The Nature Fix

The Nature Fix

Adult nonfiction
"This book explores the science behind what poets and
philosophers have known for eons: place matters. Aristotle believed
walks in the open air clarified the mind. Darwin, Tesla, and Einstein
walked in gardens and groves to help them think. Teddy Roosevelt, one
of the most hyperproductive presidents of all time, would escape for
months to the open country. On some level they all fought a tendency
to be "tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people" as hiker-
philosopher John Muir put it in in 1901..."
We have a perfect sledding hill in Veazie. Located near the old
school, it delivers a satisfying ride and safe landing. When my kids
were little a snow day would bring out the kids, little ones with
parents in tow, older ones swapping out the sleds for snow boards.
These days under similar circumstances the snow surface remains
unbroken. It's not just that hill. More affluent kids can be so
programmed outdoors can mean the buzz cut sports field or a place
viewed through the car window between lessons and activities. Schools
are relentlessly cutting recessed and other opportunities for
unstructured outdoor play. A lot of kids across all divisions are
spending a bit too much time indoors focussed on those ubiquitous
screens.
We adults aren't setting them great examples.
If you're asking why that matters or lamenting "so sad, too bad,
but nothing we can do about it," I urge you to read Florence Williams'
The Nature Fix. Williams has traveled the globe to cover cutting edge
research on the various reasons we need nature for everything from our
physical and spiritual well being to our creativity and mental
functioning. She also writes about what is being done to make nature
more accessible to people in a world in which, for the first time in
human history, more of us live in urban than rural areas. Some of the
places she takes readers to include:
*Korea where there are three official healing forests and thirty-four
slated to open soon. South Korea has high levels of work hours,
school and job dissatisfaction, and suicide. The forests are designed
to cut down on the underlying factor: stress;
*Finland where over 95% of the citizens regularly engage in outdoor
recreation. Research there has studied the effect of nature on
psychological well-being;
and *America where the effect of nature on brain waves is being
studied and veterans with PTSD are doing challenging wilderness
programs.
Williams started off on the skeptical side. All the current
hype couldn't be true. Or could it? She ended up becoming a
believer. In her epilogue she tells us:
"Health care is only a piece of the solution. The access-to-
nature movement also ideally needs to grow out of schools, churches,
workplaces, neighborhood associations, and cities as a whole. And it
won't happen unless we acknowledge more consciously our need for
nature. As I've learned through the course of reporting this book we
profoundly undervalue that need. You can see it when we cut recess
and outdoor play for kids, when we design buildings and neighborhoods
that cut off light, space, and fresh air, when we stay inside instead
of making the effort to go out...Until we all fully acknowledge the
need for nature that's driving some of our behavior, we won't work to
make it available for everyone.
On a personal note, I was one of those heretical parents who let my
kids spend a lot of time outside playing with random kids with (gasp!)
no adult supervision. Actually the trailer park has more nature
access than some of the most pricey streets by benign neglect rather
than design. The park itself is full of trees and in season
pollinator attracting dandelions and clover. Our surroundings include
a stream, a field, and woods. My kids spent enchanted hours catching
frogs, practicing bike tricks, sledding, creating hang out spots,
hunting for treasure, creating a cemetary for animals, having water
fights, playing tag and four square, and enjoying the same kind of
pursuits I had.
I enjoy our in the hood nature. My favorite aspect is the beguiling
sunsets that can rival 4th of July fireworks at times. Except when it
is snowed in, my walk to the bus stop is through the woods path which
is alive with creatures small to middling. In the summer I
participate in community garden. And my most frequent go to
destination is the University of Maine which has green spots aplenty
and a gorgeous classic New England campus. Right now we are enjoying
the blossoming of lilacs and blossoming trees.
A pet peeve of mine is seeing students walk past all this beauty with
their eyes glued to small screens. I have no trouble disrupting their
electronic bonding to point out flowers, a sunset, a scampering
squirrel.
A great big shout out goes out to my now grown up outdoor kids who are
still in touch with their need for nature. Katie has promised me a
beach trip this summer.
jules hathaway



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