Hope

Hope is a quality that is present throughout the different stages of grief. It plays an important role in motivating people to take part in conservation efforts to try to reverse or reduce the losses that have happened and turn the losses into gains. Nevertheless, one’s hope in restoring the environment must be realistic.

“Hope is not blind optimism; it recognises the depth of the problem and refuses to accept defeat. It is not a feeling – it is a choice” – Newman & Kenworthy 1999

Those who have accepted the ecological losses and the inevitable changes in their environment will take this as a steppingstone, and work towards improving and ensuring sustainable practices in the future. After grieving for their losses, one should find happiness in what is still present or could be present in the future. For instance, moving out of the rural farming area and into the city to find a stable source of income.