbicides, and uses 90%+ native plants in all their designs. We basically get rich people to pay us to restore their yards ecologically

I find it funny that I come across this video just days when I came back from my visit to Vermont. I live in the US and in the Northern Indiana region and there is just towns and agriculture everywhere with a noticeable lack of woodlands. While I was in Vermont, I got to experience the wildlife (36 species of birds lived around the house I was staying in for the month!) and I got to experience the ecosystems in lower and higher elevations of the Appalachians. Overall, I have left my heart there because when I came back home, it did not feel like I was home. I have one more semester to go before I can't be at the community college that I am in. I hope that I can make it.

My school grounds were bordered by meadow/farmland to one side, forest to the back, and a tree-lined stream to the other side. Older kids stop having recess, but we'd have gym class outside whenever the weather was nice. One of the benefits of being in a small town I suppose (though there were certainly downside)

i always felt strong drive to biology, just as it appeared in our curriculum. So after school i wanted to continue this path, i wanted something "biological". So i choosed medicine, even so i didnt want to do healing, didnt want to limit myself to humans. But beacouse of the pressure from parents, society my focus hugely shifted to something more "useful and profitable" than just common biology, where you even cant be sure as whom you will be working. in our country anyway...

Thanks for making a video about this!

Don't be so focused on the negative parts of education. Aside from all that, it has influenced your thinking and given you insights you might otherwise have missed - even if it's only in recognising aspects of the education system that you find problematic. Because all of that has contributed to a key understanding that we're living in an interconnected and interdependent system of systems. The more that people can promote this knowledge the better as it is crucial for people to understand the complexity and vulnerabilities of the biosphere.

Great video! I'm quite privileged to have access to a plant science and landscaping program at an affordable college. I chose landscaping because I want to make a difference in my neighborhood, rather than allowing typical landscaping businesses to continue destroying the ecosystem (IDK if the lawn culture in the UK is the same, but in the US midwest it is asinine, lawns here are ecologically hostile and artificial, they require a chemical regime to upkeep the aesthetic). And I'm really grateful that my program, while not focused on ecology per se, is much more science driven than "here's how you cut the grass". We learn about botany, native plants, hydrology, tree care, integrated pest management, environmental science electives, etc. With that being said, I feel like I'm gaining all this knowledge but will have my hands tied once I join the industry. I could work for the county parks system doing conservation work, but I'd make a hell of a lot more money working for a classy landscaping company, building patios and cultivating the very same lawns in upscale neighborhoods that I swore to abolish. Yet, It's hard to say no to that opportunity with increasing rent and food prices, healthcare costs, car/gas/insurance expenses; it feels like I'm being crushed unless I comply with the economy.

When I entered university to study science I wanted to be an ecologist, specifically a botanist, that until I got to an ecology class, where the teacher said during a conversation that the only incentive to study a certain topic in the area is to make a profit out of it. It was very frustrating, to the point of making me go to nanoscience in chemistry, which I hope to one day use to work on environmental solutions, even if it means making some rich guy even richer. Nowadays I have friends doing masters in ecology, and I can see them having the same struggles you mention. Nevertheless, videos like the one ls you make help bring back the hope that a change is possible and that we can make a positive impact.

as an american i am so grateful for our national/state parks, i think they might be one of the few genuinely amazing things about the states. My high school had an agriscience/horticulture teacher (for some reason?? Most american high schools definitely don’t have that, especially in underprivileged areas like my school) and we even had an operating greenhouse. Idk anything about their nature education because i’m an art student but my collage has 11 acres of woodland right on campus which is super neat.

London is pretty high on the list of green cities! So not sure how accurate it is to say that "especially in the UK" there's too few green spaces. And it's not uncommon to have a little garden. Yes, it's tiny, but how many big cities do you know where people have gardens??? Absolutely agree on the nature education though. I managed to keep my connection to nature, possibly in spite of education...

I am doing a degree in Conservation Biology now (in Uni of Kent), and we've had a few field trips, but not a lot. I do like my teachers and the lectures, and they all have a lot of field experience that they eagerly share with us. We have also touched upon the topic of multiple interests clashing when it comes to conservation, so the accent wasn't about "appealing to capitalism", more about understanding how it's relevant. My only criticism so far is that I'd love more practical field experience. We talked about survey techniques, but only done one "mock" survey. Which was great, but more would be better!

Falling out of love with your subject is a sad thing indeed. I had the same problem with my palaeontology degree. I’ve been lucky enough to get a break and enter the wildlife filmmaking industry, but most don’t.

This is incredible.. thank you!!! 👏🏼👏🏼😻🙏🏼💗🌿🕊️🌸✨

I absolutely share your values and concerns. I would note that change is happening. There is an increasing interest towards environmental education, and politics has never ceased to try to steer things to purposes other than self-interest. It takes work and patience, though. I have become more optimistic after years of coalition governments in Spain and Europe that have adopted a lot of environmental measures. A Labour government in the UK can only improve things. If only Trump would lose! Keep up the good work. An educated citizenship is our best hope.

I used to be in ecosystem restoration in the nonprofit sector. I was the person who would physically restore land to a healthier state, removing invasive plants + planting/rescuing natives. You know what I was paid, to do backbreaking labor in wet bulb conditions? Minimum wage. A skilled job, where I actually have to understand the organisms around me, understand how to rescue or remove them depending on the need of the specific environment I was in, where I had to have immense physical endurance to work to the demands of my employer in an area of the American south that regularly hits 100F/95% humidity? Minimum wage. It was a good learning experience, but I am from generational poverty so it was not financially sustainable, even as I started to get promoted, due to the average low pay of both the field and the nonprofit sector. Nowadays I am in the ag sector and am trying to position myself into a more agroecological area. The pay will never be good, but at least I can take home food for my family, and there is a smaller-than-ideal yet growing grassroots movement to return agriculture to the commons. My hope is someday to help this happen.

