Episode 6 – Full Transcript
Today we want to talk about nature as it pertains to nurses
Michelle: Hey, everyone. My name is Michelle.
Lindsay: And I’m Lindsey, and you’re listening to nurse verse.
Michelle: Hey, guys. So today we want to talk about nature, and nature specifically as it pertains to our health and well being as nurses.
We’ve noticed that in modern medicine there is very little incorporation of nature
We’ve noticed that in modern medicine, there is very little incorporation of nature in any care for our patients. And, we feel that we have gotten to a point in society where there’s this view that us, as human beings, we are separate from nature, or we are different from nature. And we just want to bring the conversation back around, to acknowledge the fact that we are nothing separate from nature. We are very much nature. We are nature. We are a part of nature. And nature is medicine just as much as food can be medicine, just as much as anything else can be medicine. And so that’s our focus for today, is bringing nature back into the conversation around health. And, it’s important and just a warning. I know some of the stuff that I might say today maybe controversial, and I just want people to hear me out with what I have to say, because I feel we’ve all been conditioned to fear certain aspects of nature or to feel that certain things in nature are a danger to us or a hazard to us. when I completely disagree with that, I think that they are crucial for our health and for our well being as human beings. And so brief topics, brief topics that we’ll go over in regards to nature.
Today are oxygen, sunlight, and animals. So nature’s a big topic. It’s a broad topic, but we do want to break it
Lindsay: Today are oxygen, sunlight, and animals.
Michelle: Yes. So nature’s a big topic. It’s a broad topic, but we do want to break it down, into simple aspects that are going to be practical and easy for people to implement into their lives that will have a large and meaningful impact on their health and well being. And these are things that we have done, we have incorporated in our lives that have made a huge impact, and we want to share that with you guys.
Lindsay: Yeah. And we just want to help you guys be more present and find the joy in every moment, if you can.
Michelle: Yes, yes. bringing further attention to the simple things, a lot of our solutions. We want to acknowledge our simple solutions. And with technology and modern medicine, it’s incredible what we are capable of. We are truly incredible. Like we used to say in the hospital, like, we can keep a rock alive, like, with the technology nowadays. And I think because of that, we have overcomplicated things to an extreme and have gone so far from the simple things that truly, genuinely work in maintaining our health and well being. and this is not to undermine the necessity of modern medicine, especially in acute care and acute medicine. I know that, you know, obviously getting sunlight is not going to, fix your, your broken bone immediately. That needs to be, like, pieced back together in the or. So don’t mistake me there. I just want to bring more of the simple things back into the conversation around health and around medicine, and, do so in a simplified way to help people who have become so overwhelmed with all of the information, that’s out there and the general sensory overload that is almost now inhibiting people from taking action around their health.
We want to break it down into three simple topics that people can implement
We want to break it down into three simple topics that we think are easily attainable and practical for people to implement into their life. I mean, like, one being here, I.
Lindsay: Did not pay her to do this right now. This is amazing.
Michelle: This was done completely naturally.
Lindsay: Yeah. If you can’t see this, my cat is in my lap.
Michelle: Yes. For those who are listening and not.
Lindsay: Watching, she’s usually in the basket under the table that’s holding our mics, but she’s literally on my lap, and it’s so sweet.
Michelle: She read the show notes and she was like, oh, this is probably appropriate for me to now join.
Lindsay: Yeah.
Oxygen is produced by trees and plants, and when outdoors it’s fresh
But we’re gonna be starting to talk about oxygen. so just to kickstart our topics. So oxygen is produced by trees and plants, and a lot of the time, we’re, spending our time indoors, and the air that we’re breathing indoors, it’s fine air. It’s perfectly fine. But the saying, like, let’s go get some fresh air, there’s so much to be said in that full statement.
Michelle: It’s really legitimate.
Lindsay: Yeah. Because when you go outside, you’re surrounded by trees and they’re producing oxygen, and it’s way more fresh and not breathing stale air. Yeah, you’re nothing. You’re not breathing like h vac air.
Michelle: But you’re breathing more balanced air.
Lindsay: More balanced air. I mean, if you’re also standing outside in a city, then there’s. Yeah, then that’s a different story. But there’s more variables. Yeah, there are variables, but if you go outside and you’re surrounded by trees and plants and greenery, it’s way more fresh than the indoor air that you’re breathing. And then if you’re a always indoors, why not bring in some plants that can help detox the air that you’re breathing and also just add something fun and colorful.
Michelle: Colorful, lively.
Lindsay: Actually, we’re doing that in our office right now.
Michelle: You’re bringing in plants?
Lindsay: Yeah.
Michelle: Oh, my gosh. That’s awesome.
Lindsay: Yeah. A few of us, we have an avocado tree in our office right now.
Michelle: Nice. Nice.
Lindsay: Yeah. So we’re bringing life indoors, you know. Yeah, it’s awesome.
Michelle: Yeah. Just go online and research some of like, the best oxygen producing plants, I think, like snake plant is one of the top ones and it’s super popular and very durable. A snake plant is so hard to kill. So if you don’t have a green thumb, start off with one of those. They’re really cool looking. Very pretty. it’s just like a nice way to bring in some, nature inside if you have to spend a so much time indoors for your job or whatever it might be. or even just like taking breaks. Taking breaks to go outside and literally catch some fresh air.
Lindsay: Yeah, catch it. Cause it’s gonna go away or you only have a few minutes. You gotta go out there and catch it. Grab it. All right.
Michelle: On that dad joke, we’re m gonna switch over to sunlight.
Driver talks about the importance of sunlight and circadian rhythm
and this is the one that I am very passionate about and might be a bit controversial, but hot topic.
Lindsay: A hot topic.
Michelle: You’re on a roll with these dad jokes today. but, one of those things being that the medical community has completely made us fear the sun and that, the sun is dangerous and you’re gonna die of skin cancer if you spend too much time outside and this is. Okay. Personal opinion. Personal opinion. I believe very strongly that that is complete garbage. Like, we are, we are part of nature. We are not separate from nature. The sun is essential for not only just our planet to survive, for our environment to survive and function. It is also essential for us to function as human beings. Sorry, monster is scratching and jingling her collar right now.
Lindsay: Jingle bells. She’s also being like, trigger warning for anybody. If they want to fast forward, you can.
Michelle: I very strongly believe that we need to incorporate sunlight into our schedules, into our daily routine. and just a couple of things that I want to highlight. I know I’ve already talked about morning sunlight viewing, but I want to talk about the importance of sunlight and circadian rhythm and also just sunlight exposure through your eyes and on your skin. First off, sunlight in our circadian rhythm. I know I’ve mentioned this a bunch of times already with morning sunlight viewing, but, to go a little bit more into detail, not only is it important for our wake and sleep cycle to basically communicating with our bodies when we should be awake and when we should be sleeping, but regular sunlight exposure and frequent sunlight exposure throughout the day is also extremely impactful. On our mood regulation and energy levels. A lot of times, in order for this to happen, we have to have that actual exposure to the sunlight. So if you’re wearing glasses, contacts, sunglasses, you’re behind a window, you’re not actually going to absorb that light into your eyes as you would, just a naked eyeball to the sun. And again, I’m not saying to look directly into the sunlight. I just mean being outside and your eyes are being exposed to indirect sunlight, so to speak. So the light coming off of the sun throughout the day, the wavelengths are changing. The different colors of light that are coming out of the sun are changing as the sun is getting higher in the sky and then as it sets as well. And those different wavelengths of color are being absorbed through our eyeballs and sending messages to our brain, communicating with us what time of day it is, whether or not our bodies should start producing more melanin, helps our bodies produce more vitamin D, etcetera. So just having that open communication is super important for just our general functioning. And, I know, especially when we moved to south Florida, we were wearing sunglasses all the time. I was always wearing, like, fishing, hardcore heavy duty sunglasses. And so this was a big change for me. This was a big adjustment. And I know a lot of people, if you have too much, bright, direct sunlight, it can be harmful to your eyes. So you have to do this carefully and safely. And for us, I very gradually weaned myself off of the sunglasses. So I went from wearing sunglasses twenty four seven. I was basically, like, they were hanging from my neck at all times to, I would gradually take them off for periods of five to ten minutes and then let that amount of time increase day after day after day. And it happened pretty quickly for me where at first I take my sunglasses off and I’m like, oh, my gosh, it’s so bright. Like, I’m gonna get a headache, I’m squinting, I can’t see. but the only reason that was happening was because I wore sunglasses all the time and my eyes had, like, very minimal exposure to true sunlight. And so as I started to take the sunglasses off, I would also use a hat. I’d wear a hat all the time just to, like, give my eyes a little bit of reprieve, let me slowly adjust, get, like, a little bit more indirect sunlight. And very, very quickly, I noticed I would go outside and my eyes are lessen bothered by the brightness and less bothered by the brightness, to the point where now I don’t even think about it. We, I can’t remember the last time I wore sunglasses.
