While many people just take the name for granted, others express curiosity about the meaning of the name First Nature Foundation.
The name has a double meaning.
It's in our first nature as humans (actually, as social animals) to be as cooperative and collaborative as it is to be competitive and conflictual. It's part of our how we evolved to both co-create for a greater good of the group as well as to protect ourselves and our group from real or perceived threats to wellbeing.
So, it's completely normal to feel competitive and conflictual. Most leaders tend to view this as being wrong or in the way of excellent outcomes. And it can be if left there or avoided, rather than being mined as a rich path back to enhanced collaboration and cooperation. Our programs are directly dedicated to helping leaders and teams navigate this path.
The second meaning of the name alludes to the context of First Nature's programs: partnering with nature and beyond-human sentience to learn these self- and collective-leadership lessons as a way of recognizing not only the incredible wisdom, diversity, and resilience to take lessons from, but of how threats to the wellbeing of our natural world are also direct threats to the wellbeing of our organizations and families.
A water crisis in South Africa this year prompted water experts to issue warnings to other cities. While it might sound kind of theoretical, a scarcity of adequate clean water threatens supplies for human consumption (drinking, bathing, laundry), crop irrigation, and industrial processes.
Health is already being impacted by particulates in the air: rates of lung cancer, asthma, and developmental problems in children. These are just two examples of many existing threats to the health of our natural ecosystems which are directly affecting businesses, communities, and families, and are likely to worsen without adequate attention.
First Nature Foundation is dedicated to bringing that attention in ways that are enlivening and actionable (rather than leaving us feeling overwhelmed and powerless).