Nature’s the best medicine
WATCHING nature has always been a wonderful panacea to the anguish of troubled times. Rachel Carson, whose writings were the seed germ of today’s conservation movement, reminds us that witnessing the natural world in all its glories provides both fortitude and hope.
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the Earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts,” declared the American biologist whose 1960s classic Silent Spring is hailed as one of the great scientific works.
Albert Einstein’s sage advice goes as follows: “Look deep into nature and you will understand everything better.”while scientists are doing their best to come up with a Covid-19 vaccine, the rest of us can find cure-alls for the anxieties with the belief that nature really nurtures.
Besides the threat to life posed by a deadly virus, many of us face the dread of become hermetically sealed off from society.
The mention of self-isolation tears at the soul. Legions in enforced lockdown have been left facing a world of uncertainty.
Let us look for hope and see that every window gazed through witnesses natural vistas to soothe the spirit.taking succour from living things circling around us, be they birds, bees, creepy minibeasts or plants untouched by the travails of a human world in crisis, brings an instant buzz.
As the spring equinox welcomes the most vibrant of seasons, learn from studies which show how connecting with nature suppresses the cortisol stress hormone while accentuating feel-good chemicals in the brain.
Simply stepping into the humblest gardens enters you into a world of untold riches.
Each stone turned, each leaf examined, reveals the hurry-scurry world of invertebrates with their compelling life stories and, as spring advances, the variety of miniature life forms on view will increase by the day. Brimstone butterflies are already on the wing, bringing a touch of sunlight to foreboding skies. Busy queen buff-tailed bumblebees have begun bombing about in search of food and nesting quarters. Soon ants will be acting out their daily soap operas. Even the dowdiest windowboxes or drab backyards are never devoid of action.
Then we have the birds to unfurl greater marvels. Scores of species see our ornamental trees, lawns, shrubberies and herbaceous borders as replicas of their natural arboreal and pastoral habitats.
They come in a kaleidoscope of shapes and colours to nest, feed and give delight to those who take time to watch – the very best of daytime viewing.
For proof, behold how supporters of the British Trust for Ornithology’s excellent Garden Birdwatch scheme have not just tallied but been thrilled by the 194,029,261 sightings of 387 species of birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians and mammals during the 25 years it has been running.
Join them by pulling back the curtains and experiencing nature on your doorstep
As times threaten to isolate and separate us from loved ones, a line from Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida shows we are not alone or separated: “One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.”
‘Birds to unfurl greater marvels’