Lindsay: Yeah, me either.
Michelle: and I know that in certain circumstances, it is important to have sunglasses. So, like, if you are a truck driver and you’re driving a lot and there’s a lot of glare in your eyes, or if you’re a fisherman and there’s glare coming off of the water, there are certain reasons why we would want to wear sunglasses. So I don’t mean to completely, you know, get rid of sunglasses. But for us, just as average people going out and getting sunlight exposure, we want that sunlight coming into our eyes. And so we want our eyes to be adjusted to the brightness or to the degree of sunlight that we’re experiencing here in south Florida. And I have to say, I used to have headaches from being in the sun without sunglasses and from squinting all the time. Since I’ve not been wearing sunglasses, I have not had any headaches. I don’t. I might squint maybe every once in a while, but it’s not a constant thing. I’m not bothered at all by sunlight. I’ve, my eyes have truly adjusted and I don’t know if you feel the same way too, about not wearing less.
Lindsay: So, like, I’m always, when I come out of like, the office and I go outside, it’s gonna be a harsh adjustment, but after like a second, like, it’s fine.
Michelle: Yeah, yeah. Just from like, what your eyes were.
Lindsay: used to transitioning from.
Michelle: Yeah. Ah, yeah. And also going from looking at screens, looking at computer screens, to being outside in actual sunlight, using different shades as well can help with that adjustment. Of course, you know, do it at your own pace and at your own speed if this is something that you, would choose to do. And also in the show notes, I’m going to put more references to different podcasts and, research articles. And a lot of it is from, doctor Jack Cruz and Andrew Huberman. And, they do great podcasts and, provide incredible resources on sunlight in general and safe sunlight exposure. So I will add that in there if somebody’s interested in going a little bit deeper. But I’m going to try to stay super because I’m not trying to make it complicated. I’m trying to make it as practical as possible.
Sunscreen is blocking your skin from absorbing so much of the benefits of sunlight
and then also some light in your skin. this is another controversial thing, another hot topic. Hot topic, coming into, trigger warning. Trigger warning. I do not believe in sunscreen. I am not a fan of sunscreen. Well, I should say I am not a fan of inorganic sunscreens.
Lindsay: Conventional sunscreens.
Michelle: Thank you. Thank you. I am not a fan of conventional sunscreens. Our conventional sunscreens, I mean, like your regular, average, like neutrogena.
Lindsay: Ah. Even name brand sun. Yeah, name brand, whatever, store.
Michelle: Most of these sunscreens, first of all, have incredible amounts of chemicals in them. and not only are damaging to your skin skin, but also extremely damaging to the environment, specifically the ocean. And, just for example, have you ever had sunscreen on your body? And you get into your hot car and some of that sunscreen comes off of your skin, rubs off your skin, and rubs onto the leather seat, and then you leave your car, but the sun continues to beam down on that leather seat. And when you come back and that sunscreen has dried, you can now see that the sunscreen has actually bleached the color out of the seat.
Lindsay: You’re talking about my car, aren’t you?
Michelle: I am talking about your car. It is your passenger seat. The outside cushion. It was probably my right thigh that was sitting there with some sunscreen on back when we first got that car.
Lindsay: Yeah.
Michelle: so this is just one little example. If that sunscreen is capable of bleaching the color out of a leather seat, what is it doing to your skin while you have that on? Baking in the sun. I mean, this is just me, my personal opinion, and that, is one of many. But. But the more important thing that I want to discuss is that sunscreen is blocking your skin from absorbing so much of the benefits of sunlight. Your skin needs to be exposed to sunlight in order for a lot of normal, biological processes to occur. And so, just like our eyeballs need to be exposed to the sunlight in order to communicate to our brains to say, hey, the sun is really bright right now. I need to start producing melanin so that I can protect your skin from getting burned. We need to have our, you know, we need to not be wearing sunglasses in order for that to happen. We need to have, exposure to the sunlight, but also we need to allow that exposure to happen. We need to allow our skin, skin to be exposed to the sun in order for us to actually obtain so many of these amazing benefits from sunlight and melanin. Just having melanin in your skin is so protective not only of protecting your skin from being burned, but also protecting your skin from skin cancers, but also protective of your immune system as well. We need the sun in order to produce vitamin D internally in order for our bodies to produce vitamin D. And so that, I think, is a, big red flag in the fact that in the United States and a good portion of the world right now, so many people are extremely vitamin D deficient. And if you think about it, it’s no coincidence that everybody is lathering up in sunscreen, wearing sunglasses, hiding from the sun. And we also happen to be extremely deficient in vitamin D. Like, hello.
Lindsay: Yeah, people are operating on dangerous levels of vitamin D. It’s so crucial to incorporate that in your daily, like, routine, if you can, 100%.
Michelle: And vitamin D is so necessary for a lot of different biological functions in the body that you could go on for days. And again, I will add different, other podcasts and resources in the show notes if people do want to dive deeper. But I feel so strongly about this because it is so impactful for us, and it’s free. It’s simple. It’s a simple behavior change, and it’s so easy, and I’ve seen such a massive impact in my own health and well being because of it. And I don’t know if I can say the same for you.
Lindsay: Yeah. when we get that vitamin D naturally.
Michelle: Yeah, yeah, exactly. Like, don’t take the supplement when you can go outside and get it for free. Well, I mean, there’s. There’s other variables to take into consideration, too, on your body’s ability to produce vitamin D. This is just one aspect that we’re going into. but it is very, impactful.
Lifeguard recommends gradual sun exposure to prevent sunburns
And so, so I know a lot of people are gonna be like, well, how am I supposed to, like, go without sunscreen and sunglasses? And this is crazy. I’m gonna get burnt, and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And a lot of times, people get sunburned because you don’t expose yourself to the sun. You know, everybody’s like, you need that base layer when you first start your summer. You know, you get your base layer of tan, and then it’s you. You are less likely to burn after that. That’s because the melanin in your skin is protecting you. Like, you need that melanin, but you also need your body to give your body time to produce that melanin. So you want to do gradual sun exposure. So, like, for us, I want to preface, I’m not encouraging people to go outside and get burnt and to have, unsafe sun exposure. There is a good way to go about doing it and not harm your skin or cause any damage, and you can do that through gradual sun exposure. And so, also, keeping in mind where you live, like, we live in south Florida, it’s very hot. The sun is very strong versus somebody, that lives up north. The sun’s less strong. and also uv index for the day are some things to keep in mind. And also your skin tone. do you have a more olive skin tone? Are you very fair? Your ethnicity will play a big role in how you respond to the sun in general. and then also there are better times to go outside and get sun exposure for, example, 07:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. in the morning and after 04:00 p.m. at night. And all you have to do is just start off with 1015 minutes. Go outside the first day for ten minutes. Just get ten minutes sun exposure, nothing on your skin. and then see how you respond to that. Okay, are you good? You’re not getting burnt. And now gradually, over time, and as your schedule allows for it, see if you can extend that time. And try to extend that time in the 07:00 a.m. m to 10:00 a.m. and after 04:00 p.m. timeframes first build up that melanin in your skin, and then you could be a little bit more bold. Or if you are olive skin and you do tan really easily, then the afternoon time, you can, spend more time outside. Like, for example, now I can. We’re well into summer. I have plenty of sun exposure. And a lot of times I’ll go for a run in the middle of the afternoon at noon, 01:00 which is probably the sun is at its strongest. And I’m completely fine. I don’t need to put anything else on. and I, don’t burn because I done my gradual sun, I’ve built up my skin to be able to tolerate the sun at certain times of day and for certain durations of time. but if this is not within your ability as well, then I am a big fan of just organic or natural mineral based sunscreens. Zinc. of course, it’s hard to tell what companies are being honest. That’s all that’s within their sunscreen, and there isn’t other stuff. But just do the best you can and try to find sunscreen. We have one that is what is just zinc.
