1 00:00:01,192 --> 00:00:04,304 (gentle music) 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 3 00:00:04,304 --> 00:00:07,054 (birds chirping) 4 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 5 00:00:14,500 --> 00:00:17,020 - [Presenter] A new form of medicine is taking shape, 6 00:00:17,020 --> 00:00:19,210 extracted from the hearts of our forests, 7 00:00:19,210 --> 00:00:21,140 lakes, and mountains. 8 00:00:21,140 --> 00:00:23,900 Many of our us instinctively know that taking a walk 9 00:00:23,900 --> 00:00:25,990 in the woods, a stroll in the park, 10 00:00:25,990 --> 00:00:29,150 or touching the soil improves our wellbeing, 11 00:00:29,150 --> 00:00:33,660 stimulates our creativity, and favors a calm disposition. 12 00:00:33,660 --> 00:00:35,700 But is it just an intuition? 13 00:00:35,700 --> 00:00:38,980 Does nature have measurable effects on our bodies, 14 00:00:38,980 --> 00:00:41,483 our emotions, or our brains? 15 00:00:42,590 --> 00:00:45,290 Until recently, scientific proof to back up 16 00:00:45,290 --> 00:00:47,350 this intuition had been lacking, 17 00:00:47,350 --> 00:00:48,960 but over the last 20 years, 18 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:51,610 some of the world's most pioneering researchers 19 00:00:51,610 --> 00:00:53,830 have made startling discoveries. 20 00:00:53,830 --> 00:00:56,440 They are in the middle of proving how spending time 21 00:00:56,440 --> 00:00:58,600 in nature, or even looking at it, 22 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:01,230 stimulates our natural immune system 23 00:01:01,230 --> 00:01:05,270 and helps us battle stress, mental fatigue, depression, 24 00:01:05,270 --> 00:01:07,233 and could even make us happier. 25 00:01:09,210 --> 00:01:11,720 These major discoveries will revolutionize 26 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:13,760 the way we approach health, medicine, 27 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:16,133 and our relationship to the living world. 28 00:01:20,917 --> 00:01:23,750 (uplifting music) 29 00:01:27,829 --> 00:01:30,496 (wind swooshes) 30 00:01:31,671 --> 00:01:34,504 (uplifting music) 31 00:01:50,870 --> 00:01:53,660 As a kid, I used to spend hours in trees. 32 00:01:53,660 --> 00:01:56,030 I'm lucky to have made that my job. 33 00:01:56,030 --> 00:01:58,250 I'm a journalist who specializes in topics 34 00:01:58,250 --> 00:02:00,400 involving nature and ecology. 35 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:01,880 10 years ago, I wrote a book 36 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:04,216 about my reconnection to nature. 37 00:02:04,216 --> 00:02:06,028 (bells chime) 38 00:02:06,028 --> 00:02:08,436 (lighthearted music) 39 00:02:08,436 --> 00:02:11,186 (birds chirping) 40 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:15,070 In the scope of my research, 41 00:02:15,070 --> 00:02:19,560 every person I met confirmed they felt better, more joyful, 42 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:22,500 more creative, and happier when in nature. 43 00:02:22,500 --> 00:02:25,700 But when I asked them for tangible proof of these sensations 44 00:02:25,700 --> 00:02:28,313 or intuitions, they simply didn't have any. 45 00:02:29,980 --> 00:02:33,133 So I went searching for those who had studied the subject. 46 00:02:34,130 --> 00:02:36,670 I wanted to go beyond the simple affirmation 47 00:02:36,670 --> 00:02:39,770 that a walk in the forest is good for our health. 48 00:02:39,770 --> 00:02:42,720 The discoveries I made extended far beyond 49 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:44,893 anything I could have ever imagined. 50 00:02:46,030 --> 00:02:48,890 My study started with an important question. 51 00:02:48,890 --> 00:02:51,570 Does time spent in nature have a scientifically 52 00:02:51,570 --> 00:02:53,610 measurable effect on our bodies? 53 00:02:53,610 --> 00:02:56,303 And if so, how does it affect our health? 54 00:02:57,300 --> 00:02:59,180 It was all the way across the world 55 00:02:59,180 --> 00:03:02,203 that I found the first elements of answer, in Japan. 56 00:03:04,391 --> 00:03:06,974 (gentle music) 57 00:03:20,662 --> 00:03:23,568 (birds chirping) 58 00:03:23,568 --> 00:03:26,151 (gentle music) 59 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:47,300 Professor Lee is one of the first researchers 60 00:03:47,300 --> 00:03:50,050 to have analyzed the tree's ability to impact 61 00:03:50,050 --> 00:03:51,083 our immune system. 62 00:03:53,055 --> 00:03:56,003 (speaking in foreign language) 63 00:03:56,003 --> 00:03:58,360 - [Interpreter] Shinrin-yoku Uses the power of the forest 64 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:00,623 in order to heal and prevent sickness. 65 00:04:01,870 --> 00:04:03,960 (Qing speaking in foreign language) 66 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:08,023 We can absorb the benefits through all five of our senses. 67 00:04:08,023 --> 00:04:10,807 (speaking in foreign language) 68 00:04:10,807 --> 00:04:13,890 (calm melodic music) 69 00:04:18,450 --> 00:04:19,660 - [Interpreter] By connecting with nature, 70 00:04:19,660 --> 00:04:21,700 I'm hoping to reduce daily stress. 71 00:04:21,700 --> 00:04:23,363 That's why I come to the forest. 72 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:29,370 - [Presenter] To encourage their people 73 00:04:29,370 --> 00:04:31,220 to enjoy the benefits of the forest, 74 00:04:31,220 --> 00:04:32,740 Japanese authorities have created 75 00:04:32,740 --> 00:04:35,650 about 60 certified shirin-yoku sites, 76 00:04:35,650 --> 00:04:37,403 complete with available guides. 77 00:04:38,888 --> 00:04:39,721 (man speaking in foreign language) 78 00:04:39,721 --> 00:04:41,010 - [Interpreter] If you touch a tree, 79 00:04:41,010 --> 00:04:43,240 the tree will think it's being attacked. 80 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:45,520 It thinks it's an insect or a woodpecker, 81 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:49,130 so it reduces certain substances to protect itself. 82 00:04:49,130 --> 00:04:52,653 But in essence, those substances are good for human beings. 83 00:04:54,300 --> 00:04:57,823 That's why we touch or kiss the tree to stimulate it. 84 00:04:59,430 --> 00:05:02,760 After doing that, if we sit nearby for a moment, 85 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:05,863 these therapeutic substances will be diffused by the tree. 86 00:05:06,954 --> 00:05:09,690 (speaking in foreign language) 87 00:05:09,690 --> 00:05:12,890 - [Presenter] In 2006, Professor Lee was the first scientist 88 00:05:12,890 --> 00:05:16,170 to prove that the aromatic substances produced by the trees 89 00:05:16,170 --> 00:05:17,830 activate the cells that protect 90 00:05:17,830 --> 00:05:19,913 our body's natural immune system. 