The mental health of 21st-century children is at risk because they are missing out on the exposure to the natural world enjoyed by past generations.
Dr William Bird, the health adviser to Natural England, has compiled evidence that people are healthier and better adjusted if they get out into the countryside, parks or gardens.
Stress levels fall within minutes of seeing green spaces, he says. Even filling a home with flowers and plants can improve concentration and lower stress.
“If children haven’t had contact with nature, they never develop a relationship with natural environment and they are unable to use it to cope with stress,” he said.
[via Daily Mail]