Natural Attraction

By BEN GLASSON

WellBeing Issue 94

We all know it feels right to ‘get back to nature’. Away from the harsh artificiality of the city, we feel revitalised by the gentle trickle of a mountain stream, the perfume of damp rainforest, the spectacle of a wilderness landscape.

Yet in today’s society we are kept at a safe distance from nature. Fearful of the dangers of the wild, we have erected walls to keep the natural world and the world of human civilisation separate. It is possible to go through life with little direct experience of nature.

While many of the clothes we wear are still made from natural fibres (though more and more are being replaced by synthetics) and most of the food we eat is a product of nature, we have lost our connection with the sources of these products. Cheap overseas labour and rapidly advancing technology have seen the number of people involved in primary industry plummet.

Today most of us spend more than 90 percent of our time indoors. The hunter and gatherer have become the breadwinner and shopper. Today’s hunt is for a parking spot at the shopping centre. The modern gatherer can be found in the supermarket among aisles of steel- and plastic-packed products. Today you can have oranges on your table without ever knowing what an orange tree looks like. You do, however, have a pretty good idea what the interior of an office looks like. You probably spend most of the daylight hours in one, the general assumption being that it beats picking oranges for a living.

Natural desire

According to ethnobiologist and Harvard University professor Edward O. Wilson, Ph.D., we all experience a deep longing to interact with the living world: ‘biophilia’. If we don’t succumb to it, we become restless and alienated.

Countless poets, philosophers and spiritual leaders have used lengthy wilderness retreats to help summon the transcendent states that produced their best work.

Hospitals are beginning to understand it too. ‘Therapeutic gardens’ can now be found at many healthcare centres. Some hospitals and nursing homes even allow chickens, dogs and other animals to roam the halls because of the calming effect they have on patients. Studies have shown patients’ blood pressure drops when an animal enters the room.

Nancy Wells, assistant professor in the Department of Design and Environmental Analysis at Cornell University studies the effect of people’s relationship with their environment on their mental and social well-being. She recently embarked on a study of 281 children in grades three to five, comparing the ‘naturalness’ of their home settings with the impact of stressful events such as bullying, peer pressure and parental divorce. ‘Naturalness’ was measured by the visibility of nature around the home, the composition of the yard and the number of plants in the house, while stress was calculated by measurements of urinal cortisol (a hormone the body releases when under stress) and parental reports of children’s psychological wellbeing. The results: exposure to nature increases a child’s resilience to stress – and the more stressful the event the more marked the effect.

A ten-year study on Outward Bound-style wilderness programs by University of Michigan researchers Stephen and Rachel Kaplan found that participants in the nine- to 14-day program that involves walking and camping in the wild emerged reporting a sense of peace, wholeness and clarity of thought.

William James, the American philosopher and psychologist believed there were two types of attention: directed attention and involuntary attention. Directed attention is what you use to stay focused on a particular task, say when you’re shopping for groceries or driving your car. Involuntary attention occurs when you let yourself get distracted by external stimuli, such as a colourful bird flying overhead, or a beautiful waterfall. Today, with our busy lifestyles we are prone to overuse directed attention, leading to anxiety and overstimulation. Yet by regularly allowing ourselves to be guided by involuntary attention – which natural environments can help create – our directed attention can rest and renew itself.

So what is it about the natural world that is so beneficial to health and happiness? The answer is possibly more complex and surprising than it would seem.

In a study of over 1200 public and private sector employees (Kaplan, 1993), those who were lucky enough to look out on a natural scene as simple as some trees or bushes or even a large lawn while they worked experienced a great deal less frustration and more enthusiasm towards their jobs. They also reported fewer ailments and headaches than workers who could see only built environments through their windows. In another study, this time on patients recovering from surgery, those with a window view of trees were compared with those who looked out onto a brick wall (Ulrich, 1984). According to the results, the patients with the nature views had on average shorter hospital stays, fewer complications and less pain medication. While university students under stress from exams showed less fear and anger and experienced more positive feelings when they had a view of plants, according to another study.

The African connection

While today it is possible to live a long life with little contact with nature, our wellbeing is dependent on some interaction with the natural world. Many researchers believe it is our evolutionary roots that, even in our high-technology society continually draw us back to nature, a view first proposed by the Scottish philosopher Thomas Reid in 1785. “By a careful examination of the objects which nature hath given this amiable quality (of beauty),” he wrote, “we may perhaps discover some real excellence in the object, or at least some valuable purpose that is served by the effect it produces upon us.”

G.H.Orians’s study of parks that are designed solely or primarily for aesthetic pleasure across a wide range of cultures helps shed light on our need for nature. Across all cultures, he found, despite varying species of vegetation and local tastes, fundamental designs of parkland mimic the savannas of East Africa, where much of human evolution occurred. The most common basic designs of parklands, his study found, consist not of open grassland or closed forest but a mix, with scattered arrangements of trees laid out in a matrix of grassland.

Compared to tropical rainforests, where most resources of value to early humans exist in the forest canopy, savannas are resource-rich, with most of the biomass existing within two metres of the ground. There it is not only accessible to humans, but also to grazing and browsing mammals, which were in turn a major part of the human diet.

In a study in the northeast United States, photographic images of different landscapes, matched for overall quality, were shown to children. They consistently rated savanna scenes the highest, above rainforest, desert and scenes featuring deciduous and conifer vegetation common in that region.

Another notable feature of many of parks is water. Where it was present naturally in the parks Orians studied, significant efforts had been made to enhance it. Where water wasn’t present naturally, it had been introduced in the form of fountains or artificial ponds for instance. According to Orians, with water so important to early humans’ survival needs, is it no coincidence that it is so prevalent even in modern-day parks?