91 00:05:21,213 --> 00:05:22,770 (speaking in foreign language) 92 00:05:22,770 --> 00:05:24,670 - [Interpreter] The most important sense is smell, 93 00:05:24,670 --> 00:05:27,150 which detects phytoncides. 94 00:05:27,150 --> 00:05:29,543 Let me explain what a phytoncide is. 95 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:34,000 It's substance produced by the tree to protect itself 96 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:36,193 against insects or bacteria. 97 00:05:37,570 --> 00:05:38,510 During my research, 98 00:05:38,510 --> 00:05:40,850 we were able to prove that phytoncides 99 00:05:40,850 --> 00:05:43,137 boost what we call natural killers, 100 00:05:43,137 --> 00:05:45,143 and this was confirmed in the lab. 101 00:05:46,212 --> 00:05:49,550 (Qing speaking in foreign language) 102 00:05:49,550 --> 00:05:51,550 Natural killers are white cells, 103 00:05:51,550 --> 00:05:53,800 immune system cells. 104 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:57,410 Natural killers are responsible for killing cancerous cells. 105 00:05:57,410 --> 00:05:59,340 So when it comes to our health, 106 00:05:59,340 --> 00:06:01,390 they're some of the most important cells. 107 00:06:02,451 --> 00:06:05,800 (Qing speaking in foreign language) 108 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:07,550 - [Interpreter] If someone does three days and two nights 109 00:06:07,550 --> 00:06:11,230 of shirin-yoku, the activity of the natural killers expands. 110 00:06:11,230 --> 00:06:15,380 We've observed an increase in activity of 52%. 111 00:06:15,380 --> 00:06:17,070 - [Presenter] And the effects are lasting. 112 00:06:17,070 --> 00:06:20,040 Natural killer cells have been shown to be more active 113 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:22,920 up to 30 days, following a forest bath. 114 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:25,183 This can even be prolonged further. 115 00:06:26,053 --> 00:06:26,886 (man speaking in foreign language) 116 00:06:26,886 --> 00:06:29,773 - [Interpreter] Now, I want you to slowly reopen your eyes. 117 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:32,370 (Qing speaking in foreign language) 118 00:06:32,370 --> 00:06:34,300 - [Interpreter] If every month we spend three days 119 00:06:34,300 --> 00:06:36,160 and two nights in the forest, 120 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:39,960 we could maintain elevated levels of natural killers, 121 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:41,660 and that's the most powerful result 122 00:06:41,660 --> 00:06:43,363 I have found in my research. 123 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:50,220 - [Presenter] Professor Lee wanted to learn 124 00:06:50,220 --> 00:06:52,870 if the immune effects brought on by the forest 125 00:06:52,870 --> 00:06:55,920 could be replicated in interior spaces. 126 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:59,020 To find out, he tested the most powerful essential oils 127 00:06:59,020 --> 00:07:01,593 from trees known to impact our immunity. 128 00:07:02,712 --> 00:07:04,060 (speaking in foreign language) 129 00:07:04,060 --> 00:07:06,510 - [Interpreter] This box contains essential oils. 130 00:07:10,180 --> 00:07:12,250 This is hinoki essential oil, 131 00:07:12,250 --> 00:07:15,113 very expensive and only found in Japan. 132 00:07:16,020 --> 00:07:19,743 This is another variety of hinoki, this one from Zayu. 133 00:07:20,630 --> 00:07:22,473 And we also have a vaporizer. 134 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:26,310 You can use this in different places. 135 00:07:26,310 --> 00:07:29,790 For example, you could use it in a hotel or at home. 136 00:07:29,790 --> 00:07:33,450 It gets vaporized little by little allowing you to practice 137 00:07:33,450 --> 00:07:36,503 shirin-yoku in interior spaces. 138 00:07:37,410 --> 00:07:39,480 But let's not forget that even though you do have 139 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:41,960 phytoncides in these essential oils, 140 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:45,100 the benefits of shirin-yoku are above all 141 00:07:45,100 --> 00:07:48,413 tied to the interactions of our five senses with nature. 142 00:07:50,270 --> 00:07:51,730 - [Presenter] The forest doesn't just affect 143 00:07:51,730 --> 00:07:53,330 our natural immune system; 144 00:07:53,330 --> 00:07:56,370 it also helps regulate our physiological parameters 145 00:07:56,370 --> 00:07:59,671 pertaining to relaxation and calmness. 146 00:07:59,671 --> 00:08:03,940 (calm music) (bird chirping) 147 00:08:03,940 --> 00:08:06,230 Professor Yoshifumi Miyazaki, 148 00:08:06,230 --> 00:08:08,620 a researcher at Chiba University in Tokyo, 149 00:08:08,620 --> 00:08:11,823 has been studying forest bathing for 25 years. 150 00:08:13,867 --> 00:08:15,690 (speaking in foreign language) 151 00:08:15,690 --> 00:08:18,400 - [Interpreter] When we are in the forest, we calm down. 152 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:22,448 We can see a reduction in cerebral activity as we predicted. 153 00:08:22,448 --> 00:08:26,365 (speaking in foreign language) 154 00:08:29,300 --> 00:08:32,830 The main idea behind shirin-yoku is that the human body 155 00:08:32,830 --> 00:08:35,164 was made to live in nature. 156 00:08:35,164 --> 00:08:39,080 (speaking in foreign language) 157 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:41,497 (calm music) 158 00:08:43,220 --> 00:08:45,970 (bird squawking) 159 00:08:53,230 --> 00:08:55,020 - [Presenter] The professor started his research 160 00:08:55,020 --> 00:08:58,063 to confirm his own intuition as a scientist. 161 00:08:59,970 --> 00:09:02,630 He developed brand new techniques that allowed him 162 00:09:02,630 --> 00:09:05,470 to evaluate in the field and in real time 163 00:09:05,470 --> 00:09:08,200 the effects of the forest on cerebral activity, 164 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:11,557 the nervous system, and stress hormones. 165 00:09:11,557 --> 00:09:13,974 (calm music) 166 00:09:17,970 --> 00:09:21,750 She is taking part in a study on the power of forest baths. 167 00:09:21,750 --> 00:09:24,880 Underneath her hat, electrodes measure the activity 168 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:29,070 of a very specific part of her brain: the prefrontal cortex, 169 00:09:29,070 --> 00:09:31,653 our brains learning and memorization center. 170 00:09:32,630 --> 00:09:35,493 What the scientists found was illuminating. 171 00:09:37,430 --> 00:09:38,660 (speaking in foreign language) 172 00:09:38,660 --> 00:09:40,070 - [Interpreter] According to our research, 173 00:09:40,070 --> 00:09:43,663 cerebral activity is significantly reduced in the forest. 