Lindsay: It’s just zinc.
Michelle: Just zinc. Zinc. Or mineral based. sunscreen. Natural versions of sunscreen, and a lot of them, too, will also put, safe for the environment as well, which is super important because due to if you have a lot of sunscreen on your body and now you’re going into the water, that sunscreen is coming off of your body and going into the water. We’re seeing that reflected in the bleaching of our coral reefs. And I mean, there’s a lot of things going in the ocean right now that are causing a lot of damage. But if we can prevent one little thing, then, that will make a difference, then why not, also wearing hats? There are awesome lifeguard, hats out there that have, like, underneath the, they’re like those big, what do you call them?
Lindsay: It’s almost like a woven basket looking hat.
Michelle: Yeah.
Lindsay: Or like a lifeguard. Lifeguard hat. Lifeguard.
Michelle: I don’t know what, like, another word is for that.
Lindsay: Like, under the brim, there’s like a cool pattern.
Michelle: Yeah. And usually that fabric is uv protective. So let’s say, like, I know if we’re gonna go paddle boarding and we know we’re going to be on the water for a long time, and, and during the day, if it’s later in the afternoon, we’ll bring the appropriate attire, so that our skin can manage the amount of sunlight that we’re getting. So the, the lifeguard hats are great because they not only cover your face, but they also coat, cover your shoulders as well. and then there’s tons of, like, uv protective long sleeve shirts. Like a lot of fishing attire, or paddle boarding attire has, or dry fit water water gear has that built in. And then also a lot of times if we go to the beach in the middle of the afternoon, or we know we’re going to spend hours at the beach, we’ll always bring an umbrella and we’ll take, you know, we’ll see how our skin is doing. Like, I’ll pull my chair out of, from underneath the umbrella and get some sunlight. And then you’ll feel it. Like you start to, you start to notice how much your body can tolerate, how much your skin can tolerate. And then it’s like when your skin needs a break, go on the shade. Go underneath the shade. And if you are somebody that is extremely fair skin and you burn under an umbrella, then you are going to need a very long, slow, gradual sun exposure.
Moving from Washington, DC to south Florida changed our perspective on nature
Lindsay: And lastly, we’re going to be talking about animals. So we are huge animal lovers, as you can tell. I love this cat so much. She’s on my lap. I’ve got oatly right in front of me. You can’t see him, but he’s really cute and he’s being a window kitty. and then monster is to my right and she’s laying in her bed farting up a storm. But who wants to hear about that?
Michelle: I wanted to say that we’re both animal lovers, not just because of our pets. Yes, we have three amazing, wonderful, sweet, loving pets, but also, our big animal lovers in general. And so we say all this with knowing that we do have a bias for it.
Lindsay: If you don’t like animals, then I’m sorry, but maybe you could just hear us out. Hear us out and maybe appreciate the bird that flies by. And you’re like, oh, okay, that was nice. Or there it is. Yeah, look, you kind of liked it.
Michelle: Yeah. Right?
Lindsay: When you noticed it.
