You ARE an ecosystem

Thinking of yourself as an ecosystem emphasizes your role as a connected, dynamic community of interdependent parts—both physical and biological. Just like a natural ecosystem, your body relies on balance among diverse organisms, systems, and relationships to stay healthy.

• Your microbiome—the trillions of bacteria, fungi, and other microbes living in and on you—functions like an internal ecosystem. It helps digest food, prevent disease, and regulate your immune and nervous systems.

• Bodily systems (digestive, respiratory, circulatory, immune) interact and depend on one another, much like species and processes in a forest or garden.

• Practices like balanced nutrition, stress management, physical activity, and quality sleep support the stability and diversity of your internal ecosystem, much as you would nurture a sustainable garden1.

Viewing yourself as an ecosystem also highlights the importance of your connections to the broader environment. The air you breathe, the water you drink, the food you eat, and even your social relationships all influence your health—reflecting the shared destiny between humans and the natural world.

This perspective aligns with interests in sustainable gardening, composting, and water stewardship123: caring for external ecosystems mirrors the attentive care needed for the internal ecosystem that is you.

1. interests.sustainable_gardening
2. interests.waste_management
3. interests.environmental_resources