Hiking her way to understanding: Jill Suttie

Jill Suttie - a life of hiking
has illustrated the
importance of caring for
the environment.
 

I’ve been an avid hiker my whole life. From the time I first strapped on a backpack and headed into the Sierra Nevada Mountains, I was hooked on the experience, loving the way being in nature cleared my mind and helped me to feel more grounded and peaceful.

But, even though I’ve always believed that hiking in nature had many psychological benefits, I’ve never had much science to back me up … until now, that is. Scientists are beginning to find evidence that being in nature has a profound impact on our brains and our behavior, helping us to reduce anxiety, brooding, and stress, and to increase our attention capacity, creativity, and ability to connect with other people.

Read the story by Jill Suttie on Yes! - “We Know Nature Makes Us Happier. Now Science Says It Makes Us Kinder Too.”

(Taking steps to counter climate change has values that far exceed the obvious, such as helping the world avoid catastrophic changes to the world’s weather systems.

Caring for the environment, endless research demonstrates, is simply good for you both physically and importantly, emotionally. At a personal level, simply being the company of a generous stand of trees, native or otherwise, enhances your sense of well-being and attitudes and it has even been suggested that a lunch-time break should include a walk in a park among tree and plants to ensure a happier and more productive afternoon at work.

So, caring for the environment is not just about being a good  person, it helps you be a good person – Robert McLean).