Commentary: Connecting with nature can help improve our health

1 week ago 51

When Garth Stevenson, a nature musician and composer, carried his 6-foot-tall double bass instrument with him to Antarctica, he had a life-changing experience when he imitated whale calls on his instrument. He ended up drawing 12 sei whales to the edge of the icebreaker where he stood making music. Having grown up in the mountains of Western Canada, Stevenson has always connected his music to nature, but this experience in Antarctica revealed the two-way connection between humans and our natural world.

As I in my (warmer) South Texas backyard listen to birdsongs, smell jasmine blossoms and observe the rustle of towering palms in the breeze, my connection to nature, while not as dramatic as Stevenson’s, is equally calming, healing and energizing. Whatever your spiritual, religious or humanistic beliefs, there is no denying that human beings are living beings on a planet and our survival is interconnected with nature — other species and our own. The extent to which we recognize or ignore that sacred connection is reflected by our local and global struggles with disease and conflict.

We live in a society that is more and more disconnected from the actual planet that sustains us. There are, of course, hardworking people who harvest our food, clean our streets and build our buildings, and their outdoor exposure is often driven by economy and work. The wealthy take trips to be in nature. But for many, being in nature is not a significant part of our daily, or even weekly, routine, despite the well-documented benefits to our mental and physical health.

There are systems and powers that benefit financially from our disconnection from nature. The more connected we are to our planet earth, the less dependent we are on human products and more aware of the destruction of natural resources. If we all felt the level of pain we should about the ongoing extinction of species and dwindling forests, we may all suffer a daily existential crisis! Human beings literally rely on nature to live — the balance of leaves on trees and plants pulling in carbon dioxide and water, using the energy of the sun to convert this into chemical compounds that feed the tree, and as a byproduct produce the very oxygen we breathe.

In many parts of the planet, humans lack access to clean water and air, the lack of which is responsible for the death of many human beings and animals.

When we are connected to the earth, the soil and the seasons, growing and consuming food locally that is not mass produced with additives, preservatives and chemicals, we reduce many of the chronic diseases that ail us.

When we use our bodies, instead of cars, to move us from place to place (transportation), we can reduce many mental health and other conditions through increased daily activity.

There is a growing body of research showing that direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development and for the physical and emotional health of children and adults (“Last Child in the Woods” by Richard Louv).

If many of us did not spend our days sitting inside sealed buildings staring at screens, and instead were allowed to spend most of the day outside, absorbing the sun’s energy and the calming sights and sounds of plants, trees, birds, lizards and even insects, our collective attention-deficit and anxiety surely would be reduced.

Researchers found positive associations with health and wellbeing with 120 minutes a week of nature exposure, as compared to less exposure. Even exposure to birdsongs, to be specific, improve and alleviate anxiety and paranoia in healthy participants, according to a 2022 study by Emil Stobbe and others, which investigated the effect of urban (traffic noise) vs. natural (birdsongs) soundscapes on mood, state paranoia and cognitive performance.

The more we can increase our daily exposure to nature, the more we improve our wellbeing.

The UT Health Houston, School of Public Health’s Tu Salud Si Cuenta program and CaraCara Trails have partnered to create opportunities for families to get out in nature through free programming like stargazing, nature walks and kayaking. You can find links to register on Facebook and Instagram. Take every moment you have to absorb and connect with nature as humans are meant to, because Tu Salud Si Cuenta! (Your Health Matters!).

Lisa Mitchell‑Bennett is senior project manager at the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health Brownsville Campus.