A couple of weeks ago, I was in a meeting with a virtual room full of conservationists. Someone asked the general question of “How do you know when spring has arrived? What’s your personal benchmark?"
You can imagine some of the answers given — the return of birds such as robins or red-winged blackbirds, the crocuses, tulips or daffodils blooming, the timing of the sunset, or the opening day of baseball.
When my turn came to answer this question, my reply was easy — “When the forest feels like Bob Ross is in the middle of painting it.” The forest is easily my happy place and has been since I was a child.
One of my favorite times of year is watching the muted browns and grays of winter morph into brilliant greens, far more than my crayon box ever taught me were possible. The best, or maybe the worst, part of this season is how short it truly is. The bright greens of brand-new leaves will fade to darker greens as the leaves mature. While the mature forest is still a sight to see, I find myself missing the bright green of new life.
The forest floor goes through a similar whirlwind of change before the trees gain their full canopy. The spring ephemerals enter their annual sprint to soak up as much of the sun as they can before flowering and dying back in Mid-Summer.
People tend to look for seasons, much like those being witnessed in the forest right now. Seasons of the year, seasons of life, even our days can be thought of as having seasons. Some tasks just seem to fit better in the morning or at the end of the day. We appreciate predictability and patterns.
When those predictable patterns go sideways, and the world feels upside down, nature can be a good solution. It’s no secret that nature has a long list of health benefits. Physical benefits range from reduced risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure, to greater mobility, vitamin D production, and stronger immune systems.
The mental health benefits are even more pronounced. Studies show improved cognition, memory, focus and reaction times with exposure to nature. Lower rates of anxiety and depression can be measured in as little as 10 minutes. There are also the social benefits to consider. Adults who regularly visit nature show higher rates of empathy and social engagement, and a reduction in loneliness.
Luckily for us, you don’t have to travel to a national park or hike mountains to experience these benefits. The trees in your neighborhood, in the park, in a wildlife preserve or even at the cemetery will have a positive impact.
This spring, I encourage you to spend a little time among the trees. Take a stroll through Chandler Park, or around Oakwood Cemetery. If you have a little more time, go out to Wigwam Hollow Bird sanctuary in Macomb. Just take Wigwam Hollow Road north of town, until you see a sign to the west and a gravel parking lot. Take a walk through the trees, go bird watching from the prairie, or simply pull up a picnic table bench for a nice rest. No prior knowledge of bird identification or song required.
Even when the world feels tumultuous and unpredictable, the consistency found in the rhythm of the forest will be there. Thanks to a dedicated group of like-minded people, there will always be natural areas to find your peace in.
Victoria Livingston is Executive Director of Prairie Land Conservancy.
The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of TSPR or its license holder, Western Illinois University.
Diverse viewpoints are welcomed and encouraged.