BBC Wildlife - UK (2020-04)

April 2020 BBCWildlife 89

LucyJones

MEETTHEAUTHOR

Thewriterdiscussestheimportance

ofnatureforourwell-being.

Whatdoesspendingtimeinagreen

spacedotous?

Spendingtimeina naturalenvironment

canreducestress,boostourimmune

systems,curbworryoranxiousthoughts,

lowerinflammation,relaxthenervous

system,enhancerecovery,exposeusto

importantmicroorganismsthatmay

haveantidepressant-likeeffects,aswellas

provideopportunitiesforawe,calm,focus,

happinessandpsychologicalrestoration.

Asonescientistputit tome,it’slikea club

sandwich.Weallknowintuitivelythatmany

ofusfeelbetteraftera walkinthewoodsor

bytheseabutI wantedtofindouthowand

whyit works.Whatis themechanism?My

mindwasblownbythevarietyofevidence

• multiplemechanisms!– I foundwhile
  researchingLosingEden.

Whatisecologicalgrief?

It’sthepsychologicalresponsetothenature

andclimateemergency,a mourningforthe

more-than-humanworld,asit depletes.

Peopleinmanycountriesworldwideare

alreadysufferingdirectlyfromtheimpact

oftheclimatecrisis,withtheexpected

mentalhealthproblemsthatarecausedby

traumaandperil.Othersareexperiencing

fear,anxietyanddepressionabouta future

thatlooksprecarious.Thesefeelingsare

a rationalresponsetowhatis happening

onEarth– andtheyaresadlyonlyset

toincrease.

Hasspendinglesstimeinnature

causedtheWest’smentalhealthcrisis?

Notcaused,butmyresearchforLosingEden

ledmetobelieveit is a factor.Imagineyou

haveanenvironmentthatcanenhance

mentalandphysicalhealththroughmyriad

pathways.That’sthenaturalenvironment

rightoutsideyourdoor.Somanyofus,

andcertainlyasa society,overlookthis.

Wearelosingoutonsomethingthatcanbe

measurablytherapeutic,ata timeofrising

ratesofmentalhealthproblems.The

evidencesuggeststhatexposuretonature

hasanimportantrelationshiptohuman

mentalhealth.Inotherwords,our

disconnectionis badforourminds.

Howcanthisdisconnectbetackled?

Collectiveactionagainstthewaronnature.

Nature-basedlearninginschools.Mindful

andculturallysensitiveprogrammingin

publicparks.Buildingnatureconnection

intohealthandsocialcare.Planninghousing

withgreeneryinmind.Anoverhaulofour

currentsystemofvalueandworth.Andan

overhaulofthemisconceptionthatweare

separatefromnature,insteadofintimately

interconnected,andreliantonit,forourlives

andsanity.MeganShersby

Drygin

Fullofcitrus,spiceand– if you’re

fondofSouth-EastAsiancuisine

• everythingnice,thisaromatic
  ginis onthesavourysidewitha
  warmingpepperytang.Bornout
  ofthemakers’travelstothe
  Philippines,Thailand,Vietnam
  andCambodia,thecompany
  donates 10 percentofitsprofits
  toconservationeffortstohelpthe
  tarsier,a smallSouth-EastAsian
  primate,anditshabitat.AM

Penguinfanswillcertainlyenjoy

thisprogramme,whichfocusses

onthewildlifeinhabitantsof

sub-Antarcticislands.Royal,

macaroni,chinstrapandgentoo

areamongthecharacterful

specieswemeet.Buttheydon’t

getthebeachesalltothemselves

• furandelephantsealscome
  ashoretogivebirthtotheirpups,
  andwefollowtheiradventuresas
  theyexploretheworldaround
  them.Meanwhile,awayfromdry
  land,orcas,southernrightwhales
  andmyriadseabirdsgettheirfair
  shareofthelimelight.Though
  thespeciesandbehaviourshown
  havebeenseenmanytimes
  before,thisis stillaninteresting
  glimpseintoislandlife.AM

FOODANDDRINK

TARSIERSOUTHEASTASIANDRYGIN,£39FORA

70CLBOTTLE,AVAILABLEONLINEANDINSTORES

OUR WILD WORLD

Birds: Wang LiQiang; woodlands: Ashley Cooper/Getty

Losing Eden

Allen Lane £20

FrozenIslands

TV

NAT GEO WILD, 22 MARCH

Botanicals

include Thai

sweet basil and

kampot pepper.

April is the perfect

time to enjoy nature

by walking through

bluebell woods.