Modern cultures teach that the forest is scary and that Nature is in fact something to battle against, but the truth is you are an animal, and you come from the same space dust and evolutionary path that all living things have come from. The forest is only as scary as you let your mind believe. The moment I stopped looking at the forest as a desolate place of monsters and mysteries, it became part of me, and now there is no finer place to find peace and to connect spiritually. It’s no wonder why so many people feel lost and depressed, because we’ve been separating ourselves from Nature for so long. The key is to immerse yourself in it, take your shoes off and plant your feet flat onto the soft earth and dangle them in a stream. Sit still and breathe the fresh air. Let your mind settle and simply listen to the voices of our ancestors, and to what mother earth has to say to you.

Long ago, I turned away from the corporate rat race, said goodbye to toxic family, and set out on a journey of self discovery. I grew up feeling lost and like I didn’t belong. My journey along the green path saved my life. Now it matters to me what I put in my body, and I use medicinal herbs to heal myself and others. I work to conserve, protect and educate, because if you feel what I’ve felt, and see what I’ve seen, then you’d know how fucking amazing the natural world is. You’d realize this is the only planet we have, and that we’d all be doomed if a single pollinator species, like the bee, were to die off. That’s why I’ve worked for years to save up money to buy previously deforested land and to protect it, allowing it to grow wild and untamed. That’s why I dedicated an acre of abused land and planted over 30,000,000 wildflower seeds to support the local pollinators. And why I’m planning to develop an endangered medicinal plant sanctuary and educational center. The green path has given me everything I needed, and so much more. From an understanding of where I came from to who I am now, and a deep focus of who I am to become. I’m no longer deeply sad and confused about who I am and what I should be doing with my life. I’ve been gifted with the purpose and responsibility to inspire, conserve and educate.

“Only when the last tree has been cut down, the last fish been caught, and the last stream poisoned, will we realize we cannot eat money.” –Cree Indian Prophecy