174 00:09:44,940 --> 00:09:47,850 In contrast, big cities cause a significant 175 00:09:47,850 --> 00:09:49,723 increase in brain activity. 176 00:09:53,460 --> 00:09:55,010 - [Presenter] The professor then evaluated 177 00:09:55,010 --> 00:09:56,830 the parasympathetic nervous system, 178 00:09:56,830 --> 00:09:59,733 which regulates the body's calmness and rest. 179 00:10:00,907 --> 00:10:03,030 (man speaking in foreign language) 180 00:10:03,030 --> 00:10:04,040 - [Interpreter] Our work shows 181 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:05,970 that the parasympathetic activities 182 00:10:05,970 --> 00:10:08,500 of the autonomous nervous system 183 00:10:08,500 --> 00:10:12,063 increase by 50% compared to what happens in a city. 184 00:10:16,610 --> 00:10:19,370 We can hence conclude that the body relaxes 185 00:10:19,370 --> 00:10:20,933 when it's in the forest. 186 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:24,660 - [Presenter] Finally, a saliva sample was taken from Lin 187 00:10:24,660 --> 00:10:28,367 to measure cortisol levels, a hormone released by stress. 188 00:10:29,705 --> 00:10:32,040 (speaking in foreign language) 189 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:33,860 - [Interpreter] In the forest, cortisol levels 190 00:10:33,860 --> 00:10:36,320 are 12% lower than what we measured 191 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:38,093 when she was sitting in the city. 192 00:10:39,036 --> 00:10:42,953 (speaking in foreign language) 193 00:10:44,046 --> 00:10:47,250 (melodic music) 194 00:10:47,250 --> 00:10:49,330 - [Presenter] Therefore, nature has a very real 195 00:10:49,330 --> 00:10:51,460 and rapid impact on our nervous system 196 00:10:51,460 --> 00:10:52,950 and our emotional state. 197 00:10:52,950 --> 00:10:56,010 Saying it affects our health is not just a theory. 198 00:10:56,010 --> 00:10:59,370 The results of Yoshifumi Miyazaki and his colleagues 199 00:10:59,370 --> 00:11:01,880 have been validated in more than 60 forests 200 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:06,030 made up of hinoki cypress, Japanese pine, and cedar trees. 201 00:11:06,030 --> 00:11:09,370 These forests are now certified Silvotherapy centers 202 00:11:09,370 --> 00:11:12,075 and protected from any destruction. 203 00:11:12,075 --> 00:11:15,908 (fast-paced orchestral music) 204 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:23,860 In just a few decades, 205 00:11:23,860 --> 00:11:25,720 Japan has gone from a traditional 206 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:28,840 to an artificial way of life that puts immense pressure 207 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:30,223 on the Japanese people. 208 00:11:31,310 --> 00:11:35,002 In Tokyo, Shibuya is the world's busiest hub. 209 00:11:35,002 --> 00:11:38,835 (fast-paced orchestral music) 210 00:11:50,610 --> 00:11:52,740 The professor resumes his experiment. 211 00:11:52,740 --> 00:11:55,560 He's about to compare Lin's physiologic results 212 00:11:55,560 --> 00:11:58,010 from the forest with the same set of data, 213 00:11:58,010 --> 00:11:59,723 this time gathered in the city. 214 00:12:02,310 --> 00:12:03,650 Lin may seem calm, 215 00:12:03,650 --> 00:12:06,660 but inside everything has accelerated. 216 00:12:06,660 --> 00:12:09,610 Her body's natural alarm system has been activated. 217 00:12:09,610 --> 00:12:11,180 Her cortisol levels rise 218 00:12:11,180 --> 00:12:13,683 and her heartbeat increases dramatically. 219 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:19,140 - [Interpreter] Human beings have existed 220 00:12:19,140 --> 00:12:21,970 in natural environments for 7 million years. 221 00:12:21,970 --> 00:12:24,520 Our DNA has adapted to live that way. 222 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:26,780 That's why man feels lost today. 223 00:12:26,780 --> 00:12:29,453 Man cannot survive this artificial age. 224 00:12:31,630 --> 00:12:33,360 - [Presenter] Professor Miyazaki believes 225 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:35,840 that the path to the forest is the best way 226 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:37,550 to prevent chronic illnesses 227 00:12:37,550 --> 00:12:40,723 linked to the stresses of ultra fast urbanization. 228 00:12:41,718 --> 00:12:44,380 (speaking in foreign language) 229 00:12:44,380 --> 00:12:46,090 - [Interpreter] I believe the most important benefits 230 00:12:46,090 --> 00:12:48,767 of the forest are its medically preventive effect. 231 00:12:49,865 --> 00:12:54,253 (speaking in foreign language) 232 00:12:54,253 --> 00:12:57,003 (dramatic music) 233 00:12:58,470 --> 00:13:01,150 - [Presenter] Lin's physiological data was then analyzed 234 00:13:01,150 --> 00:13:04,260 at the Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, 235 00:13:04,260 --> 00:13:06,483 at Chiba University in Tokyo. 236 00:13:09,660 --> 00:13:12,690 The Japanese scientist has a lab equipped with unique 237 00:13:12,690 --> 00:13:14,860 state-of-the-art technology capable 238 00:13:14,860 --> 00:13:17,460 of measuring the therapeutic value of nature 239 00:13:17,460 --> 00:13:18,973 for each of our five senses. 240 00:13:20,380 --> 00:13:22,797 (calm music) 241 00:13:39,700 --> 00:13:42,270 Finally, the professor also proved 242 00:13:42,270 --> 00:13:45,170 that a view of trees compared to an urban view 243 00:13:45,170 --> 00:13:47,243 rapidly reduces blood pressure. 244 00:13:48,357 --> 00:13:49,200 (Yoshifumi speaking in foreign language) 245 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:50,680 - [Interpreter] We are more relaxed in the woods 246 00:13:50,680 --> 00:13:53,440 because the forest and man synchronized one another, 247 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:55,820 our bodies are made to adapt to nature. 248 00:13:55,820 --> 00:13:57,360 So the purpose of shirin-yoku 249 00:13:57,360 --> 00:14:00,010 is not to lower our physiological constants, 250 00:14:00,010 --> 00:14:02,343 but rather to get back to an equilibrium. 251 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:06,540 - [Presenter] I really liked the idea of nature readjusting 252 00:14:06,540 --> 00:14:09,100 our stress-affected physiological settings 253 00:14:09,100 --> 00:14:11,400 and bringing them back to balanced levels, 254 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:13,980 such as the adjustment that brings us the calmness 255 00:14:13,980 --> 00:14:16,743 or vitality that are synonymous with wellbeing. 256 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:25,710 But does nature also have an effect on our spirit? 257 00:14:25,710 --> 00:14:28,970 Does it regenerate us similar to the way sleep does? 258 00:14:28,970 --> 00:14:31,323 And how does that affect our daily lives? 