Rating: 4 out of 5

An interesting read. I found this while looking for books that delved into the link between good mental health and nature or woodlands. Emma has a far greater knowledge of nature than I do - I can’t name trees never mind rare flowers - but I definitely feeling an appreciation for nature. Some days my mind is busy and little permeates. But some days I can still my brain and hear the distinct bird songs, notice the different colours of green, spot the little flowers. On a recent holiday I stood at the foot of a waterfall and felt such a sense of awe. Nature is wonderful.

Highlighted passage:

As the novelist Alice Walker wrote “I understood at a very early age that in nature I felt everything I should feel in church but never did”

There is more bright sunshine during these first weeks of JUly that I can remember in several years but, while for some people just the sight of a sunny day through a window can make a difference, its mood-lifting effects can really only be felt if it hits the retina or skin directly

Wild places are an essential medicine for me, a sort of safety net

humans may need to be in natural landscapes regularly in order to be fully well

There is an ancient and potent connection between us and the land: we evolved to live in wild places

Originally posted to my Goodreads account