Michelle: Well, even us, like, we love animals. And when we were living in DC, we’re in the middle of the city. There was a lot less nature. and I don’t think that we can really say that when we would go outside that we would. Were paying attention a lot to either the nature or, animals.
Lindsay: I mean, around us, only the dogs that were being walked, like, outside when we would be out there, or the cat that would be walked.
Michelle: Oh, yeah.
Lindsay: Such a cool kitty.
Michelle: Yeah. Yeah. But the. The huge difference of moving from Washington, DC, living in the city to then moving down to south Florida is that we went from being minimally around nature and wildlife to just immersed in it, fully immersed. And it was like, so exciting for us. I thought that when we first moved into Alton, first apartments, we moved in south Florida, there was like bunnies everywhere.
Lindsay: And lizards and that one dog that you thought was a dog.
Michelle: Oh, my gosh. It was actually a coyote.
Lindsay: And then that. What? I thought it was a weird looking bunny, but it was actually an armadillo.
Michelle: Yeah, an armadillo on a bike ride.
Lindsay: It was like 200 meters away. It was far and in the dark.
Michelle: So, yeah, it was like, people could definitely tell that we were not from here when we first got here.
Lindsay: And also, unknown fact, I just made it up. But there are more lizards in Florida than there are Floridians.
Michelle: I would concur. I believe that, even though I don’t think those numbers have actually been tabulated.
Lindsay: But I would concur because every time we open our door, there’s at least like 15 lizards.
Michelle: It’s literally like frogger. Like you’re trying to not step on a lizard when you go to walk the dog. But. But I just. I feel that we’ve. Because we went from not in nature and in a city to, like, being in nature. And, we. We got to see that big difference in ourselves and our appreciation for nature. So maybe it’s like the distance makes the heart grow fonder. Like, the fact that we weren’t around animals and now we get to be around wildlife and animals all the time is very exciting, and so maybe we’re paying attention to it more. But also, I would say that the more you notice it and the more you pay attention to it, the more you notice. Yes, it snowballs. Like, there are things I think that we pick out, just, like going for a walk with a dog that we would have never picked up on, before or noticed before. Like, okay, maybe this is also because we’re in our thirties, but, like, I can identify different bird sounds. Like, I know what kind of bird it is. Like, who am I?
Lindsay: Never.
Michelle: If you told me in my twenties that I’d be able to identify bird sounds, I would have laughed in your face. But, like, it’s like, you start to really genuinely appreciate, all of the wildlife in nature and notice it more and truly appreciate it, and it brings some joy into your day. Ah, just the simple, simple thing.
Lindsay: Yeah. Like, remember the time I sent you that one photo? I was outside on my break talking to my mom on the phone in the parking lot, and I was just walking, and lo and behold, I hear something. I look up. It’s a squirrel with a full size ciabatta loaf, eating it at the top of the tree, like a full ciabatti.
Michelle: If you’re watching, I’m gonna put the picture of this squirrel eating loaf of ciabatta.
Lindsay: Hilarious. I’ve never seen anything like it. Like, where, like, first off, how did you climb all the way up there with that, ciabatta look without it falling? And, like, how did you get up there?
Michelle: Seriously.
Lindsay: So crazy.
Michelle: Seriously. That was great. M that brought a lot of joy to my day as well. And all of my co workers, we were laughing hysterically at that.
Lindsay: Mine, too.
Michelle: and also, when we moved down here, I got the opportunity to volunteer for loggerhead marine, center, which is a turtle sanctuary, basically, or rescue, in, Juneau beach, Florida, really down the street from us. And so, when I got to volunteer there, I learned so much about turtles, and I’ve always, always loved turtles, but this was an opportunity for me to get to actually care for turtles.
Lindsay: Up close and personal with the turtles.
Michelle: Literally up close and turtles personal. Up close and personal with the turtles. Like, I actually got to catch the turtles, take them out of their tanks, bring them into the hospital, and. And then I would drain the water, clean the tanks, refill them do all that fun stuff.
Lindsay: She had special shoes for it. It was great.
Michelle: I did.