259 00:14:37,290 --> 00:14:40,130 This time, my research led me to Northern Europe 260 00:14:40,130 --> 00:14:42,143 and more precisely to Sweden. 261 00:14:44,432 --> 00:14:47,182 (exciting music) 262 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:03,640 Terry Hartig is an environmental psychologist. 263 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:06,660 He was one of the first researchers to seriously study 264 00:15:06,660 --> 00:15:10,160 the effects of nature on our cognitive functions. 265 00:15:10,160 --> 00:15:13,530 He was going to help me understand how nature helps us 266 00:15:13,530 --> 00:15:14,990 fight mental fatigue, 267 00:15:14,990 --> 00:15:17,100 stimulates our learning capacities, 268 00:15:17,100 --> 00:15:19,423 and renews our concentration levels. 269 00:15:22,180 --> 00:15:25,113 - Here in the North, we want to look at the white space. 270 00:15:26,210 --> 00:15:28,530 It's important for people to come out into the snow 271 00:15:28,530 --> 00:15:30,157 and to appreciate what the, 272 00:15:30,157 --> 00:15:31,930 the white landscape, 273 00:15:31,930 --> 00:15:34,550 the winter landscape has to offer us. 274 00:15:34,550 --> 00:15:37,610 This, in some ways, is a demanding place. 275 00:15:37,610 --> 00:15:38,613 It's cold out. 276 00:15:39,500 --> 00:15:41,670 You have to come prepared. 277 00:15:41,670 --> 00:15:43,110 But still when you're prepared, 278 00:15:43,110 --> 00:15:47,150 you come here and it serves restoration. 279 00:15:47,150 --> 00:15:49,570 I can come here, I can feel calm. 280 00:15:49,570 --> 00:15:51,750 I can clear my mind. 281 00:15:51,750 --> 00:15:55,530 I can let my attention go to other things. 282 00:15:55,530 --> 00:15:58,330 I can enjoy the beauty of the place. 283 00:15:58,330 --> 00:16:01,930 I don't think so much about the day-to-day worries 284 00:16:01,930 --> 00:16:04,440 of work and private life. 285 00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:09,145 I can just appreciate this beautiful winter landscape. 286 00:16:09,145 --> 00:16:11,895 (exciting music) 287 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:19,450 - [Presenter] Terry Hartig carries out his research 288 00:16:19,450 --> 00:16:22,680 in the psychology department at the University of Uppsala, 289 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:25,650 Scandinavia's oldest university. 290 00:16:25,650 --> 00:16:27,010 After years of work, 291 00:16:27,010 --> 00:16:30,550 he has managed to develop a detailed scientific protocol 292 00:16:30,550 --> 00:16:33,510 that simulates work environments in order to explore 293 00:16:33,510 --> 00:16:36,570 how nature impacts our intellectual agility, 294 00:16:36,570 --> 00:16:39,923 speed of execution, concentration, and memory. 295 00:16:42,188 --> 00:16:44,771 (upbeat music) 296 00:16:49,384 --> 00:16:52,551 (upbeat techno music) 297 00:16:55,390 --> 00:16:58,680 The goal of these tests is to provoke intellectual fatigue 298 00:16:58,680 --> 00:16:59,730 in the subject, 299 00:16:59,730 --> 00:17:02,600 and then observe how the natural environment allows her 300 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:05,066 to restore her mental capacities. 301 00:17:05,066 --> 00:17:08,233 (upbeat techno music) 302 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:12,760 Julia needs to follow directions 303 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:16,563 and ignore irrelevant information as fast as she can. 304 00:17:17,540 --> 00:17:20,050 After 25 minutes of intense concentration, 305 00:17:20,050 --> 00:17:23,210 Julia's vigilance starts to show signs of fatigue. 306 00:17:23,210 --> 00:17:25,093 She's starting to make mistakes. 307 00:17:29,170 --> 00:17:32,400 The young woman is then asked to walk for 30 minutes 308 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:34,043 in nature to relax her mind. 309 00:17:35,234 --> 00:17:37,651 (calm music) 310 00:17:46,380 --> 00:17:48,030 After her walk in the snow, 311 00:17:48,030 --> 00:17:50,620 Julia takes a meditative walk in the greenhouse 312 00:17:50,620 --> 00:17:52,390 next to the university. 313 00:17:52,390 --> 00:17:54,080 The greenhouse gives students access 314 00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:57,170 to a natural environment teeming with life, 315 00:17:57,170 --> 00:17:59,020 a perk for anyone living in a country 316 00:17:59,020 --> 00:18:01,610 where winter lasts almost half the year. 317 00:18:01,610 --> 00:18:03,503 Julia resumes her tests. 318 00:18:06,470 --> 00:18:08,950 Terry notes that she's making far few errors 319 00:18:08,950 --> 00:18:12,600 than before the walk, even on the most difficult exercises. 320 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:14,740 He sees this as an important indicator 321 00:18:14,740 --> 00:18:17,370 of nature's restorative powers. 322 00:18:17,370 --> 00:18:19,730 - Now we see over many experiments 323 00:18:19,730 --> 00:18:22,120 with different kinds of tests 324 00:18:22,120 --> 00:18:25,310 that nature promotes more restoration. 325 00:18:25,310 --> 00:18:29,580 People are regaining this ability to function effectively 326 00:18:29,580 --> 00:18:31,500 in a cognitive sense. 327 00:18:31,500 --> 00:18:34,710 Our thinking is that when people do have the ability 328 00:18:34,710 --> 00:18:37,030 to go regularly to natural environments, 329 00:18:37,030 --> 00:18:41,040 they can recover more quickly and completely 330 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:43,970 from their efforts to meet everyday demands. 331 00:18:43,970 --> 00:18:46,470 And that this provides a buffer 332 00:18:46,470 --> 00:18:50,143 against poor mental and physical health. 333 00:18:50,143 --> 00:18:52,810 (curious music) 334 00:19:03,750 --> 00:19:05,210 - [Presenter] I was starting to understand 335 00:19:05,210 --> 00:19:07,960 the incredible potential these discoveries could have 336 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:09,230 on our daily lives, 337 00:19:09,230 --> 00:19:11,050 but I still needed to understand 338 00:19:11,050 --> 00:19:14,340 where this regenerative power was coming from. 339 00:19:14,340 --> 00:19:17,140 Terry, who led one of the first major studies 340 00:19:17,140 --> 00:19:21,070 on this very subject involving researchers from 20 countries 341 00:19:21,070 --> 00:19:23,140 and thousands of trial subjects, 342 00:19:23,140 --> 00:19:25,960 had some initial findings to share. 343 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:27,500 - Now the interest in nature and health, 344 00:19:27,500 --> 00:19:29,710 of course, isn't new. 345 00:19:29,710 --> 00:19:31,570 People have been interested in this topic 346 00:19:31,570 --> 00:19:33,210 in a variety of ways. 347 00:19:33,210 --> 00:19:36,930 What is different now is that we see people training 348 00:19:36,930 --> 00:19:39,400 a wide variety of scientific methods 349 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:42,218 on questions about nature and health. 