Last night, just before sitting down to write a blog post about pre-workout fueling strategies, I happened to read an article in a great magazine called Adventure Journal. The article covered a topic near and dear to me: the diminishing care of our public lands under the Trump Administration.
The majority of the Nation’s public lands are in western states and are managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). I grew up in Boston, so the concept of public lands was new to me when I moved out West for college. As defined and explained by the nonprofit group Protect Your Public Lands: “The American public owns all federal public lands, including National Parks, National Forests, Wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers, and wildlife preserves. Every American has a personal stake and a guaranteed say in how these places are cared for. And all Americans have the right to experience and enjoy these places.” That’s how it is supposed to be, but our public lands are more at risk now than perhaps ever in history. I felt a profound sadness as I read how the Trump Administration first reduced the size of the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah and now has softened regulations protecting public lands from fossil fuel extraction, livestock grazing and motorized recreation, not to mention uranium mining! My heart broke as I saw the pictures of places more beautiful than the human imagination could never dream up, places I have had the fortune of exploring, natural wonders and sacred land to numerous Tribal Nations, currently under attack. Trump is the first and only president to ever reduce the size of an already declared National Monument. In other words, “protected” isn’t actually protected. I am a wellness coach because I believe strongly that we can improve individual and collective health through living in alignment with nature and eating nutritious foods. However, as I contemplated what to write for my post on pre-workout nutrition, I couldn’t get the degradation of our public lands out of my mind. Many of us, myself included, spend an exorbitant amount of energy and money exercising, managing our nutrition, and striving to build “better” bodies. But who cares what we eat before we exercise if there are no more wild lands to protect and explore? We can’t even begin to worry about nutrition if we don’t have healthy soil, clean water and clean air. The timing of reading this article when I was just about to write my own presented a personal conflict. Am I really making a difference? Is there a way to inspire others to embrace and care for planetary health as much as personal health? They are, after all, inextricably linked. I am realizing more and more that my purpose as a health and wellness practitioner is to help people live more in alignment with, and in protection of, Nature. And in doing so, achieve improved health, mental and physical performance, and happiness. I encourage you to reflect and consider what really matters. Sure, good nutrition does matter. And food sourcing is a huge part of why it matters. But we need to put time, energy, money and our voice into protecting wild lands (especially public lands), clean air and water, and sustainable farming practices such as no-till farming so we can continue to have the luxury of choosing what we consume. Sometimes “advocating or acting” seems overwhelming. Here is my suggestion: today donate — at a minimum — the amount you’d spend on getting coffee out or that green juice, to an organization structured around protecting sacred and wild lands. Donating is a great way to support others in protecting the things that you value, the things that matter most. Consider donating to an organization of your choice that is actually doing something to help protect America’s lands and the planet. Sign this petition: https://www.protectourpublicland.org/petition https://www.adventure-journal.com/2019/09/land-removed-from-utah-national-monuments-open-for-mining-and-drilling **Photos from my magical trip to Bears Ears, October 2018.
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