We Stopped Trusting Our Instincts. Nature Never Did. | Travis Williams | TEDxMacatawa

Travis Williams, founding CEO of ODC Network, argues that screens built on fear and dopamine have pulled people away from nature and from each other. He contrasts this with nature's rhythm of observing, committing and adjusting, which he presents as a way to tell signal from noise again. The talk is part of the TEDxMacatawa event, an independently organized TEDx event using the TED conference format.

• Screens built on fear and dopamine and their effect on connection with nature
• Nature's cycle of observe, commit, and adjust as a model for decision-making
• Telling signal from noise in everyday life
• Speaker background: ODC Network's work in education, ecosystem restoration and outdoor access

A polar bear crossing the Arctic tundra has far less information than we do, but far more clarity. Travis Williams explores how screens built on fear and dopamine have pulled us away from nature and from each other, and how nature’s rhythm of observe, commit, and adjust can help us tell signal from noise again. Travis Williams is the founding CEO of ODC Network and an innovative leader helping build nature-rich communities where people and nature thrive. Over the last 25 years, he has helped grow one of the region’s most integrated approaches connecting education, ecosystem restoration, and outdoor access. Under his leadership, ODC Network has grown from a single site in Holland, Michigan into a 14-division organization with more than 260 staff, serving over 200,000 people annually and connecting more than 1.5 million individuals to nature. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx