Connecting with nature has been proven to have positive benefits for mental health. A recent report by the Mental Health Foundation found that feeling connected to nature is associated with lower levels of anxiety, with 70% of UK adults agreeing that being close to nature improves their mood.
But access to nature is not equal across the UK. For those of us who live urban lives, it often seems that nature lies beyond the city walls. So how can you connect with nature when you live in the city?
Gardens and Yardens
Urban gardens take many forms. From extensive plots in affluent suburbs to container gardens on balconies, gardening is a great way to connect with nature in the city.
You don’t need a lot of space to create an urban garden. You can use window boxes and hanging baskets to grow flowers, herbs, tomatoes, and salad greens. You can even bring your garden inside your home, using porches and windowsills in place of a greenhouse.
If you have a patio or back yard, you can create a raised bed for vegetables. Alternatively, you can use pots and planters to create a container garden. Yards used for container gardening are sometimes known as yardens, and have the potential to bring communities together as the trend spreads through neighbourhoods, turning streets from grey to green.
Parks
For city-dwellers, public parks provide the perfect opportunity for connection with the natural world. Ben Kielesinski, founder of Wildly Apparel, explains: “These beautiful parks have been protected for you to go to appreciate. It’s such a weird thing that people are like: ‘Oh, I have to go to the middle of nowhere for this to count as nature.’ It doesn’t have to be that way.”
Urban parks help mitigate the effects of climate change by absorbing airborne pollutants, cleaning our air, and reducing flood risk. They provide venues for cultural and leisure activities, improving social cohesion among communities. They contain enormous biodiversity, and offer a haven for wildlife.
Many parks have ‘Friends Of’ initiatives, allowing local residents the opportunity to play an active role in park upkeep and development. And they are ideal places to visit when you need to take time out from the stresses of everyday life. Amid the hustle and bustle of the city, urban parks offer an opportunity to reconnect with nature.
Allotments, community gardens, and city farms
If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, allotments and community gardens are another great way to connect with nature in the city. There’s nothing quite like the rich smell of fresh earth and the satisfaction of growing your own food from soil to plate.
An allotment is a plot of land that is set aside for growing food crops. They are often owned by local councils and associations, and rented out for individual use. Fees range from around £20 – £120 a year, depending on location and size of plot, with discounts sometimes available for people on low income. You can contact your local council to apply for an allotment.
There may be a waiting list for allotments in your area, and if you can’t wait to get stuck in, another great option is to get involved with a community garden or city farm. Social farms and gardens are usually run by community groups and charities, and tend to be located within urban areas. They offer a wide range of opportunities that can include work skills training, animal care, horticultural therapy, and of course, the chance to spend time in the great outdoors. A quick internet search should help you find projects nearby.
Urban greening
Urban greening projects work to make urban spaces green. They include green roofs and living walls, the installation of plants and trees in existing urban areas, and the inclusion of green spaces in new developments.
Urban greening helps to reduce flooding, cleans our air, and improves biodiversity. It has been shown to improve the lives, health, and wellbeing of the people who live and work in urban areas.
Greening projects can involve community action, and there are often opportunities to get directly involved. Planting container gardens, taking care of communal green spaces, community litter picks, and sharing ideas with like-minded residents are just some of the ways that you can contribute. A quick internet search can help you find groups and projects in your area.
Urban botany and wildlife
Urban botany is a fascinating way to explore the plant life on your doorstep. City gardens, cycle routes, grass verges, railway embankments, and canals are host to enormous ecological diversity. Plant identification apps can help you identify the native and non-native trees, plants, weeds, and wildflowers that colonise city landscapes.
Urban wildlife thrives because of an abundance of human food sources. Tall buildings provide a welcome home for peregrine falcons and other birds of prey, who benefit from the lack of natural predators. Smaller birds make use of nest boxes in city gardens. Foxes, badgers, squirrels, pigeons, voles, and hedgehogs thrive in urban areas.
Seek out cycle paths, canals, and cemeteries (taking care, of course, of your personal safety). Look to parks and gardens, and turn your eyes to the rooftops. Nature is often closer than we might think, if we only know where to look.
Take a break
Of course, even after doing everything you can to connect with nature in the city, there may still be times when you crave a little time away. A holiday, minibreak, or even just a few hours in the country may be just what you need to reset your batteries and boost connectedness to the natural world.
We all need a break now and then. But we don’t need to abandon our urban lives completely. We simply need to make the most of opportunities that help us connect to nature in the city.
Author Bio
Sandra Bishop is a Newcastle-based freelance writer, specialising in blogs, educational resources, and creative nonfiction. You can learn more about Sandra here.
