Instinctive Return

During this time, I found myself needing to escape the chaos of this relentless pandemic. The rural dirt roads, the weightless mountain air, the forests and rivers far from any road were the only things that made life feel the same as it was before. The woods, the endless community of trees away from crowded spaces, masks, and phobias you didn’t know you had. Rather than escapism though, I realized that this photo series reminds us not of where to escape to but the where and the how to return to. The necessity of returning to where we belong as humans; to, among, for, and in harmony with nature. We live in a racing world, thinking we’re invincible. And this little pathogen challenged us, made us realize we’re not. And I only worry we’re so conditioned that even some of the deadliest days in American history haven’t shown that we can’t live reactively anymore, placing a bandaid on issues we could’ve halted ourselves, relying on technology so that we can continue toxic habits rather than questioning that broken relationship in the first place. If we slowed down to realize just how much nature is designed to support us and how much we can benefit from interacting closer with our original habitat, we would set aside our techno-optimist solutions and lean on Mother Earth, the biggest solution (the answer?) that has been here the whole time. These here are fellow wild women for Mother Earth, among the few that have caught on. Among the few that wholeheartedly trust her.

Natalie Davey is a photographer, writer, podcaster, and Environmental Studies student at ESF. Being an avid hiker, fly fisherwoman, skier, and advocate for the earth, Natalie’s work is inspired by her lifetime outdoors. After college, she plans to venture out west and weave her interests of small farming, outdoor adventure, traveling, and storytelling into a winding career path.