Manta rays are beautiful and majestic animals that have a life-changing effect on people who meet them. I want to protect them so humans can experience their transformational power for generations to come! My goal is to inspire people so they take action to protect the mantas' ecosystem and oceans all around the world.
Rethinking our place in nature: Ocean Wings episode with Rowan Daugherty
|
During the briefing before we take guests to meet manta rays in the ocean, we'd often explain how the manta rays aren't there to perform for us - they're just living their lives, and we're lucky to witness it. Last April during that briefing, one of the guests lit up: "I just wrote a paper about this." The guest was called Rowan Daugherty, and her paper "Putting the Phone Down: the Negative Impact of Technology on Nature". It explores something I've been trying to communicate for years: the disconnect that happens when we expect nature to give us an "experience" instead of just being present for what unfolds. In this week's episode, Rowan and I dive deeper into that conversation. She's an undergraduate honors student studying political science and environmental ethics, and her perspective on how we relate to the natural world is refreshingly grounded. We talk about topics like how technology creates barriers to real connection and the difference between egocentric thinking (putting ourselves at the center) and ecocentric thinking (recognizing we're part of something larger). It's a conversation about letting go of expectations, experiencing nature on its own terms, and what Aldo Leopold's "land ethic" teaches us about our relationship with the world around us.
If you've ever caught yourself reaching for your phone instead of just being present in a beautiful moment, this conversation will resonate.
|
Martina Wing
Manta rays are beautiful and majestic animals that have a life-changing effect on people who meet them. I want to protect them so humans can experience their transformational power for generations to come! My goal is to inspire people so they take action to protect the mantas' ecosystem and oceans all around the world.
Aloha Reader, Chris Gorman lives in Nebraska - America's most landlocked state. So when he and his wife travel to the ocean, they make it count. Chris does what he calls "serial research" - diving into reviews, looking for operators who align with their values, and planning experiences that will stick with them long after they get home. In this week's episode, Chris shares how he chooses responsible travel experiences, why he looks beyond star ratings when reading reviews, and what made their...
Aloha Reader, I often wonder and sometimes get frustrated about laws that are supposed to protect the natural world and its inhabitants. Why does environmental legislation (like the regulation of manta ray tourism) take so long to implement, even when there's overwhelming public support for it? In this episode of the Ocean Wings podcast, I sat down with Hawaii State Representative Nicole Lowen to talk about what happens behind the scenes. She chairs the Energy and Environmental Protection...
Aloha Reader, So many kids say they want to work with animals when they grow up, but most end up doing something completely different. Our newest crew member, Ashley Jacob, didn't. At 12, she watched a movie about a dolphin with a prosthetic tail and decided she wanted to work with marine life in rescue and rehabilitation. Today, she's a swim guide at Manta Ray Advocates while finishing her master's thesis and training students in California to continue the elephant seal research she began....