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The health benefits of a life in nature, a guest post by Holly Genevieve

Being outside in nature is something that everybody should make time for, especially as we are becoming such a digitally driven society.

It’s interesting because it’s not until you spend time outdoors (whether it’s a walk by a river, a day in the countryside or a woodland hike), that you feel the incredible effects of the great outdoors. It can be very easy to become accustomed to the indoor world; you spend your days in the city, time in the office and then hurry home to collapse in the comfort of your home. But, if you’re someone like me who needs time outside to remain sane, then you’ll already be sat here thinking ‘That’s right girl, preach IT!’. For those who are sceptical, then read on…

Whilst I am a personal advocate for being in nature, this is not just my opinion. Researchers and scientists have already produced a mass of evidence that indicates that nature is good for us, and has both long and short-term mental and physical health benefits.

Nature puts things into perspective. There is no social influence when outdoors. It is just you and nature, so you are free to wander life in its purest form. It has wonderful calming effects and reminds you that chaos and harmony are mutually exclusive to living life. The natural world shows us that storms can wreak havoc, but simultaneously hundreds of animals and plants live together in one small habitat. This is the way the ecosystem works – each species contributes to a greater balance as they coexist. When I think about it like this, I can’t help but think humans could do with taking note.

The benefits of nature have fascinated scientists for many years, and hundreds of studies have been done which prove its healing properties. One study found that just looking at natural scenery activates parts of the brain associated with balance and happiness. In a study at South Korea’s Chonnam National University, FMRI scans showed that when subjects saw images of mountains, forests, and other landscapes, they experienced heightened activity in the anterior cingulate gyrus (which is linked to positive outlook and emotional stability) and the basal ganglia (an area that’s been tied to the recollection of happy memories).

A study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that a small group of subjects who strolled through nature for just an hour and a half reported a reduction in negative thoughts. How amazing is that?! Just finding an hour and a half in your day or week to be outdoors can have a remarkable and positive effect on your mindset, meaning unhealthy habits such as drinking and shopping to make yourself feel better can be a think of the past.

Most significantly, nature is a HUGE stress buster. During my degree, I was always finding ways to get out of the city and library. I went on so many day adventures and walks in Leigh Woods, because it was literally the only way for me to de-stress (as well as the gym!). So, feeling stressed and tense? Head for the trees! Researchers have spent many years looking into the effects forests have on humans. One study found a decrease in both heart rate and levels of cortisol in subjects in the forest when compared to those in the city. ‘Stressful states can be relieved by forest therapy’ they concluded.

This makes me particularly happy because forests are my favourite places in the entire world. They are the one place where I feel relaxed and calm. The sound and smells of the forest are the most wonderful thing, and wherever I live, I will always make sure woods are nearby!

So, how do we find the time to bask in nature’s glory when our lives are already so busy? Well, if you live in the city, it can be as simple as taking a walk in the sun on your lunch break (or if it’s autumnal like now, find an area with some beautiful orange and red trees), going for a jog around the park before work, or taking a mini trip to the woods on the weekend.

If you’re looking for a proper escape, I would recommend camping. It’s the best way to really get yourself away from technology and emerge yourself into the outdoors.  Although it’s not your comfy hotel experience, you will feel really good after doing it. Camping is such a fun thing to do, and it’s rarely uneventful. In the last few years, I have camped on top of a waterfall, with nothing but a sleeping bag and a camp fire; I have wild camped in the Spanish countryside, sleeping in a hammock under the stars;  and I have camped in Ireland in the Wicklow Mountains, during a massive storm that made it quite an eventful night. I didn’t get much sleep, but I did return to England with lower stress levels, feeling good afer a weekend of hiking in the mountains and feeling more positive about myself.

Canoeing is also another really fun outdoorsy activity and not too expensive. Bring along a picnic and some music and I promise that you will have the best day ever.

To finish off, I want to highlight how beneficial the outdoors is for mental health problems, especially in wake of the mental health awareness that has been taking place on social media. As someone who has experienced both depression and anxiety, I found that not only did being in nature improve my stress levels and made me feel really good, it also helped relieve my anxiety and depression. This was especially the case when combined with exercise, so often I would go for a run through the woods behind my house, or round some of the big parks in Bristol. Scientists have found that walks in the forest specifically are associated with decreased levels of anxiety and heavy feelings, and a study found that outdoor walks could be ‘useful clinically as a supplement to existing treatments’ for the major depressive disorder.

