Each of us has our own favourite places where we can experience the sights, sounds and smells of the natural world. My go-to place is a small patch of wild woodland claiming the secret side of a steep drumlin hill in west Cavan, hidden between a bend of a rust brown river and a small country road. In early spring the golden bark of multi-stemmed hazel trees shimmers in the morning sunshine; catkins dangle from branches to release their yellow pollen on the breeze. Blood red female hazel flowers are so tiny they’re easy to miss, unless you know to look. Bright cushions of moss and fractal patterned ferns decorate fallen logs.
Fast-flowing river water is the backing track to the soothing peeps and chirps of blackbirds, chaffinches and tree creepers. Recollections of things I’ve read come to mind as I listen, like how our human ears are only able to pick up on a fraction of the sounds that these birds sing. Their tiny syrinx (the name of bird’s vocal organ) can produce more notes than there are on a standard piano in just one second.
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All these woodland birds are beginning to pair up for nesting season soon to come. And in a few weeks’ time, swathes of bluebells and soft shamrock-shaped leaves of wood sorrel will respond to the lengthening days and strengthening light, erupting from their winter slumber to blanket the woodland floor with their flowers. These and other early spring woodland flowers will soon be offering up energy-boosting nectar and protein-rich pollen for new bumblebee queens emerging from their winter slumber.
I am eager for the vigour of spring. I know that as I weave my way slowly through riotous tangle of greens, my shoulders let go of whatever tensions they carry, anxiety dissipates in the bustle of light and colour. Each moment brings another spontaneous discovery and thoughts melt away in to the absorbing experience of the present.
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I know that I am not alone in how much I feel recharged when I spend time in beautiful wild places such as this. Last year the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published survey results, which found that 84 per cent of Irish people said access to nature was important for their mental health. In one oft cited academic research paper, a team in the University of Exeter Medical School found that greater exposure to, or “contact with”, natural environments is associated with better health and wellbeing. The magnitude of the benefit is comparable to the health and wellbeing benefits we get from achieving versus not achieving recommended levels of physical activity each week.
In Ireland, we are fortunate to have a wealth of intriguing nature all around us, despite the relentless pace of biodiversity loss that has taken place over the past half-century
What’s more, a strong body of evidence has been emerging in recent years that spending time in nature is one of the best predictors of favourable environmental behaviour. Researchers in the Economic and Social Research Institute have found that time spent in nature fosters a more pro-environmental attitude.
In Ireland, we are fortunate to have a wealth of intriguing nature all around us, despite the relentless pace of biodiversity loss that has taken place over the past half-century. We can go to fragments of deciduous woodlands in spring to immerse ourselves in dappled green light and soak up the scent of bluebells. We can visit the Burren in May and June and allow ourselves to be awed by the ridiculous abundance of wildflowers there. We can get familiar with a nearby field in high summer, when it fills with shimmering mists of meadow buttercups and the pure pink flowers of ragged robin, soundtracked by the enchanting sounds of grasshoppers and bush-crickets. Some of us might even learn to step back and allow the front garden to fill itself up with self-sown thistles, dandelions and ox-eye daisies to charm us each morning and provide vital sustenance for ladybirds, butterflies and bumblebees.
Experiences such as these help nurture a connection between ourselves and Ireland’s rich tapestry of wild plants and animals. Instead of turning away from nature, whether because we are time-poor, uninspired or even cynical, each of us can make more time, cultivate our curiosity, and learn to identify more of the wildflowers, butterflies and birds that surround us. With the extravagance of spring on its way, right now is a really good time to dust off the hiking boots or wellies and plan some adventures in Irish nature for the coming spring and summer.
Our wellbeing, both psychological and material, depends on healthy ecosystems, which in turn are at least partially dependent on our collective level of conscious contact with them.
Anja Murray is an ecologist, environmental policy analyst and broadcaster