Nathan Irons
Nathan Irons is a founding member of 1% For The Planet and the founder of Bluestone Life, a national insurance organization promoting change by inspiring people to align their values with their finances. Nathan was born and raised in Vermont. He served in the US Navy, is an avid reader and has a deep appreciation for how integrating family, community, and planetary health into decision-making can dramatically improve a family’s quality of life, and their positive impact. He has a long history of entrepreneurial activity in the financial services industry, and has increasingly gravitated toward business ideas and concepts that initiate systems change. Nathan lives in Vermont with his wife and daughter.
3 words to describe Nature?
Beautiful. Solemn. Interconnected
3 things Nature taught you?
Gratitude
Respect
Empathy
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Kauai
Vermont
Forests
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Awe
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Alive and respectful
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Grounded
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Peaceful & Grateful
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Depth and power
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Like going outside
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mountainous Forest
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Spending an entire day playing with rocks in a Vermont brook that ran through a forest where tree roots reached into the water and I could smell the evergreens.
Megan Harrison
MEGAN HARRISON is an artist who works in a variety of media and exhibits her work nationally. Most recently she was included in the exhibition Geomagic at NMSU, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. Her artwork depends on images and insights from geology, architecture, astronomy and Nature. She explores the complexity of the world around her wherever she is. Watch the video, the Complexity of Scale, made by Walley Films.
3 words to describe Nature?
Compounding complexity
Transformative
Penetrating
3 things Nature taught you?
You don’t have to be lucky enough to travel to exotic places to interact with Nature. Nature is a constant and creative force that pushes itself into every aspect of our world, from the remote and distant wilderness to cracks in the sidewalk.
No matter how big, the drama and story of our individual life pales in comparison to the scale, history and complexity of the world that we belong to.
We are shaped, physically and psychology, by natural forces. Our neurological landscape mirrors that of our physical one, complete with domesticated centers, rural outposts and untouched wilderness.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Rocky Mountains of Colorado, where I grew up.
The North-East coast of the United Stated and into Canada. Instead of sandy beaches you will find huge slabs of ancient granite facing off against a dynamic and pristine ocean.
The wilderness of northern Minnesota (minus the mosquitos). Through all of the water channels and tiny islands you can go and go and go until it feels like you are a million miles away.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Salt water, sun kissed, wind-blown - when I look at the ocean I can sense for a brief moment the scale of the planet we live on.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
I feel like I could spend all day there, listening to the sound of my steps, watching the light through the trees, finding a spot have a snack. I am so at home there.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
When I see a volcano, it feels like all of my Earth Science textbooks have come to life. I can imagine the Earth’s crust, the lithosphere, the mantle and all of the tectonic plates bobbing around.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Seeing the sunset is an experience that usually comes to you. You are moving through your day and look up, and there it is.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
After a flash of lightning, the feeling of anticipation, waiting for that thunder to follow, is so satisfying.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Cozy and happy to have a good roof over my head.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Today I feel like a Forest person.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
A 10. In fact, just thinking about nature has positive effects; the idea of wilderness shapes such a large part of the human psyche.
Share with us a childhood nature memory
My dad took me on a short camping trip when I was 7 or 8. It was the first time I experienced hiking into a natural space with a pack as opposed to camping next to a car. It felt like we walked for a very long time, though it was probably less than a mile. It was just far enough to feel really surrounded by the landscape. I remember green everywhere, cold mornings, and the smell of the tent. I was amazed watching my dad; he knew all sorts of tricks - how to set up a tent, start a fire, hook a fishing line, cook outside, brush your teeth and clean dishes without running water. I would love to go find that spot again. I am curious to see how my memory has interpreted that space.
Connor Beaton
CONNOR BEATON is the founder of ManTalks, an international organization focused on mens health, wellness, success and fulfillment. Connor is an international speaker, podcast host, Business Coach and lifestyle entrepreneur. Before founding ManTalks, Connor worked with Apple leading high performance sales and operations teams. Since founding ManTalks, Connor has spoken on stage at TEDx, taken ManTalks to over a dozen cities internationally and has been featured on platforms like HeForShe, The Good Men Project, UN Women, CBC, CNN, the National Post and more.
3 words to describe Nature?
Breathtaking, God, understanding.
3 things Nature taught you?
Resiliency, humility and the ability to be in the present.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The cliffs and beaches on the Amalfi coast in Italy, Camping at lake Garibaldi in BC & Secret Beach in Kauai, Hawaii
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?
Connected to myself, calm and at peace.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
Strength and comfort simultaneously.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
Powerful and in awe
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Humbled by life existence.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?
Somehow always surprised and reminded of how small we are.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Connected to everything
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Forest & ocean. I can’t choose just one. My favourite place to be is facing the forest with the ocean sounds at my back.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
9