Why you should spend a minimum of two hours per week in nature
I recently wrote about why it is good for you to spend more time in nature. Data from the UK have recently confirmed that many people feel this is even more important during a lockdown. Forty-one percent of British adults believe that visiting local green and natural spaces has become even more critical since the government introduced the coronavirus restrictions. The UK Office for National Statistics believes that this trend could persist for a while or even become a new way of life for the Brits. They might appreciate spending time in nature and green spaces more than before the pandemic.
Canadians seem to feel the same way. They increasingly find comfort and stress-relief in nature when coping with stress and restrictions during the pandemic. The difference is that the Canadian numbers are much higher than those found in the survey in the UK. The poll of the Nature Conservancy of Canada found that 94 percent of Canadians surveyed said nature has helped them relax. And 86 percent believe that time outdoors has been essential for maintaining mental health. And nearly twice as many Canadians than Brits, three out of four, said spending time in nature has become more important to them.
Winter experience
My own experience of getting through this last winter is that I tried to get out for a walk every day even though it was cold and slippery. But I needed a bit of time to get used to that. My first reflex was staying at home, putting the thermostat up, while watching the thermometer and the snowflakes drop. But I soon realized that this white winter world would stay for many months as my reality and that I should get out. I did, and I started to like the winter every day more. Going into nature is one of the best things to do when living in Ottawa, in all seasons.
The findings in these studies could be relevant for policymaking on environmental issues once the pandemic is over. I wonder how many people will remember in a few years how vulnerable we have all been to a tiny virus that swept all over the globe. The pandemic was more likely to occur since we have destroyed many complex ecosystems like rainforests and brought species together that would usually not meet. Will this pandemic experience, combined with the positive experience of having spent more time in nature, change our attitude to other environmental challenges like climate change or biodiversity loss? It seems to be the case in Canada, where 91 percent of respondents say that preserving and restoring natural spaces is a priority now more than ever.
Americans more outdoors
In the US, many people visited National Parks during the pandemic. Yellowstone had the busiest October on record before it had to close down because of the pandemic. The sales of bicycles, kayaks, and camping gear all went up last summer. I have seen the same trend in the Netherlands; in the dunes and forests where I often run, it became suddenly busy in the previous summer. I noted that some of these new nature lovers didn't instantly get the nature vibe and left trash in places where I had never seen any.
Two hours per week in nature
So how much time should you spend in nature? Researchers of the University of Exeter in the UK tried to answer that question by studying the behavior of nearly 20,000 people in England. They found that those who spent a minimum of two hours per week in nature were significantly more likely to report good health and higher psychological wellbeing than those who didn't visit green spaces at all.
It may be a good rule for your planning of activities during the week. It doesn't matter if you go for one two-hour visit or many short visits, nor does it matter who you are in age, gender, ethnicity, wealth, or health. I wrote before that scientists also advise to move daily a minimum of half an hour, that could be brisk walking or other activities that make your heart work faster. So an easy win is to combine the two studies: walk in nature, and you will feel better.
Photo
I took a picture during my minimum of 120 minutes in nature in one of those green spaces near Ottawa. It is not yet very green, but I like the lines and shadows. This spot is the opposite of the spring-coloring that I described in the recent video, where I said the forest floor is green but that everything higher up lacks color.
Before you go out into your local park or woodland, read about the warning for MacBook users. Apple urges all Mac users to update their macOS software now, as they're at "grave risk" of hackers exploiting a discovered vulnerability. You can read more here.
And since I am now off-topic addressing Apple users, there is good news for your iPhone privacy and bad news for Facebook. The latest iPhone software update, IOS 14.5, includes the App Tracking Transparency framework, which gives you more transparency and control over apps that want to track all you do on your iPhone for advertising. It seems that Facebook is particularly unhappy with this improvement of our privacy, which makes me quite happy. So, unless you want an app to track all your activity on other companies' apps and websites, answer 'no' on the pop-up, and you regained a little bit of your online privacy.
For nearly a week now, not one reader took a paid subscription of only $6 per month (or even less if you take an annual subscription). Meanwhile, I see on my dashboard that the articles are well-read and that the number of readers steadily increases. I don’t like to mention this all the time, but we are all in this together: the free readers, those that take a subscription, and me. I have to balance between writing and other work, and the math is simple: I can continue to write a lot if there are more subscriptions. But if that is not the case, then I have to focus more on other work.
Notes:
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-56889322
https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/01/30/canadians-nature-outdoors-covid-19-pandemic/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190613095227.htm
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-44097-3
https://www.wired.com/story/ios-app-tracking-transparency-advertising/
Your article of a couple weeks ago about spending time in nature as well as the beautiful video a couple days ago scooped the BBC for the benefits of spending time outdoors. There’s really no substitute for the feeling of being a part of the flora & fauna & fresh air. No doubt the pandemic has influenced the need for enjoying green spaces & will make it a habit for many with better health a plus.
The wonderful articles you write for the Planet are essential reading for me as well as many of your followers apparently. It’s very puzzling that many who seem to be partaking of the articles you freely offer don’t realize their support in the form of a subscription is important to keep seeing them in their inbox. Thank you for the time, effort & thought you put into this wonderful publication. I truly hope all who are reading will take a subscription to support your work.
And thanks for the tip about iPhones! (See? The Planet takes care of its readers!)
Trailblazer is my middle name and lucky to have some of the greatest National parks next door.
Spring is sprouting and I will be tending, and challenged, by the garden's whims this summer long. And yes, If you can, do your body and mind a favor, get out and leave no trace(litter), but foot steps. Be well, nature wants us to be that way, it choses homeostasis (-:
Thank you Alexander, I appreciate your thoughts on this often overlooked undervalued simple (for most) activity 🌳🦮🚶🌳 🌻