Its only quite recently, historically speaking, that humans have developed the technology to drastically change the environment around us. For the absolute majority of our evolution we lived in scenes that we only find in national parks now. This is especially poignant in regards to indigenous people the world over. These cultures spent longer within wilderness environments and the transformation for them was abrupt rather than gradual.

I know for me I've always found solace in the native forests, and I find the lack of big old trees depressing as fuck. I often go for drives to where there are remnants, its the only place I feel true relaxation, like the fuzz goes away from my mind. I feel it wash over my body as a physical sensation. Ive never felt this feeling from exotic trees and forest, only the native does it for me. My eyes relax into it. And then I come back home and stress about the maunga and the way they have been left in tatters. I get tears in my eyes when I look at them, I try to ignore them and only look at the untouched parts if I do. It bothers me, it hurts like if you saw your brother in pain, like if you saw someone you loved after they had been imprisoned and malnourished. I think its a shame that our society has abandoned the feeling of knowing land and being part of it psychologically, left it in the past like an outdated belief and turned on it as if it is the ignorant understanding of an obsolete people. You have to have roots, not just towns and people but land that you are intertwined with and feel respect for. Without it something will always be missing