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I
f you go down to the woods today, you’re sure
for a big surprise...” The cheerful voices carry
through the arboretum as a young family walk
hand in hand. Their singing is hushed, as
though the towering trees are sacred, like the
arches of a cathedral.
The ‘big’ surprise isn’t ground-breaking though –
numerous studies have shown that forest bathing,
the practice of being and breathing in the air around
trees, reduces stress and increases our ‘happy
hormone’, oxytocin. In his recent study, Urban Mind,
Dr Andrea Mechelli of King’s College London
discovered that those who experienced a single
exposure to nature during their day showed an
increase in their mental wellbeing that lasted for
over seven hours.
After working abroad for several years, I’m
yearning to swap skyscraper shadows for the
comforting shade of trees and experience the effects
for myself. An information board welcomes me to
Blackwater Arboretum in New Forest National Park
(thenewforest.co.uk), Hampshire – my first step
towards reconnecting with the forest I once called
home. It displays words from wellness writer, Katrina
Mayer: ‘Time spent amongst trees is never wasted
time.’ I know she’s right.
Arboretums – a term first used by Victorian
botanist John Claudius Loudon – are botanicalgardens devoted to growing trees either for
conservation or research. Though the name came
later, the process of collecting and caring for trees
has a long history that stretches back centuries.
Blackwater was originally an oak crop planted in
1850, before the first arboretum plantings were
initiated in 1960 by the New Forest’s deputy surveyor
Arthur Cadman. In the decades since, it has been
carefully maintained and regenerated.
Blackwater Arboretum and the adjacent Tall
Trees Trail are home to both native and exotic trees,
including some of the tallest and oldest redwood
and Douglas firs in Britain. It’s managed by Forestry
England, which cares for around 20 percent of the
country’s woodlands, and forestryengland.uk is a
great resource for finding local woodland to explore.
A second board maps out the half-mile sensory
walking trail, encouraging me to touch, smell and
listen to the sounds of the forest. Never one to ignore
a well-placed sign, I breathe in the crisp air, inhaling
deep earthy smells of soil, bark and damp moss.
There’s a good reason the air feels fresher out here.
Trees breathe in pesky pollutants and replace them
with oxygen, purifying our atmosphere. Over the
course of one year, one acre of trees can absorb the
same amount of carbon dioxide released by a car
driven 26,000 miles – that’s further than driving once
around the earth! Evergreens like pine and conifers
also release pungent essential oils called phytoncides,
shown to stimulate the activity of our virus-fighting
cells, strengthening the immune system.
Fallen leaves crunch beneath my wellies, like
cornflakes underfoot, as I venture beneath a canopy
of trees from across the globe, from a Canadian red
oak to an Australian snow gum and European silver
firs. Each of the 114 species is labelled with its name
and country of origin to guide visitors around
the arboretum.
Through dappled sunlight the forest becomes
a natural fashion show. Trees of all kinds model this
season’s autumn/winter colours: warm reds, spiced
oranges and burnt yellows. As I rest on one of several
shaded benches, I’m taken back to the watercolourBEING OUTSIDE IS GOOD FOR YOU
A walk among trees has
been shown to reduce blood
pressure as well as the stress-
related hormones cortisol
and adrenaline.
The colour green relaxes our
nervous system, encouraging
steadier breathing and helping
us to detox pollutants from
our lungs.
Soil microbes are home to
friendly bacteria – breathingthem in stimulates the immune
system and boosts our mood.
Trees are nature's air purifier,
taking in harmful pollutants
including carbon-dioxide,
nitrogen oxide, ammonia and
sulphur dioxide, leaving us to
breathe easier.
Studies show that spending
time in nature can boost our
problem-solving ability and
creativity by up to 50 percent.Feel the changes to your physical and
mental wellbeing as you explore outdoors“