350 00:19:42,218 --> 00:19:44,200 (wind howling) 351 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:46,620 There is one theory that people have been working with 352 00:19:46,620 --> 00:19:47,730 for some decades now. 353 00:19:47,730 --> 00:19:51,290 It's one of the earlier theories in the research area. 354 00:19:51,290 --> 00:19:54,110 It's a theory of restorative environments. 355 00:19:54,110 --> 00:19:57,860 This theory specifies that when people are out 356 00:19:57,860 --> 00:19:59,740 in a natural environment, 357 00:19:59,740 --> 00:20:03,760 they can rely on an effortless form of attention. 358 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:05,130 The authors of this theory, 359 00:20:05,130 --> 00:20:06,430 Stephen and Rachel Kaplan, 360 00:20:06,430 --> 00:20:10,740 refer to this effortless form of attention as fascination. 361 00:20:10,740 --> 00:20:13,860 That is when people go out to a natural environment, 362 00:20:13,860 --> 00:20:17,810 they can let their attention go to scenery, 363 00:20:17,810 --> 00:20:20,480 features of the natural environment or to processes 364 00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:23,970 like exploring that will engage attention 365 00:20:23,970 --> 00:20:26,400 without a person having to make an effort. 366 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:27,850 - [Presenter] When we contemplate the beauty 367 00:20:27,850 --> 00:20:29,790 of natural living environments, 368 00:20:29,790 --> 00:20:32,470 our brain tunes to a certain wavelength 369 00:20:32,470 --> 00:20:34,510 that is not like that of a sleeping state, 370 00:20:34,510 --> 00:20:36,550 but more like an idle state, 371 00:20:36,550 --> 00:20:40,080 which allows the brain to purge itself of mental fatigue. 372 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:42,530 - Today, we're concerned that too many people 373 00:20:42,530 --> 00:20:46,100 are so disconnected from the natural environment 374 00:20:46,100 --> 00:20:48,680 that they don't know what is being lost. 375 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:50,670 That is one of the things that motivates 376 00:20:50,670 --> 00:20:52,780 the research on nature and health, 377 00:20:52,780 --> 00:20:55,990 to try and help people appreciate the values 378 00:20:55,990 --> 00:20:58,800 of these experiences with the natural environment, 379 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:02,017 these experiences of nature. 380 00:21:02,017 --> 00:21:04,250 - [Presenter] Nature resets our brains. 381 00:21:04,250 --> 00:21:06,070 Every one of us has the power to choose 382 00:21:06,070 --> 00:21:08,060 our favorite restorative environment, 383 00:21:08,060 --> 00:21:10,230 depending on which landscapes we prefer 384 00:21:10,230 --> 00:21:12,410 or the natural environment that's closest 385 00:21:12,410 --> 00:21:14,013 to where we live or work. 386 00:21:15,648 --> 00:21:18,148 (tense music) 387 00:21:29,780 --> 00:21:31,950 But how does the brain perceive nature 388 00:21:31,950 --> 00:21:34,330 in comparison to the city? 389 00:21:34,330 --> 00:21:36,970 And how do these neurological effects impact 390 00:21:36,970 --> 00:21:38,543 the state of our mental health? 391 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:40,990 To answer these questions, 392 00:21:40,990 --> 00:21:44,480 I went to Manheim to meet Professor Meyer-Lindenberg 393 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:48,313 - As neuroscientists, 394 00:21:48,313 --> 00:21:51,070 we think it is intrinsically interesting to understand 395 00:21:51,070 --> 00:21:54,697 the mechanism by which environmental exposure 396 00:21:54,697 --> 00:21:56,530 and the context that we're talking about here 397 00:21:56,530 --> 00:21:58,900 increases or decreases risk for mental health. 398 00:21:58,900 --> 00:22:01,700 That's a basic science question 399 00:22:01,700 --> 00:22:05,676 that only looking into the brain can answer. 400 00:22:05,676 --> 00:22:08,343 (machine whirs) 401 00:22:12,330 --> 00:22:15,170 - [Presenter] Neuroscientist Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg 402 00:22:15,170 --> 00:22:16,890 is the first scientist in the world 403 00:22:16,890 --> 00:22:18,940 to have identified the effects of nature 404 00:22:18,940 --> 00:22:21,100 on neurological function. 405 00:22:21,100 --> 00:22:24,620 In a study published in 2011 in the "Nature" journal, 406 00:22:24,620 --> 00:22:27,110 the professor identified a region of the brain 407 00:22:27,110 --> 00:22:30,710 that's only activated in situations of social stress 408 00:22:30,710 --> 00:22:33,520 tied to urban life, the amygdala, 409 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:36,590 the brain section that detects fear. 410 00:22:36,590 --> 00:22:41,294 - What you see lighting up here is the brain structure 411 00:22:41,294 --> 00:22:43,410 that was related to living in a big city. 412 00:22:43,410 --> 00:22:46,270 That's a brain structure called the amygdala. 413 00:22:46,270 --> 00:22:50,400 And what we found is that the activation of amygdala 414 00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:54,730 during social stress was dependent on the size of the city 415 00:22:54,730 --> 00:22:55,770 in which people live. 416 00:22:55,770 --> 00:22:59,100 And it's shown here, if you live in a rural area, 417 00:22:59,100 --> 00:23:01,870 the amygdala really didn't activate at all. 418 00:23:01,870 --> 00:23:04,200 If you were in a smaller city, a little bit; 419 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:07,163 and if you were in a big city, it activated a lot. 420 00:23:08,530 --> 00:23:13,530 Hyperactive amygdala is we think the brain mechanism 421 00:23:14,220 --> 00:23:18,690 that predisposes you to anxiety disorders 422 00:23:18,690 --> 00:23:20,360 and also to depression. 423 00:23:20,360 --> 00:23:22,890 And those are exactly the two groups of disorders 424 00:23:22,890 --> 00:23:26,090 that you find are increased in people 425 00:23:26,090 --> 00:23:27,170 who live in a big city, 426 00:23:27,170 --> 00:23:32,170 they're increased around 40%, 30 to 40 to 50% worldwide. 427 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:36,740 - [Presenter] Faced with ultra fast rising rates 428 00:23:36,740 --> 00:23:38,330 of neurological disorders 429 00:23:38,330 --> 00:23:40,600 affecting anyone living in a big city, 430 00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:43,730 the newest challenge for researchers is to evaluate 431 00:23:43,730 --> 00:23:45,610 how the presence of urban nature 432 00:23:45,610 --> 00:23:47,780 could preventatively help us stabilize 433 00:23:47,780 --> 00:23:49,303 our moods and emotions. 