by Florence Williams

For me, a nature lover, this book is preaching to the converted to the extent that I almost felt I didn’t need to read it, but I’m very glad I did. There is a lovely, organic, flow to Florence Williams’ writing which, complemented by some cracking quotes and delightful photos at the beginning of each chapter (my favourite photo is “Walking the Park” by Jacob DeBailey) renders the read a joyful journey – a walk in the park in itself.

Williams’s aim is to uncover the science behind nature’s positive effects on the brain. She has structured her book to grow from quick doses of nature – walking to work past some trees, for instance – to completing a multi-day trek through wilderness. She weaves this with discussions on, and evidence of how, sensory input – the aroma of tree sap, the sound of birdsong, a long view to the horizon, the feel of earth – can de-stress us, lower our blood pressure, enable creativity and promote the wonderful sounding state of “calm alert”.

Another weft threading through the warp of this essay on nature is one that echoes the human givens approach to mental health: our essential needs. Williams pays especial attention to attention – contrasting it with distraction in our frantic modern world, and she talks us through a couple of interesting theories. Attention Restoration Theory and Stress Reduction Theory are two contrasting takes on how nature restores us, which are in themselves interesting reflections of our perceptions – are we into restoration here, or damage limitation? She also talks of a need for awe – asserting (in an echo of the HG need for meaning) that we all need to feel awe at something bigger than ourselves.

Williams’s journey takes her across the world, from Korea to Japan, from Scotland to Sweden to Singapore, and through her own North American homelands. Along the way she describes and joins in with various scientific experiments looking at exactly how nature affects us (or, as she puts it, looking at “the effect of something as beautiful and complex as nature on something as beautiful and complex as the brain”), discovering the power of the natural world to enhance health, reflection and innovation and even strengthen relationships. My only slight frustration with this otherwise interesting and rather uplifting book, is that she doesn’t reference the studies such that nerds like myself might investigate further.

Having said that, there was a moment when I pondered the need for scientific proof that nature makes us happier, healthier and more creative – it seems so obvious. Florence has thought of this too, and explains: governments won’t put money into anything that is not evidence based; if we want more green space (or just to save what we’ve got), we have to prove its worth in hard fact.

Williams writes with a delightful wit and humour which leads me to suspect that she would be a great companion on a wilderness journey. She advocates solvitur ambulando (in walking it will be solved) and I’m right with her there.

©Julia Welstead