What turtles go through from the moment they are born amazes me
I had special water shoes for it and everything. And, and I loved, I loved every second of it. It was a lot of fun, a lot of manual labor. and you’re, like, in the heat, and it was wild, but so worth it. So worth it. And just, what I learned about turtles, it’s really blew my mind and made me love them even more because I just want to go over just this, like, little story that it always never ceases to amaze me of, like, what turtles go through from the moment they are born. So a baby turtle, first, it’s buried in hundreds, of eggs deep underneath the sand, and it has to break through its shell. But once it breaks through its shell and gets out of the shell, it now has to climb out of that mound of other eggs, and shells and out of the sand onto the top of the beach now. And then, depending on where it’s been buried, which a lot of turtles will lay their eggs really, really deep, really far back into the beach, knowing that it’s summertime, when turtle eggs are being laid, it’s hurricane season. Hurricanes can wear away at the beach, and so therefore, turtles know, and they have a sense if it’s going to be a crazy hurricane season, they tend to go a little bit further back in the beach and lay their eggs there. And so now this baby turtle, which is like, yay big, not even, like so, so tiny, has to climb over this treacherous mounds of sand all the way to the water. And now, mind you, it has to know where the water is. So, in south Florida, we’re really serious about our turtles, and I think most people are really good about, if you live on the water and during turtle season, you do not have any white light on. After sundown, you are allowed to have orange or red lights on because that will not impede on a, turtle’s direction of where the water is. But turtles actually use the light of the moon reflecting, off of the water or where to tell where the water is. And take that with a grain of salt. That is not, probably a precise explanation, ah, of it, but that is how baby turtles, and turtles in general, know where the water is. And so if you have bright light coming from your condo or your apartment building, I’ve actually witnessed this. Like, I’ve seen this happen, where a baby turtle is going towards the white light, that’s where it thinks the water is. So if you didn’t already know this and you live by the water where there’s turtles being hatched or laid. please turn off your white light after sundown, during turtle season. And so, once now they have to climb across the entire beach and not get eaten. They have to try to not get eaten by anything just to get to the water. Now they finally get to the water, and now they gotta swim roughly 14 miles out to the closest sargasm, where is, like, a bed of seaweed, which has nutrients that these baby turtles feed off of. Like, it’s unfathomable. This tiny little creature has to go through all that. And mind you, it’s swimming through open water and has to also not get eaten by all of the things that are in the water. Like, it is genuinely incredible what turtles go through. And this is why turtles have to lay so many eggs, because the chances, the chances of that turtle making it are not great, especially when now we have human factors involved as well. And so that’s why, if you dig a hole at a beach where turtle eggs are being laid, please fill the holes. Please knock down sand castles when you’re done building them, because this all impedes on a poor little baby sea turtle’s ability to get out to sea. And, I hope that me, by telling this story, people, it’s like, once people know, people are like, oh, oh, my gosh. Yeah, like, totally. I’ll turn off my white light. I’ll fill the sand hole that I dug. I’ll knock down the sandcastle. Because, like, we genuinely want to help mother nature and animals and creatures of all kind. And, I think when people understand to the depths and, like, what these animals go through, through and how resilient and the perseverance they have, we grow this incredible respect for them. And the greater respect we have, the greater we want to actually protect these creatures and protect nature in general. And so sorry to get all sappy, but I just really needed to tell this story because I feel that, the most important part of nature, and it’s that, like, the more, the more you notice, the more you appreciate, the more you respect, and the more you protect. And, that is not just beneficial for our health, but the planet in general and, and, and.
Lindsay: With that world’s peace. But in all seriousness, it’s just important to be present and notice your surroundings.
Michelle: Yeah, yeah. And, all of Mother Nature’s beauty, all that mother nature has to offer. And, on that note, thanks for watching. Yeah, thanks for watching, guys.
Lindsay: And also, a special thank you to Nola. For staying on my lap this soul time.
Michelle: Yes.
Lindsay: Look at this girl hanging out the sweetest.
Michelle: All right, hope to see you guys on the next one.
Lindsay: Thanks. Bye.