Natural Connection
A truly original journey to the root of our collective problems that offers new hope for how to solve them. Reading it is a balm. ― Afua Hirsch
Urgent, profound and compassionate... Natural Connection brings us to imagine our relations with nature otherwise. Wisely, patiently, it opens and holds space in which radically rooted change might flourish. ― Robert Macfarlane
Joycelyn Longdon is an urgent and desperately needed new voice. This is a wonderful book. ― Katherine May
Joycelyn Longdon's Natural Connection asks us to rededicate ourselves to the fight against climate change, and to understand environmental action in its proper, global context. Her fascinating case studies and thought-provoking interviews challenge us to look at climate change anew, and come back to the fight reenergised. ― Cal Flyn
Wise and honest, Natural Connection reminds us of the vital truth of environmental breakdown – that biodiversity loss and the climate emergency are intimately tied to colonialism and capitalism. Yet the book does so much more, too. It guides us into ways of being that offer hope and healing. ― James Canton
Natural Connection…[is] far-reaching, ambitious and deliberately open-ended… [Longdon’s] willingness to see through boundaries is deeply refreshing ― Resurgence & Ecologist
NATURAL CONNECTION is a love letter to the living world and the frontline communities who have, and continue to pave the way for today's environmental movement in spite of traumatic pasts and presents. It is also an offering to anyone craving deeper relationships with the Earth and others amidst the intersecting ecological, climate and social crises.
In the book, I present six key alternative roots necessary to cultivate a natural connection between ourselves and the living world: RAGE, IMAGINATION, INNOVATION, THEORY, HEALING and CARE. These roots represent practices, teachings and considerations for environmental action inspired by the legacies and ongoing resistance of marginalised communities.
Through the stories, lessons and reflections in these pages, I hope to leave you as transformed as I have been by the histories that precede us, to find a new and grounded view of your relation to the world, and the power you have to reshape it. My hope is that you will take these stories, inhale them, be moved, enraged, excited and energised by them, and let them help you nurture a natural connection with the world.