That’s all very well, say opponents of this theory, but what about European styles of parkland, with their ruler-straight rows of trees and shrubs painstakingly manicured into conical and spherical forms? There’s little reference to the savanna there, surely. Although transposed on top of the broader biological influences mentioned above, says Orians, gardens do refect the ethos of the time. With the Industrial Revolution in full swing across Europe, highly modified parks and gardens were another chance to flaunt humans’ dominance of nature, he says.

Back to nature

The progress we have made in the name of the Western obsession of asserting humankind’s supremacy over nature is are only now starting to come under scrutiny

The assumptions underlying the Western obsession with progress: the idea of humankind created in God’s image as the pinnacle of creation, put on Earth to dominate nature, were taken as given until very recently. The ever-accelerating pace of technological change would dazzle our forefathers, those who worshipped such things as marks of a great civilisation. But if they looked closer they might realise the trade-offs we have made in pursuit of such a vision. They might then realise their oversight. Their noble dream was fatally flawed. They missed one crucial distinction: we can never truly dominate nature because we are part of nature.

Technology has continued its rise, but our essential humanness remains unchanged. Getting ‘back to nature’ necessitates getting back to our nature, essential human nature, the ancient heritage shaped over years by the evolution of our species. It also serves to reconnect us with our essential place in the ecology, not as masters of the planet, but as one part of an integral whole.

Go wild in the city

Growing numbers of us depend on the city for our existence. At the start of the 20^th century, 36% of Australians lived in capital cities. Now around 64% of us do. We’re working longer hours, commuting further and living busier lifestyles.

Fortunately, getting back in touch with nature doesn’t have to mean throwing in your job, packing up and moving to the country – not that there’s anything wrong with that! Short of such a move, here are some suggestions that you can incorporate into your lifestyle today.

Turn on, tune in and chill out

Charles Cook, a New York-based nature guide recommends this to his clients: When you step outside, instead of rushing to your destination, pause and close your eyes to heighten your senses of hearing and smell. Focus on the sounds of nature – bird calls, rustling leaves. Breathe deeply, noticing any scents. Open your eyes, but before you move on, keep still for a few moments, observing your surroundings closely.

A walk in the park

Take a break from workplace trauma and unwind in the relative serenity of a city park. Most cities have beautiful parks in the heart of, or very near to the city centre. Take your lunch and leave your cares at the office.

Do it outdoors

Whatever you do indoors, see if you can’t take it outdoors. Anything from reading the morning paper to eating dinner or working on your laptop can be done outdoors.

Bring the outdoors in

Can’t get out? Bring the outdoors in. Put a little bit of nature into your home or office with indoor plants. As well as cleaning the air and increasing the relative humidity – relieving dry skin in winter – indoor plants have been shown to reduce stress. Just decorating your walls with pictures of natural scenes can also help.

Your own therapeutic garden

Get your hands dirty creating your own garden hideaway. Use trees and shrubs to create a natural enclosure, somewhere where you can leave the world behind. When selecting your plants, choose varieties with lush green foliage and soft pastel coloured flowers to enhance relaxation. For soothing perfumes, try lavender, rosemary, thyme, jonquils, gardenias and roses.

Community gardening

Involve yourself in a community gardening or tree-planting project. The Australian Community Gardens Network can help put you in touch. Contact them on (02) 9588 6931.

Landcare groups

There are over 4,500 Landcare and Coastcare groups in Australia. They meet regularly to care for the environment in their local area, helping develop a sense of community at the same time. Contact Landcare Australia on 1800 151 105.

Natural media

Art and photography exhibitions, television documentaries, novels, non-fiction books celebrating nature, while normally enjoyed indoors, can all help put you back in touch with the outdoors. Or, why not try your own hand at nature photography or poetry instead of just appreciating others’ work?

Golf

It’s the savanna again, this time with the added thrill of swinging a club. Half a million Australians are golf club members and it’s not surprising. Three hours among undulating, tree-lined fairways, silky smooth greens, tranquil lakes and pottering wildlife – now that’s got to be good for you. Contact the Australian Golf Union on (03) 9699 7944 or visit www.agu.org.au.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Orians, G.H. 1986 An ecological and evolutionary approach to landscape aesthetics. In: E.C. Penning-Rowsell and D.Lowenthal (eds.). Landscape meanings and values. Allan & Unwyn, London, Boston.

Heerwagen, J.H. and G. Orians. 1986. Adaptations to windowlessness: A study of the use of visual decor in windowed and windowless offices. Environment and Behavior 18(5):623-639.

Kaplan. R. 1992. The psychological benefits of nearby nature. In: D. Relf (ed.). The Role of Horticulture in Human Well-Being and Social Development: A National Symposium. Timber Press, Portland, OR.

Ulrich, R.S. and R.F. Simons. 1986. Recovery from stress during exposure to everyday outdoor environments. In: J. Wineman, R. Barnes, and C. Zimring (eds.). The costs of not knowing: Proceedings of the Seventeenth Annual Conference of the Environmental Design Research Association. Environmental Design Research Association, Washington, DC

Ulrich, R.S. 1979. Visual landscapes and psychological well-being. Landscape Research 4(1):17-23.

Shoemaker, J. and R.H. Mattson. 1982. Defining horticulture as a therapeutic modality. Part 1: Profiles in horticultural therapy. Part 2: Models in horticultural therapy. Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS.

Kaplan, S., J.F. Talbot, and R. Kaplan. 1988. Coping with daily hassles: The impact of nearby nature on the work environment. Project Report. USDA Forest Service, North Central Forest Experiment Station, Urban Forestry Unit Cooperative Agreement 23-85-08.

Verderber, S.F. 1986. Dimensions of person-window transactions in the hospital environment. Environment and Behavior 18(4):450-466.

phone +61 362 311 611 e-mail ben@benglasson.com