Nature’s Gifts: Chloe Dalton & Ruby Free
By Stefan Thurston
Can anyone ‘tap into’ nature?
“If I can, anyone can,” thinks Chloe Dalton, foreign policy specialist and writer, in her event with Ruby Free at Wimbledon Bookfest. Rathlin, A Wild Life by Ruby Free, author, campaigner and biologist, and Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton, are both autobiographical accounts of their experiences with nature. Rathlin is an emotional call to action to its readers about the value we should place on nature, and Raising Hare stresses the importance of our relationships with nature, shedding light on wider issues within the world and humanity’s way of treating it.
Throughout the talk, both authors engaged their audiences with their own captivating, individual experiences, emphasising the importance of connecting with nature. Clearly inspired, visibly moved, and compelled to know more, the audience were full of questions including “What did you learn about yourself?” to Chloe Dalton, in which she replied that she learnt how to walk within the world, and find her own voice.
Another member of the audience asked about how we can link nature to life, in which Ruby Free replied in a heartfelt way by saying we can view nature less economically, providing the example of whales, which are farmed for profit. These two (of many) questions emphasise the impact both authors had on the audience, reminding us that we are the ones living in mother nature’s world, not the other way around. The talk was an inspirational, compelling call to action, which opened up our eyes towards the beauty of nature, and the impact humans have on it, reminding us that the world isn’t ours to ruin and destroy.
