Anoushey Ashraf is a former VJ and a leading host and actor of Pakistan.

She is a Goodwill Ambassador of WWF-Pakistan.

Ever since I was a child, I formed a strong bond with the outdoors. Thanks to my father’s love for all things nature, Sundays were spent fishing, taking a road trip to some new place, hiking (if we were out of Karachi) or seeing him rally his cars in the desert. Nature has brought my family so much joy over the years that I am often overwhelmed at the thought of my deep-rooted connection with her. She has made our family stronger; each of us closer to one another by spending our weekends bonding by the beach or camping out.

Here is a fact. I have also felt closest to nature in my own country. Pakistan is home to perhaps some of the world’s most beautiful mountains, oceans and deserts. We get all the seasons, yet, as a nation we are disconnected from all of it. I consider myself lucky that I have been able to enjoy all these blessings to the fullest - from visiting the mountains every year and meditating on their foothills to getting my scuba diving license by swimming in the sea off the Makran coast. I have also actively partaken in a lot of drives to help people become more aware of how plastic waste and environmental degradation affects the land we live in.

I am often hurt when I see people litter, cut trees or destroy nature in any way. But then I remind myself that nature doesn’t need us, we need her. Our actions will eventually harm us. Nature has been there before humans roamed the Earth and shall remain long after we are gone. So, it’s important for us to remember that the next time we throw a can out on the street, we are only hurting ourselves. We still have the power and ability to make a change, and fix the problem that is of our own creation. Show Mother Earth the respect she deserves. Every person counts. Be the change you want to be and enjoy the beauty of nature to the fullest.

Twitter: @Anoushey_a