"We think we're so different across our communities. We may come from a different country. We might work in different jobs. We might work the land, or work in tech, but we're not all that different —we're human,” says Brian Muegge of the divisions so prevalent in society today. “There really needs to be a better way to connect across the urban-rural continuum. I hope it's through food. and I hope it can be around natural resource conservation."
Ikigai is a Japanese word that means "a reason for being". It's a concept that refers to something that gives a person a sense of purpose and joy. Brian Muegge has found his ikigai. A 31 year old with a deep passion for the environment, he has found his purpose in working to steward the planet we are lucky to call home.
Growing up in a tech focused community in northern California, Brian always felt like a fish out of water. Instead of following in the path of his father who was a semiconductor engineer, he found himself drawn to the natural world. A fan of Steve Irwin and others, he had his share of pets. "My mother was not particularly good at saying no," he says with a smile. But it was when he accepted a gift of two, fertilized emu eggs and an incubator from a relative that he would test his mother's resolve.
A biology major at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, Brian studied the habitat of the yellow-bellied marmot, a research project that earned him the moniker "Marmot Man". He now works with an organization called Salmon Safe, a non-profit organization in the Pacific Northwest that works with West Coast farmers, developers, and other environmentally innovative landowners to reduce watershed impacts.
As you listen, consider:
How much do you know about the environment in which you live? Where does your water come from? What birds build their nests in the trees? If you live in a city, what is the impact of city life on the natural world?
Take a field trip to a local park or natural setting. Use your senses. Spend some time observing the environment.
Read up on the environmental issues facing your community. Consider getting involved in a river clean up or collecting signatures for a local environmental effort.
