And this is how it all began!
...the journey from being a nature lover to a nature entrepreneur
Amit Banka - CEO, WeNaturalists
It was always about passion and how my passion meets its purpose.
A lot is written and talked about passion. It is true that our passion brings a different outlook on life. And I believe, the best of our stories and experiences stem from our passions. With the need to explore our passions comes the need to create a different world for them. Where we can nurture, build, and grow it.
What could this world offer for our passions ?
How can it impact our lives ?
How can it change the lives of people who are driven by their passions ?
While trying to ponder on this, I found the purpose of my passion for nature.
I have always been intrigued by nature, its beauty, its magnificence, and even its wrath. Discovering the wilderness, capturing every bird I see on my camera, enjoying the serenity of the mountains; understanding what impacts nature; all of this is just a small part of my passion for nature. And this has only grown over time.
To be honest, my journey towards making my passion my purpose started two years back but seeds were sown much earlier. I’ve been gravitating towards this world all through my adulthood and professional life.
I suppose that explains my inclination towards businesses that revolve around nature.
Working on agri-businesses ranging from farm-to-fork models to agri-solutions advisory to finding eco-friendly substitutes, I have always been overwhelmed with our dependence on nature.
When I look back, I realize the biggest stepping-stone in my journey was my time with Swades Foundation, Zarina, and Ronnie Screwvala’s philanthropic initiative to uplift rural Western India. For the first time, I was an integral part of a grassroots movement for holistic living interventions.
We would create rounded solutions towards water, health and sanitation, education, and livelihood through agriculture and agri-based products, with better community contribution, higher accountability. It was a people-private partnership in the purest of forms. We tried to amplify the sustainability and measurability of the impact of all community mobilization efforts, governmental and non-governmental participation, and community involvement.
I have come to realize that our relationship with nature, especially in the rural, under-developed geographies, is a fragile one. Every minor imbalance in nature causes a major imbalance in our lives. And this imbalance is felt more deeply in the rural areas. Our relationship with nature needs work, to strike the right balance and to coexist.
But finding this balance is a huge task that the whole world is grappling with today and I couldn’t help but think of ways to contribute to the movement. Moreover, finding a way to build a seamless and holistic system for this purpose is no small feat.
The more I spoke to people who work in the
field of nature, “naturalists” as they are
called, the more my questions became
pertinent and persistent.
Who are these people and what is their motivation to work in nature?
How do they find different opportunities to work and collaborate?
What impact is their effort making?
How do they interact with nature, and with each other?
What is that “different world” for their passion for nature?
What are their challenges?
Most Importantly,
How can I collaborate with them to build that world?
That’s when I found the answer.
The biggest catalyst was my discussion with ace naturalist, and my childhood friend, Kartikeya, on finding ways to bind all the ends together.
Thus, WeNaturalists was born.
An ecosystem to build meaningful relationships, collaborate globally for work and learning, spread awareness, make education more effective, and contribute to the greater good.
An ecosystem where Naturalists can do more and be more.
An ecosystem where more than 500 million people and 10 million organizations who work in the field of nature – in conservation, climate action, ecology, community education – come together.
So that we, the majority population, the remaining 6.5 billion, and the future generations can live a better life in an evolved, fully aware and safe society.
With WeNaturalists, we can inspire a global change in our interaction with nature.
IMAGINE
A world where nature is no longer an afterthought in all our activities.
An ecosystem where contribution to nature has evolved from monetary aid to nature-positive professions, volunteering for important causes, nature-based education, responsible lifestyle choices, and more.
An economy where the impact of every activity, whether by individuals, businesses, non-profits, or governments, is measured.
Finally - imagine a planet where humans coexist with nature.
I believe WeNaturalists is the first step towards building that world, that ecosystem, that economy and that planet. Bringing about a change of this magnitude is my biggest motivation.
And the fact that a proposition of this magnitude hasn’t ever been attempted makes me jittery!
Amit Banka
CEO, WeNaturalists