434 00:23:50,300 --> 00:23:53,420 Professor Lindenberg is making good strides. 435 00:23:53,420 --> 00:23:55,760 He's carrying out a study that follows hundreds 436 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:58,460 of voluntary participants over the course of a year 437 00:23:58,460 --> 00:24:01,590 using a mobile phone app and a emotion sensor. 438 00:24:01,590 --> 00:24:05,010 Genia, a psychology student, takes part in this study 439 00:24:05,010 --> 00:24:06,800 one week per year. 440 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:09,080 The goal is to correlate in real time 441 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:13,140 her state of mind with her outings in green spaces. 442 00:24:13,140 --> 00:24:15,040 - See, a very strong relationship 443 00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:18,210 between the amount of green space that you're expose to 444 00:24:18,210 --> 00:24:21,160 and how good you feel and what that does to your brain. 445 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:23,700 The ambition is to do primary prevention. 446 00:24:23,700 --> 00:24:28,380 We think that green space in cities is probably gonna be 447 00:24:28,380 --> 00:24:32,260 an important component of making cities healthier, 448 00:24:32,260 --> 00:24:36,230 because you can't deconstruct the city 449 00:24:36,230 --> 00:24:38,320 and build it back up from the ground up, 450 00:24:38,320 --> 00:24:42,770 but you can distribute green space more widely 451 00:24:42,770 --> 00:24:45,530 and be sure that more people have access to it, 452 00:24:45,530 --> 00:24:48,430 or if you are a city-dweller and you want to do something 453 00:24:48,430 --> 00:24:49,580 about your mental health risk, 454 00:24:49,580 --> 00:24:51,763 you can also seek out green space. 455 00:24:52,970 --> 00:24:55,220 - [Presenter] Neuroscience offers precious new tools 456 00:24:55,220 --> 00:24:58,550 to study the connection between nature and health. 457 00:24:58,550 --> 00:25:00,350 I realize the importance of having 458 00:25:00,350 --> 00:25:03,470 a multifaceted perspective that taps into various 459 00:25:03,470 --> 00:25:06,707 scientific disciplines when considering public health. 460 00:25:07,672 --> 00:25:10,505 (uplifting music) 461 00:25:19,893 --> 00:25:22,726 (birds chirping) 462 00:25:25,060 --> 00:25:27,330 The question of nature's role in our physical 463 00:25:27,330 --> 00:25:30,850 and emotional balance is now being taken very seriously 464 00:25:30,850 --> 00:25:34,140 at some of the world's most prestigious universities. 465 00:25:34,140 --> 00:25:37,140 What was once considered only worthy of minor studies 466 00:25:37,140 --> 00:25:39,283 is now growing exponentially. 467 00:25:40,450 --> 00:25:43,280 In 1990, there were only two reference studies 468 00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:45,610 on the connection between nature and health. 469 00:25:45,610 --> 00:25:48,320 In 2015, there were 45; 470 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:52,363 and in 2018, more than 350 were published. 471 00:26:00,290 --> 00:26:04,260 In 2015, a team from Stanford University was the first 472 00:26:04,260 --> 00:26:07,450 to conclude that nature reduces mental rumination, 473 00:26:07,450 --> 00:26:09,740 the root of depression. 474 00:26:09,740 --> 00:26:14,740 - Stanford University has a lot of expertise. 475 00:26:14,750 --> 00:26:19,750 Many different professors and students studying the benefits 476 00:26:20,570 --> 00:26:25,570 of nature for a whole range of aspects of human wellbeing, 477 00:26:26,700 --> 00:26:31,080 of jobs and livelihoods and economic security 478 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:32,423 through to health. 479 00:26:36,430 --> 00:26:41,430 Disconnecting from nature has tremendous health risks. 480 00:26:41,750 --> 00:26:45,290 Among them are the rising rates 481 00:26:45,290 --> 00:26:48,020 of anxiety-related disorders, 482 00:26:48,020 --> 00:26:52,170 depression-related disorders, poor attention, 483 00:26:52,170 --> 00:26:56,650 sort of attention deficit hyperactivity related disorders, 484 00:26:56,650 --> 00:27:00,130 and other things that we see plenty of evidence of 485 00:27:00,130 --> 00:27:02,840 in schools and also in the workplace. 486 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:04,350 - [Presenter] Along with Gregory Bratman, 487 00:27:04,350 --> 00:27:07,010 a specialist of environmental psychology, 488 00:27:07,010 --> 00:27:10,440 Gretchen Daily led the study in which for the first time 489 00:27:10,440 --> 00:27:13,020 nature emerged as an antidepressant. 490 00:27:13,020 --> 00:27:14,170 - For our study, 491 00:27:14,170 --> 00:27:17,560 we wanted to dig into one possible causal mechanism 492 00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:20,100 about why it is nature experience 493 00:27:20,100 --> 00:27:23,623 may or may not have affective or mood benefits. 494 00:27:25,260 --> 00:27:27,470 - [Presenter] The two researchers divided the participants 495 00:27:27,470 --> 00:27:28,660 in two groups. 496 00:27:28,660 --> 00:27:32,140 One group went walking in the noisiest streets of Palo Alto 497 00:27:32,140 --> 00:27:33,890 while the other group walked in the nature 498 00:27:33,890 --> 00:27:36,400 surrounding the Stanford campus. 499 00:27:36,400 --> 00:27:37,640 Upon their return, 500 00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:39,560 the researchers compared their moods 501 00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:43,030 and their brain activity using functional MRI. 502 00:27:43,030 --> 00:27:45,540 The fact that the study combined neuroscience 503 00:27:45,540 --> 00:27:48,460 with classic field techniques taken from social sciences 504 00:27:48,460 --> 00:27:51,580 made it an international first of its kind. 505 00:27:51,580 --> 00:27:55,620 - What we found was that rumination decreased 506 00:27:55,620 --> 00:27:57,740 for the participants who were randomly assigned 507 00:27:57,740 --> 00:28:00,973 to a nature experience versus an urban experience. 508 00:28:01,950 --> 00:28:03,770 And what rumination means in psychology 509 00:28:03,770 --> 00:28:05,880 is something very specific. 510 00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:08,710 It's repetitive thought focused on negative aspects 511 00:28:08,710 --> 00:28:10,540 of the self and it's associated 512 00:28:10,540 --> 00:28:12,860 with increased negative mood, 513 00:28:12,860 --> 00:28:15,670 and it can be a risk factor for the onset of depression 514 00:28:15,670 --> 00:28:17,350 in some people. 515 00:28:17,350 --> 00:28:19,830 - [Presenter] In a calming and welcoming, natural setting, 516 00:28:19,830 --> 00:28:22,040 or when surrounded by living landscapes, 517 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:25,010 our mental and emotional suffering is muted. 