Natural Connections The Drive Behind the Work

written by Mike Hiller, Executive Director

Instead of the normal Executive Director letter that leads our newsletters, we are trying out something different this time. As we continue to embark on a path of embodying regenerative principles as an organization, we are evolving our communications. An important piece of that will be sharing more stories about how our staff, board, and partners are personally impacted and motivated by the work that we do. One principle of regenerative organizations is to bring your whole self to everything that you do. So often in this world, we hold back or only present certain parts of ourselves. This new story section in our newsletter will allow us to get to know each other more wholly. As the leader of UpstreamPgh, it seemed only fair that I would be the first to share my story of why I do this work with you all.

While many of you know me in my role here at UpstreamPgh, you may not be as familiar with my history of what motivates me to do this work of uplifting individuals through environmental justice programming, and why I am so passionate about it. I live with a substance use disorder, which is something that has shaped who I am today. There was a moment in time that it dominated my life and was a larger struggle than I was individually able to overcome. When I was early in recovery, I built as many healthy tools as I could, and one of the most important parts of my healing process was being in nature. I found it restorative to surround myself with the sounds, smells, and sights that it provides. I was intentional to slow down and admire a beautiful mature tree and how the leaves glowed from the sunlight. I hiked as often as I could, and when I would arrive at the crest of a mountain, would genuinely pause to appreciate the different perspective it offered me on the world, and how small we humans actually are comparatively. All of these things fostered a sense of connection with natural systems and a feeling like I was interconnected to something much larger than myself or any one person.

If you follow our programming you would have noticed that one of the biggest changes from NMRWA to UpstreamPgh is a transition from being primarily about stormwater and watershed health to a more inclusive and holistic conversation centered around the well-being of people. This is best summed up by UpstreamPgh’s tagline: “Healthy Ecology, Healthy Community”. I believe this shift in our programming allows us to have a greater impact on watershed and Pittsburgh residents. I hold a firm belief that as humans we are intrinsically connected to nature, and no different than any other animal or plant, so when talking about regenerating the watershed we should absolutely put people first in that process. Based on my own personal experiences, I can speak to the healing and restorative abilities of nature for the human soul when we allow ourselves to feel that connection in the deepest sense.