Thank you for this great video!

Another job option is to work for federal and state governments in various conservation roles (at least under labour or left leaning governments). While it's underpaid, the hours are usually set, so you won't get overworked. And of course, there's teaching.

Thank you for this video. I live in the Netherlands but totally agree with your criticism. I dropped out for a while of an ecology study because of mental. Am only now getting back on my feet to make a choice to either return to academia or choose a physical work field and I just cant see a road to take me to a ecological centered job. My history and lack of volunteer stuff, extra subjects etc probably excludes me from ever being considered for a job in this part of the field anyway. I think a lot of people must feel disguirished as well. How did you get that non-profit going though? That seems super inspiring and rewarding to have a positive impact!

Keep pushing the messages that need to be heard because it all starts with us.

I've been incredibly lucky to get into a job as a field ecologist/botanist, but for the longest time I had no idea that such a job even existed. I initially went into climate science and environmental law, and was unable to find work in either of those things. I managed to finally get a very low paying job in land conservation, but was able to stick it out until my current job came along, because I had the privilege of some financial support from my parents. I almost gave up multiple times, but I'm grateful I kept going.

All i wanted was to farm. I know so much about botany, mycology and ichthyology there is no reason i should be doing small scale grows with my resources. But turnips don't pay the bills. Not at my scale. I dig what you're talking about.

If you do wanna study ecology in the uk, I recommend UWE Bristol. Just finishing up my degree there and everyone in the dept is passionate and up to date, there are weekly field practicals, yearly weeklong trips and good networking opportunities🙏 I generally resonate with your video but thought it's worth saying that studying it isn't that bad everywhere

I'm super encouraged by the actual rewilding non-profits that are out there, but my guess is they're just a drop in the bucket to what is needed. With big industry's ownership of all major governments we certainly are up against incredible obstacles aren't we? In a world where seemingly every nation-state is full of political Cluster Bs and cowards serving industry Cluster Bs, the problems feel insurmountable. I don't think they are, but it sure feels that way.

Small mention but there are these things called Forest Schools. Often they are in collaboration with Waldorf preschools, but can be separate. Its preschool outside, and the kids do great! Right now its a privilege for only the wealthiest of kids, but it doesn't have to be. Local communities can come together to create these spaces, and work together in a co-op type strategy so the kids can attend for FREE. I know it sounds idealistic, but with enough coordination it can happen.

A class walking around an open space would be

Option 6: Robbin Hood it. Just go and fix things in nature, wisely, without anyones permission or validation because its the right thing to do. The payment is in the healthy future of everyone (human and non-human) Change the culture through your actions. Embarass people for using single use plastics. Shair your knowledge of nature freely to spark, or respark, intrest in people. Demand better and be defiant as hell. Encourage people to change their buisnesses to "bring your own cup/bowl" rather than give out plastic dishes. Hoast free lectures to shair what you have learned about the environment and get people to understand that we are apart of nature, not separate from it. To be punk is to be a rebel. Talking only gets you so far, and no where with people who are complacent with your destruction. Action is what saves the world, not just words. To use an analogy from fabel: We are up against the Sherif of Naughtingham, the Skeksis...Smaug, and Raynard the Fox. Beings who have existed in stories from around the world and who emerge again and again. Beings who have no problem with stealing, lieing, murdering, and tricking their way into power. Beings who always want something for nothing and who will do anything to get it. So we must be as the heroes of these stories and do whatever we can to defeat them. Only the villian, the bully, will say "You can't hurt me, thats immoral. You should act with peace and understanding." while hurting you, and stealing your home.

Something that has eternally bothered me is that when we learn about Nature by trying to experience it, high academics often tell us not to. Yes, it is bad to walk in the woods if you’re going to trample stuff or leave plastic behind, but the idea that we should NEVER interact with nature at all, I think, is a HUGE reason so many people hate or don’t care about it.

Very well said, the sad reality is; because of this disconnect, change is unlikely and the care for wildlife is forever decreasing

I sorta disagree with the premise, its not school but also parents. These days kids arent playing out as much because the parents want them safe and a ps5 is a safer option for the parents. Kids used to find their own fun in nature making and breaking and climbing etc. Now its made for them in 1080p. It doesnt help school isnt more outdoorsy.

A world not being killed. A world being renewed. A world with more wild salmon each year than the year before. A world with more wild humans each year than the year before. - Derrick Jenson, Endgame

When you said about dissection, I hope that no animals were intentionally killed for it and that all of them were ones that had died of natural causes…

I got my bachelors degree in entomology. Only two classes in my entire courseload involved spending any significant time in nature. I concluded as I finished my degree that I wouldn't bother pursuing a masters degree as I had up to that point found the collegiate environment an ineffective setting for learning what actually fascinated me about insects and nature more generally. What I wanted to learn was not mechanistic and reductive. I wanted to be instructed by its beauty. By its being. I want to know what it would mean to become a part of its harmony. How might it transform me? I still don't entirely know how to learn like this, but I get the sense I am on the right path when I spend time quietly walking through nature wantonly wondering at the audacious vivacity all around me.

new subscriber, excellent content. Congratulations for the courage to speak the truth

2:32 Something to be cautious about here. There is almost certainly correlations at play here. Children from lower income families will be less likely to have access to nature experiences, so you might expect a positive correlation love of nature and resources that would make a student perform better as some other subject.

I came here from the Andrewism video and I gotta say, yhis video was great and a good companion to his! Subbed

You've nailed it. "We must re-ensoul the world."