248 Nature
Green is good By Rob Yarham, RSPB Pagham & Medmerry
Pagham Harbour North Wall - Rob Yarham
Wild places are important to us humans. We often forget it when we’re so absorbed in our daily lives. But we might look out of the window from time to time at the trees, or see a bird fly past, and experience a moment of peace. Even during lockdown, when many of us couldn’t do much else, when we were finally able to venture out into our parks and gardens, back out into the countryside and to the seaside – nature was there to give us the boost we needed. The trees blossomed and the birds sang, and all seemed well after all. Nature is good for you. But don’t take my word for it. There is a growing body of evidence which confirms that spending time outdoors, in our local wild spaces, provides real benefits for our physical and mental health. For many of us this has felt true for some time. We only have to go for a walk in the countryside, along the beach, or perhaps on one of the nature reserves we’re so lucky to have nearby, to know that it’s a great way to feel refreshed and to forget our worries. Of course, it almost goes without saying that we know that regular exercise – for instance, walking, cycling or gardening – has real benefits for our physical health. Health experts recommend that, in order to stay healthy, we should undertake at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity five times a week. And one of the most enjoyable ways to do that is to go for a walk in the fresh air. But wild spaces also provide us with much more than somewhere to exercise. Research shows that increasing our connection to nature – seeing and ‘being in’ green or wild spaces and watching wildlife – helps our mental wellbeing,
too. Access to nature increases our ability to relax, cope with stress and leads to improvements in mood. And some research suggests that physical recovery from ill health is accelerated by regular exposure to nature. So it is even more important that we protect our green spaces and do all we can for our local wildlife and reserves. By helping nature, ultimately, we’re helping ourselves. Back in 2008, the New Economics Foundation produced a guide which brought together everything experts knew about wellbeing to improve people’s health – they called it “Five Ways to Wellbeing”. The project outlined five ways in which we can all improve our physical and mental health. These included: being more active by taking part in exercise and activities in natural environments; taking time to ‘connect’ with nature and with other people; taking notice of nature, which encourages mindfulness and a sense of calm; keeping mentally active by learning and developing new skills; and giving back to society by sharing time with and supporting people and by shaping and restoring natural spaces. So, when people ask me why I volunteer for the RSPB, I usually tell them lots of reasons, but essentially they come down to these Five Ways to Wellbeing – not that I’d heard about them when I originally volunteered! So there really is no better way to help nature and improve our wellbeing than to join the RSPB as a volunteer, and you don’t need to know about wildlife, either! We provide lots of opportunities for outdoors physical activity, from practical conservation work to walking around the reserves, meeting and chatting to visitors and helping to protect the birds and other wildlife from disturbance. And volunteering also helps us to keep mentally active as we learn new skills around the reserves and in the Visitor Centre, and add to our knowledge about wildlife and conservation. Spending time with people is another great way to improve our mental wellbeing – and volunteering can help you there! You’ll meet lots of wonderful people and work with a great team of friendly staff and volunteers. And you’ll have fun, too! So why not join us? You’ll be doing nature – and yourself – a lot of good!. www.rspb.org.uk/paghamharbour
