{"id":630,"date":"2020-05-29T13:45:43","date_gmt":"2020-05-29T12:45:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/business-school\/?p=630"},"modified":"2020-05-29T13:45:45","modified_gmt":"2020-05-29T12:45:45","slug":"mental-health-and-connecting-with-your-local-natural-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/business-school\/2020\/05\/29\/mental-health-and-connecting-with-your-local-natural-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"Mental health and connecting with your local natural environment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Polly Wyatt<\/strong>
Business School Green Impact team member<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here at the\u00a0Business School, we\u00a0are\u00a0initiating a conversation concerning local wildlife\u00a0and wellbeing:\u00a0Providing tips on how to connect with nature, how to enhance nature,\u00a0and how to\u00a0enjoy wildlife\u00a0both individually and collectively.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Nature and mental health<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many studies have examined the impact that experiencing nature has on our mental health. Even a ten-minute nature fix, enjoying the sun on your face or doing some exercises outdoors, really helps to minimise stress.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connecting with nature can make us feel more energised, can increase our sense of purpose and can make tasks feel more manageable.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nature can wash away whatever is provoking our stress. Nurturing a plant can help us appreciate our ability to tend and cultivate, as well as providing a sense of achievement. The sounds, textures and colours of nature can make us feel connected. Watching animals play can have a calming effect and take us out of our own heads. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We all have different ways of experiencing nature and different reasons for wanting to connect with it, and its effects are manifold.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What can you see in your local area? <\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Whether you live in the heart of a city or down a country lane \u2013 there\u2019s always new wildlife experiences waiting to be discovered right on your doorstep. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spending time in green spaces makes us happier and healthier – and best of all is good fun.\u00a0Now is a great time\u00a0to\u00a0observe\u00a0local wildlife\u00a0growing in your garden or surrounding areas.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

East Sussex is incredibly biodiverse, and we are especially lucky to live next to such a wonderfully diverse shoreline. With our attention turning to such things, we\u2019ve compiled a list of things to look out for: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plants<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Elderflower\u00a0season is upon us!\u00a0May and June\u00a0is\u00a0the perfect time to see the\u00a0delicate creamy-white\u00a0crop.\u00a0Elder (Sambucus\u00a0nigra)\u00a0is a common shrub\u00a0growing in\u00a0hedgerows and neglected\u00a0ground.\u00a0Maybe grab a few\u00a0flowers\u00a0and see\u00a0what\u00a0concoctions you can use them in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Now is the perfect time to spot elderflower.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Top Tip:<\/strong> Plant and bird identifying apps are\u00a0nifty\u00a0tools\u00a0for identifying unknown plants or birds.\u00a0Naturalist<\/a>\u00a0is\u00a0a plant identification and information app.\u00a0If enough people\u00a0take\u00a0pictures of\u00a0a plant,\u00a0it will be\u00a0used in\u00a0biodiversity research!\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0Plant-net<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Bird-net<\/a>\u00a0are also great options for spotting wildlife.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

B<\/strong>irds<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Give bird spotting a go!\u00a0Sussex Wildlife Trust\u00a0are\u00a0hosting a weekly\u00a0Back-Garden Bird<\/a>\u00a0race. The challenge asks you to sit in\u00a0your garden,\u00a0or\u00a0on your balcony, or look out\u00a0of your windows\u00a0for one hour\u00a0and note down all the wild bird species that you can see.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bullfinch males\u00a0are\u00a0handsome birds that can be spotted in a British hedgerow. They\u2019re located\u00a0most easily around woodland edges and can be tough to spot \u2013 they\u2019re a reclusive bird that rarely venture out for too long. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

T<\/em><\/strong>op tip:\u00a0Make your garden feather friendly<\/strong>. You can do this by placing feeders off the ground, ensuring they\u2019re out of reach for cats,\u00a0positioning nest boxes, avoid cutting back hedges and trees during the spring and summer, and\u00a0by planting wildlife friendly vegetation\u00a0(birds are most attracted to berries).\u00a0More tips on\u00a0bird feeding\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

B<\/strong>utterflies<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Summer is one of the best times to see beautiful butterflies. Try and\u00a0spot\u00a0the majestic and the beautiful and\u00a0teach yourself how to identify certain species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Adonis Blue is a gorgeous butterfly that typically emerges during May, with numbers peaking in June.\u00a0I\u00a0actually spotted\u00a0one this afternoon\u2026your turn!\u00a0 <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Bee<\/strong>s<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are about 24 types of bee in the UK. Sadly, they are in decline due to habitat loss.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Numbers of bees are sadly in decline.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

University of Sussex Professor of Biology\u00a0Dave\u00a0Goulson\u00a0specialises\u00a0in the ecology and conservation of insects<\/a>.\u00a0Professor\u00a0Goulson\u00a0has researched the\u00a0devastating\u00a0impact pesticides have on bumblebees.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\u00a0urges\u00a0us to consider the importance of bees,\u00a0reminding us how insects are at the heart of everything\u00a0in the\u00a0food chain, acting as pollinators.\u00a0Without bees, the ecosystem would collapse.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We encourage you to participate in nature in whatever way you can!\u00a0We\u00a0would love to hear about the seasonal changes and critters where you are.\u00a0Please\u00a0do\u00a0tell\u00a0us what local wildlife\u00a0you see in your local area, wherever you are in the world.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read next: Looking at nature through lockdown eyes<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Polly WyattBusiness School Green Impact team member Here at the\u00a0Business School, we\u00a0are\u00a0initiating a conversation concerning local wildlife\u00a0and wellbeing:\u00a0Providing tips on how to connect with nature, how to enhance nature,\u00a0and how to\u00a0enjoy wildlife\u00a0both individually and collectively.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":254,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[168882],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/parRhU-aa","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/business-school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/business-school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/business-school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/business-school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/254"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/business-school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=630"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/business-school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":639,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/business-school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630\/revisions\/639"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/business-school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/business-school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/business-school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}