‘Every green environment improved both self-esteem and mood’, found an analysis of 10 earlier studies about so-called ‘green exercise’.  The presence of water made the positive effects even stronger, so if you have a river nearby, then head down!

Remember, it is important to take care of both your mind and your body, and you can do both by stepping outside your door!

Holly Genevieve is a blogger and writer. She maintains a lifestyle blog, Genevieve Rose, which can be found here: https://genevieverosesite.wordpress.com/contact/genevieve-rose-about/

Top 10 Facts: Mallard

High-flyer. The humble Mallard has been recorded flying at speeds of up to 55 miles per hour – slightly faster than the average speed of most waterfowl. While the Mallard does not typically fly at altitudes greater than 10,000 feet, in 1962 one was struck and killed by an airliner flying at 21,000 feet – a record height for birdstrike at the time. Sadly, the Mallard did not make it and identification was only made possible through feather analysis.

Sexually dimorphic. While male and female Mallards look very different, they also sound different too, with drakes giving a raspier one or two-note call as opposed to the much more stereotypical quack of the female bird. Female birds often give off what is called a decresendo call – a series of 2-10 quacks that start loud and gradually get softer and shorter.

Domestic stock. The Mallard (alongside the Muscovy) are the only breeds of wild duck to be entirely domesticated by humans. The Mallard is the ancestor of most of the domestic duck breeds in existence today, including breeds as the Aylesbury, Khaki Campbell, Indian Runner, Silver Appleyard and Rouen. Domestication was achieved by selective breeding for desired traits like plumage, growth speed, and high egg production.

Longevity. Data taken from the ring of a Mallard shot in 2008 showed that it was tagged by biologists in 1981, making it at least 27 years old at the time of its death and the oldest known Mallard on record. This is seen as an incredible record given the fact that the average lifespan of your typical Mallard is just 3–5 years in the wild and about a decade in captivity.

World domination. The Mallard has one of the largest home-ranges of any bird species, breeding widely across both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. In North America, its range extends from Alaska to Mexico; while in Eurasia, it can be found from Greenland and Iceland in the North, all the way to Morocco in the South. Mallard populations can also be found as far West as Japan and South Korea, with further populations found across parts of Australia and New Zealand.

Homosexual Necrophilia. Kees Moeliker, a curator at Rotterdam’s Natuurhistorisch Museum once observed a male Mallard attempting to copulate with the corpse of a deceased drake recently killed while flying into a museum window. Believe it or not, there is actually a scientific paper published about the incident.

A numbers game. Mallards are recognised as one of the most numerous duck species in the world, with the US population alone thought to fall somewhere in the region of  11.6 million birds. In Europe the overall population is estimated at between 5,700,000 and 9,220,000 mature individuals, with the UK breeding population thought to include between 61,000 and 146,000 pairs.

Amber listed. Despite their expansive range and overall abundance, the Mallard is amber listed as a result of a moderate decline in the UK wintering population. Some British wintering populations fell by 40% between the years of the last national census; though with populations on the continent continuing to increase, there is speculation that more birds may have decided to spend the winter closer to home. The breeding population of Mallards in the UK has remained relatively stable throughout.

First described. The Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos, was first described in 1758 by the renowned taxonomist Carl Linnaeus. It’s name stems from the Latin word for “duck” and a far older Greek term meaning “broad-billed”.

Far from picky. The humble Mallard is far from picky in its dining preferences, feeding freely on both animal and plant matter. Among the animal groups consumed, gastropods, crustaceans and invertebrates form the largest part of the bird’s diet, while of the plant material consumed, roots, tubers, seeds and foliage are taken in roughly equal measure. Studies have shown Mallard diet to be split roughly between 37.6% animal matter and 62.4% plant matter.

Bonus fact. In recent years there have been a number of observed cases of Mallards directly predating other birds species. This includes a Grey Wagtail in June 2017. This behaviour is poorly understood but is thought to be an entirely new phenomenon.