518 00:28:25,010 --> 00:28:27,420 That was a major discovery for the millions of people 519 00:28:27,420 --> 00:28:30,280 in the world who suffer from anxiety or depression, 520 00:28:30,280 --> 00:28:31,793 the illness of the century. 521 00:28:33,330 --> 00:28:34,540 - If I come out into nature, 522 00:28:34,540 --> 00:28:38,200 I may feel more connected to something bigger than myself. 523 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:42,640 It may be simply a switching away of focus on myself 524 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:45,396 that allows this rumination to decrease. 525 00:28:45,396 --> 00:28:50,396 (gentle music) (birds chirping) 526 00:28:59,220 --> 00:29:01,820 Nature's disappearing off the face of the earth. 527 00:29:01,820 --> 00:29:05,820 We need to address the environmental justice aspect 528 00:29:05,820 --> 00:29:08,710 of these questions and these issues 529 00:29:08,710 --> 00:29:11,883 and make sure that there's equal access to these benefits. 530 00:29:14,180 --> 00:29:16,260 - There's an urgency. 531 00:29:16,260 --> 00:29:20,120 We're at a moment when the world is waking up 532 00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:23,300 to the vital importance of nature, 533 00:29:23,300 --> 00:29:27,450 seeing the tremendous loss of nature experience 534 00:29:27,450 --> 00:29:29,820 among people living in cities, 535 00:29:29,820 --> 00:29:33,400 and it's actually a tremendous moment when the science 536 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:37,620 is coming along, providing the evidence that decision makers 537 00:29:37,620 --> 00:29:42,530 need for financial investments, meaningful action today, 538 00:29:42,530 --> 00:29:43,700 right in this moment, 539 00:29:43,700 --> 00:29:46,180 when urbanization is accelerating 540 00:29:46,180 --> 00:29:49,570 beyond what anyone would imagine. 541 00:29:49,570 --> 00:29:52,770 (melodic music) 542 00:29:52,770 --> 00:29:54,520 - [Presenter] To sum up what I had learned, 543 00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:56,780 walking in nature reduces stress, 544 00:29:56,780 --> 00:29:58,440 reinforces our immunity, 545 00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:01,860 helps us face everyday challenges, improves our mood, 546 00:30:01,860 --> 00:30:05,300 and protects us against mental disorders and depression. 547 00:30:05,300 --> 00:30:06,790 And it's all free. 548 00:30:06,790 --> 00:30:10,173 It requires no medication and has no side effects, 549 00:30:11,020 --> 00:30:13,720 but what if you can't physically go into nature? 550 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:16,030 If you have limited motion, are sick, 551 00:30:16,030 --> 00:30:18,350 or weakened, for example? 552 00:30:18,350 --> 00:30:22,593 Is it possible that the mere view of nature also affects us? 553 00:30:30,650 --> 00:30:34,040 Roger Ulrich was the first to prove the positive impact 554 00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:37,270 of nature on hospitalized individuals in his study 555 00:30:37,270 --> 00:30:41,333 published in the prestigious "Science" journal in 1984. 556 00:30:46,250 --> 00:30:49,700 - I wanted to see if exposure to nature 557 00:30:49,700 --> 00:30:53,160 in contrast to exposure to built environments 558 00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:57,920 that lack nature really had different effects 559 00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:00,980 in terms of the ability to either block 560 00:31:00,980 --> 00:31:05,170 or reduce recovery from stress 561 00:31:05,170 --> 00:31:07,590 or promote recovery from stress. 562 00:31:07,590 --> 00:31:08,690 - [Presenter] In his study, 563 00:31:08,690 --> 00:31:11,060 Roger compared postoperative recovery 564 00:31:11,060 --> 00:31:12,710 in two different patient groups 565 00:31:12,710 --> 00:31:15,030 at a hospital in Pennsylvania. 566 00:31:15,030 --> 00:31:17,470 One group had a window with a garden view 567 00:31:17,470 --> 00:31:20,313 and the other group had a view of a plain brick wall. 568 00:31:21,560 --> 00:31:23,610 - And sure enough, at the end of a week, 569 00:31:23,610 --> 00:31:26,400 the health outcomes were different. 570 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:29,010 Those with the window view of nature 571 00:31:29,010 --> 00:31:31,940 had better recovery outcomes. 572 00:31:31,940 --> 00:31:35,880 They spent somewhat less time in the hospital, almost a day. 573 00:31:35,880 --> 00:31:40,880 A big difference was that those who were exposed to nature 574 00:31:41,700 --> 00:31:46,700 and had this emotionally pleasant, calming distraction 575 00:31:47,080 --> 00:31:52,080 for hours each day experienced much less pain. 576 00:31:52,330 --> 00:31:57,330 They didn't need potent narcotic injections. 577 00:31:57,860 --> 00:32:02,860 They did take pain medication, but often it was weak pills, 578 00:32:03,010 --> 00:32:04,670 but that was a big difference. 579 00:32:04,670 --> 00:32:07,880 And many researchers, most of them from medicine, 580 00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:12,070 have shown subsequently in many studies in recent years, 581 00:32:12,070 --> 00:32:13,640 for that matter, 582 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:18,000 that distraction with nature for hospital patients 583 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:22,723 perceive pain levels and reduces intake of drugs. 584 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:31,200 There's a strong case to be made that if the patient 585 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:34,750 can go out or their stressed family can go out, 586 00:32:34,750 --> 00:32:38,890 it's better to be in nature and be in a real garden. 587 00:32:38,890 --> 00:32:41,420 This in turn means you have to rethink 588 00:32:41,420 --> 00:32:43,453 the architecture of hospitals. 589 00:32:44,830 --> 00:32:49,550 It seems to be a powerful, welcoming element. 590 00:32:49,550 --> 00:32:53,620 You're not in this brutal institution of a hospital 591 00:32:53,620 --> 00:32:56,760 or a clinic; it's a place that cares. 592 00:32:56,760 --> 00:32:59,323 And the architecture is a lot softer. 593 00:33:00,930 --> 00:33:03,160 - [Presenter] These studies contributed to the creation 594 00:33:03,160 --> 00:33:07,550 of healing gardens in the United States, the UK, and Sweden. 595 00:33:07,550 --> 00:33:10,790 Roger Ulrich started the conversation between architects, 596 00:33:10,790 --> 00:33:13,350 landscapers, and healthcare professionals. 597 00:33:13,350 --> 00:33:16,760 Thanks to him, green architecture is forging a new path 598 00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:18,230 in big hospitals. 