Life Lessons from Darwin

The great observer of nature, Charles Darwin, marks his 200th birthday February 12, 2009, now known as “Darwin Day”. His bicentennial will be celebrated around the world (see below to find out what's happening in your community), and environmentalists have good reason to join the party. While environmentalism  was still more than a few decades away when Darwin published his landmark treatise, The Origin of Species, 150 years ago, his legacy is profound—not just for science, but also for sustainability. The life of one of the greatest naturalists of all time offers many lessons on the environment. Here are just a few.

Lesson #1: Never give up

In Darwin’s time, the popular belief held by scientists, theologians, and high-ranking members of parliament was that species were divinely created and never changed. In other words, they were immutable. To knock such a firmly held belief off its pedestal, Darwin needed a solid reputation, an army of facts, and a very strong stomach. (Their issues may be different, but these three ingredients also arguably underlie the modern-day success of Al Gore and the film An Inconvenient Truth.)

Before Darwin published The Origin of Species in 1859, only radicals with dubious facts and agendas had suggested that species could evolve. No serious scientific investigation had ever been launched. So, when Darwin, a respected man who spent years aboard the HMS Beagle observing the natural world and amassing evidence of natural selection, published his theories, science took notice. To be more accurate, his ideas sent an unparalleled shock through the scientific establishment and whole of society. In fact, reaction was so swift and fierce that Darwin spent the subsequent decades ceaselessly defending himself to his opponents.

Environmentalists and climate change crusaders can surely sympathize with Darwin’s stomach-heaving stress, the disregard for scientific evidence he faced, as well as the sluggish pace at which his revolutionary ideas gained acceptance. But, they should also remember that Darwin won. He won because he was able to back his theories with nearly incontrovertible facts, because he was a good communicator, and because he was relentless in his pursuit of truth.

Lesson #2: Walkabout

After spending years aboard the HMS Beagle, Darwin was only too happy to return to England and settle down on his quiet countryside estate. And, while he was not much of a naturalist on home soil, preferring instead to spend hours thinking and writing about the theory of evolution, Darwin did enjoy a ritual walk around his property every day at noon.

“The Sandwalk,” as it became known, was a short gravel path around a narrow piece of land that took him past trees, hedges and fields. Darwin greatly valued it, even referring to it as his “thinking path.” His daily amble both gave him a chance to get some exercise and to reconnect with nature.

Like Darwin, many modern-day environmentalists are working tirelessly on grand projects with significant political, economic and environmental implications. However, making time each day, as Darwin did, to remember what's worth fighting for could actually make key messages clearer and more powerful (not to mention help revive the  totally renewable, sustainable mode of transportation: walking).

Lesson #3: Network, network, network

After returning from his voyage, Darwin spent several years in London. However, as soon as possible, he moved his family to a small estate a couple hours by carriage southeast of the metropolis.

Despite London's proximity, Darwin's poor health, naturally introverted disposition, and  his then-secret work on the theory of evolution kept his trips to the city infrequent. Yet, Darwin was far from secluded. He had a penchant for writing letters that kept him in the scientific loop.

Modern telecommunications may have replaced plume and paper, but the message remains the same: Connect. Find people or organizations that share your passion for the environment. This will broaden your knowledge, help you find solutions, expand your pool of resources, and even assist an issue in reaching the critical tipping point.

And don’t just write off the letter as a strategy for change. In today's virtual world, offering something tangible can have a profound impact.

Better Than a Birthday Cake

Today, many of the habitats and species that inspired Darwin and his theory of evolution are threatened by man-made problems, including deforestation, urban sprawl, and of course climate change. Helping to preserve the very biodiversity the world’s greatest naturalist described, just might be the best birthday present you can give him.

Join in efforts to catalogue and preserve thousands of understudied species through collaborative online projects such as the Encyclopedia of Life. Or, join or donate to one of the dozens of conservation groups that are working to protect species and their habitats through education and wildlife management.

From Victoria, B.C. to St. John's, Nfld., there's a Darwin Day event near you. Find it here.