Why connect to nature?
The fact that human beings have spent millions of pounds on research to establish the benefits of nature is one of the starkest signs of our disconnection from it. We readily accept, after all, that animals – from elephants to polar bears, meerkats to penguins – are most suited to the natural world. Nature is their natural habitat; destroy that habitat, or remove a creature from it, and their wellbeing suffers. Why would this not be the same for us?
It’s rarely mentioned, but humans are one of the great apes. We share brain structures and a biological continuity with other great apes, and this includes similarities in vulnerability to stress and mental health issues. If chimpanzees, our closest living relatives, are removed from their natural habitat and placed in artificial environments, abnormal behaviours and disorders similar to those seen in humans can arise. Captive chimpanzees exhibit mental health issues like anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders, which are not typically seen in their wild counterparts. When chimpanzees kept in this way are returned to more natural environments, their abnormal behaviours decrease.
As creatures who evolved in the natural world and spent hundreds of thousands of years deeply embedded in nature, we should readily accept that nature is inherently good, indeed integral to our health and well-being.
So, let’s consider some of the benefits. Numerous studies have focused on the health differences in people living in rural and urban areas, and found that those in rural environments generally report better health compared to their urban counterparts. This passive exposure to nature has been shown to be important across many studies, with the presence and quality of local green spaces linked to lower rates of hypertension, nature providing a buffer against the negative effects of stress. Similarly, areas with fewer trees have been linked to respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses. The overall benefits can be seen in that people who live in greener neighbourhoods have longer ‘telomeres’, the structures that protect the ends of chromosomes, and which are linked to cells aging and longer lives.
Even a simple view of green space can have benefits, with people reporting better physical and mental health and requiring fewer painkillers. Occupants of buildings with ample natural light and outdoor views have been found to have improved mood and better sleep quality.
Continuing this segue from physical to mental wellbeing, plenty of research has established a positive link between nature and subjective well-being, the way we say we feel. These aspects of well-being include things like positive mood, life satisfaction, and vitality, which can in their turn lead to enhanced immune function. A positive relationship with nature also enhances many of the functions of the brain, from perception and memory, to reasoning and imagination, problem-solving and creativity.
Amazingly, passive exposure to nature has even been found to have an impact on the structure of our brains. Deep within the brain the amygdala plays a crucial role in processing emotions and issues with it are associated with anxiety. There’s evidence that simply living in areas with more trees benefits the integrity of this part of the brain. Even though we may not consciously perceive the presence of nature, our deep, often hidden connection with it still has a profound impact on us.
Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, to discover that higher levels of biodiversity, too, are linked to increased benefits, including greater positive emotional responses. People report being happier in places with a greater variety of birds and habitats – even if this is not the case, and they just think they are surrounded by an abundant diversity of nature. Our perceptions can matter more than reality.
From passive exposure, through simple engagement to close connection, the benefits of nature continue to mount. Research has found that a person’s sense of nature connection can be four times more important than purchasing power in explaining their sense that life is worthwhile. Nature connection benefits have also been found to be similar in weight to other established factors, such as marriage and education. Nature provides a restorative boost for body and mind. A strong sense of connection to it brings happiness and satisfaction with life – a sense that life is worthwhile, and that they are flourishing!
You have been reading an extract from The Blackbird’s Song and Other Wonders of Nature: A year-round guide to connecting with the natural world by Miles Richardson, out now.
