For millennia, our lives were shaped by nature. We evolved to survive and then thrive in our natural environment. Over time, our ability to impact on the environment we rely on slowly increased. From hunter gatherers leading harsh lives dictated by the availability of animals to hunt, we became farmers – able to grow crops and to rear livestock.
Life became more manageable, but we largely remained in with nature – still guided by the seasons and the rising and setting of the sun.
In more recent history, our ability to harness nature has tipped over into a capacity to control it. Damming and diverting rivers meant water wherever we needed it. As tools switched from stone to metal, we could clear ever more forest to farm - but life was still more or less in tune with mother nature.
With the coming of the industrial revolution and the shift of populations from rural to urban, most people’s connection with the land was severed. Advances such as electric light meant that the old rhythm of day and night could largely be overcome.
The transformation of the way we lived began to advance almost exponentially, yielding huge benefits in terms of advances in technology, food production and medicine. Life expectancy grew and as wealth increased, advances in the concept of ‘leisure time’ took root.
Whilst no one would ever suggest that we need to turn back the clock and cast aside the advances that underpin modern life, there is plenty of evidence that in some areas we have tipped the balance too far. It is wise then to remind ourselves that we are part of nature.
The death and destruction caused by heatwaves, wildfires and flash floods driven by the global climate and ecological crises, largely triggered by human actions, demonstrate how the health of the planet can impact our everyday lives. It is clear that we need to fix nature and to restore some semblance of balance in the environment. But just as we have the power to fix nature – nature has the power to fix us too.
Our disconnect with nature isn’t just signalled by the damage we have collectively caused to the environment upon which we all rely, it can be seen on a more personal level too.
The world around us shapes everyone’s health and wellbeing. The natural world can affect how we think and feel.
The state of the neighbourhoods in which we live can directly affect how long people live and their quality of life. After decades where life expectancy routinely increases, the trend is now reversing. Issues such as air quality, the impacts of climate change, including heatwaves, and our ability to access nature close to home all have a direct impact on our health and wellbeing.
Whilst many issues are the result of long-term medical conditions and life-limiting disabilities, The Wildlife Trusts are committed to delivering a wilder future – where people can lead healthy lives in a healthy natural environment.
Far too many of us live in nature depleted areas, many areas also suffer serious pollution. Over 9 million households, representing around a third of the population of England, don’t have close access to nature friendly places. Children living in affluent areas are nine times more likely to have access to safe natural spaces where they can play. This is both unacceptable and unfair.
With towns and cities roasting in repeated heatwaves, the impact of the environment on our health is at the forefront of our minds. Natural solutions can be the answer here too. Concrete traps and retains heat and contributes to flash flooding, while trees, parks, green spaces and natural features such as ponds provide shade and cooling and help heavy rain replenish soils and groundwater. Having more nature near where we live also means cooler, safer homes. Providing shaded, wildlife-rich places to sit and relax can also make urban areas more welcoming and help reinvigorate our much-maligned urban centres – as we’ve seen with the Broad Marsh Green Heart in Nottingham.
Beyond the health benefits of reducing heat, time spent in woods and hills makes people calmer, happier and more connected – not just to nature - but to family and friends too. Children who study in nature have been shown to do better at school. People struggling with poor mental health recover faster when spending time outdoors as part of their treatment. In addition to NHS savings due to having a healthier, happier and more successful population - such measures will also help underpin the future economy. Surely a wilder future must be a better future.
Create a reminder of what nature means to you or how nature supports your health.
Here at The Wildlife Trusts, we’re encouraging people to share how they feel about nature in their own words. We’re embracing a new way for people to create a simple reminder – a postcard with a nature photo and a short message to yourself about how nature supports you. A few minutes of effort to choose an image and write a short message will become a physical reminder. Something you’ll see, touch and respond to in the moment. Pick a photo. Write to your future self. We'll send it to you in the post. That’s it. When it arrives, it will remind you of why nature is important to you and why it’s important for us to keep moving forward.
After you have sorted yours, you can also choose to share the same with others - friends, family, colleagues - so they get a nature prompt too.
Fix nature. Fix your smile. Send yourself some joy in the post.
www.wildlifetrusts.org/send-postcard-about-what-nature-means-you
Imagery:
Sunrise and mist, courtesy Don Sutherland.
Urban wildlife - The Green Heart in Nottingham, courtesy Lorna Griffiths.
