During the winter we eat too much, stress too much, and probably don’t move enough…and then we
make New Year’s resolutions to “get healthy”, which we rarely do. Now is the perfect time to start
getting outside but we just can’t seem to get it done. Well sometimes we just need some motivation,
and what better motivation than having some fancy name for what we’re doing.
Ever hear of “Ecopsychology”? Me neither—sounds made up, but as I started reading an article in
YaleEnvironment360 (yes, someone sent it to me) I discovered that scientists are now confirming what I
have always known: the woods are good for you. I guess I’m just ahead of my time!
In fact, science has come so far that they now claim to know exactly how much time you need to spend
in nature–or in “green spaces” to be more precise–to get beneficial results: 120 minutes per week. Less
than that apparently doesn’t do much for you, although I would surmise that ANY time spent outdoors is
good for you. So, in two hours, you can hike about 4 miles on the Palmetto Trail, which means you can
spend a lovely afternoon hiking a portion of almost any of our Palmetto Trail passages. You can also hike
the downtown portion of our urban passages, which is still good for you although that doesn’t exactly
count as “green space”.
You have also probably already heard about “forest bathing”—a term the Japanese originated for
walking in the woods. They’ve found that being in the woods produces a number of benefits to both
physical and mental health. Of course, Japan also has the Suicide Forest, but let’s focus on the positive.
One benefit that surprised me was an increase in Natural Killer or “NK” cells in the immune system. (Bet
you’d never guess you have superhero cells called “Natural Killers” in your body!! I know—it sounds sort
of like a reality series on Netflix, but I looked it up and NK cells are real.) Scientists think aerosols from
the forest are responsible for the increase in NK cells so I think an increase in something that benefits
the immune system would have to be good.
So, we now have “Forest Bathing” and “Ecopsychology”, but there is another demon lurking in the
darkness. This one’s called “Nature-Deficit Disorder”. (I am NOT making this up!) In 2005, a guy named
Richard Louv wrote a book titled ” Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit
Disorder”. He was the first to use the term, which addresses the concern about what happens when
children lose touch with nature. Since his book came out there has been an explosion in studies about
this and they all point in one direction: Nature is not only nice to have, but it’s a must-have for physical
health and cognitive functioning for all ages. (On my authority, you may now call your bosses and tell
them that in order to be sure your brain is functioning properly you will need to spend a day in the
woods to prevent Nature Deficit Disorder.)
As a result of this newly discovered disorder, a “Leave No Child Inside” movement picked up steam
across the country. The effort focuses on encouraging parents to get their kids outside. One website
notes that:
“Children benefit from access to the outdoors in many ways. Studies show that when children
spend time outdoors, feelings of anxiety and depression decrease, concentration and
performance at school improves, and they gain an early appreciation and love of nature. The
exercise that comes with outdoor play and recreation improves weight loss, lowers high blood pressure and contributes to an overall improvement in physical health and fitness. Young people who spend time in nature are also more likely to be strong advocates for the environment as adults.”
I might add that that these are desirable benefits for adults as well.
Researchers estimate that by 2050, two thirds of humanity is projected to live in cities. Here in South
Carolina, we will probably be on the low side of that number, even in 2050. So, let’s take advantage of
our proximity to green spaces, healthy and safe walking trails and lots of trees to give our health a
boost. Get out on the Palmetto Trail, and I hope to see you out there: forest bathing, practicing some
Ecopsychology, and fighting Nature Deficit Disorder with me. It’s a noble challenge.
Furman Miller
Palmetto Trail Regional Coordinator