599 00:33:18,230 --> 00:33:21,670 The idea is to create environments where natural elements 600 00:33:21,670 --> 00:33:24,453 and gardens can become healthcare partners. 601 00:33:33,420 --> 00:33:35,530 One of the first French experiments to examine 602 00:33:35,530 --> 00:33:37,640 nature's therapeutic qualities took place 603 00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:39,960 at Pitie-Salpetriere in Paris, 604 00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:42,410 a 30-hectare teaching hospital that sees 605 00:33:42,410 --> 00:33:45,603 some 20,000 people pass through every day. 606 00:33:50,430 --> 00:33:53,400 She has been living her dream since 1997 607 00:33:53,400 --> 00:33:55,050 when she became a nurse gardener, 608 00:33:55,050 --> 00:33:58,393 helping children suffering from autism experience nature. 609 00:33:59,510 --> 00:34:01,780 It's here in the small concrete backyard 610 00:34:01,780 --> 00:34:03,770 of the pediatric ward that she created 611 00:34:03,770 --> 00:34:05,423 her first healing garden. 612 00:34:06,320 --> 00:34:08,940 - [Interpreter] Gardening heals in and of itself. 613 00:34:08,940 --> 00:34:12,020 Meaning that little by little, whether children, elders, 614 00:34:12,020 --> 00:34:13,910 or people with brain damage, 615 00:34:13,910 --> 00:34:16,570 I bring them into the garden and I help them discover 616 00:34:16,570 --> 00:34:18,030 the benefits of gardening, 617 00:34:18,030 --> 00:34:19,830 and the effects that it has on them. 618 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:23,283 They start noticing that they feel better. 619 00:34:24,270 --> 00:34:25,990 That's what the elite garden is; 620 00:34:25,990 --> 00:34:27,540 it's a healing garden. 621 00:34:27,540 --> 00:34:30,383 The caregiver receives care by caring for the garden. 622 00:34:31,920 --> 00:34:33,020 Which boots do you want? 623 00:34:33,020 --> 00:34:35,420 - I don't want to. - You don't want to? 624 00:34:35,420 --> 00:34:38,113 We're going to water the plants with Ambra, come. 625 00:34:40,010 --> 00:34:41,680 Here, I'll help. 626 00:34:41,680 --> 00:34:43,780 The benefit of nature for those with autism 627 00:34:43,780 --> 00:34:45,933 begins with simply getting them outside. 628 00:34:47,090 --> 00:34:49,600 We find ourselves in a space that attracts them 629 00:34:49,600 --> 00:34:51,493 and gets them outside of themselves. 630 00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:55,730 The fact that there are familiar elements here, like water, 631 00:34:55,730 --> 00:34:58,540 like dirt, things they already know, 632 00:34:58,540 --> 00:35:01,653 that helps create a space that they basically understand. 633 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:06,150 Another thing they find appealing is that they always end up 634 00:35:06,150 --> 00:35:08,500 finding something that surprises them. 635 00:35:08,500 --> 00:35:11,430 It's all alive and always changing or growing, 636 00:35:11,430 --> 00:35:13,930 so they understand that something's happening. 637 00:35:13,930 --> 00:35:14,890 Wanna do it together? 638 00:35:14,890 --> 00:35:16,610 Wait, together. 639 00:35:16,610 --> 00:35:19,270 Every child is sensitive to an element, 640 00:35:19,270 --> 00:35:24,270 whether that's water, earth, air, the sun or the wind, 641 00:35:24,670 --> 00:35:27,580 put it all along here like we did before. 642 00:35:27,580 --> 00:35:30,620 You can put more everywhere. 643 00:35:30,620 --> 00:35:31,453 Like this. 644 00:35:32,540 --> 00:35:34,350 To prolong that state of wonder 645 00:35:34,350 --> 00:35:36,740 we have to create places like this one 646 00:35:36,740 --> 00:35:38,670 where there's no fuss. 647 00:35:38,670 --> 00:35:41,180 We're really one with the earth and the dirt. 648 00:35:41,180 --> 00:35:44,570 It's very important for people with autism to be outside. 649 00:35:44,570 --> 00:35:46,700 It's an amazing benefit. 650 00:35:46,700 --> 00:35:48,706 Go on, hit it. 651 00:35:48,706 --> 00:35:53,706 (calm music) (birds chirping) 652 00:35:56,890 --> 00:35:58,550 Something happens in a garden. 653 00:35:58,550 --> 00:36:01,060 Something that's hard to quantize on a report card 654 00:36:01,060 --> 00:36:04,240 or an evaluation saying, were they this or that? 655 00:36:04,240 --> 00:36:05,350 That's more difficult. 656 00:36:05,350 --> 00:36:07,313 It's the little gestures that matter. 657 00:36:09,950 --> 00:36:11,730 - [Presenter] Physical contact with the earth, 658 00:36:11,730 --> 00:36:14,970 plants, or animals helps us gently get back in touch 659 00:36:14,970 --> 00:36:16,513 with our sensory perception. 660 00:36:24,420 --> 00:36:25,380 - [Interpreter] Children that struggle 661 00:36:25,380 --> 00:36:26,750 to express themselves, 662 00:36:26,750 --> 00:36:28,880 or that are trapped inside themselves, 663 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:30,810 completely change in the garden. 664 00:36:30,810 --> 00:36:32,410 It brings out spontaneity, 665 00:36:32,410 --> 00:36:35,300 kindness, or things of that nature. 666 00:36:35,300 --> 00:36:36,370 If everyone did it, 667 00:36:36,370 --> 00:36:38,823 I honestly believe we would all feel better. 668 00:36:39,820 --> 00:36:41,340 - [Presenter] What Anne has brought to life 669 00:36:41,340 --> 00:36:44,420 in her small corner of the hospital with little means, 670 00:36:44,420 --> 00:36:45,970 but a lot of passion, 671 00:36:45,970 --> 00:36:48,663 should be duplicated in other establishments. 672 00:36:49,500 --> 00:36:51,940 Imagine if we had a network of green hospitals 673 00:36:51,940 --> 00:36:54,530 with healing gardens that were accessible to the sick, 674 00:36:54,530 --> 00:36:56,563 to their families, and their caregivers. 675 00:37:02,150 --> 00:37:03,610 At this stage of my research, 676 00:37:03,610 --> 00:37:05,490 I felt the need to take a step back 677 00:37:05,490 --> 00:37:07,420 so that I could better understand the powerful, 678 00:37:07,420 --> 00:37:10,070 physical, and emotional links that connect humanity 679 00:37:10,070 --> 00:37:12,240 to the natural elements. 680 00:37:12,240 --> 00:37:15,220 With a mix of fascination, fear, and attraction, 681 00:37:15,220 --> 00:37:18,820 our ancestors learned to respect nature, to admire it, 682 00:37:18,820 --> 00:37:21,930 to take refuge in it, and then to control it. 683 00:37:21,930 --> 00:37:26,930 (delightful music) (birds chirping) 684 00:37:48,330 --> 00:37:50,330 He has dedicated the majority of his work 685 00:37:50,330 --> 00:37:51,750 to studying the relationship 686 00:37:51,750 --> 00:37:53,513 between man and his environment. 687 00:37:54,500 --> 00:37:57,290 He was going to explain the reasons why certain landscapes 688 00:37:57,290 --> 00:37:59,940 make us much happier than others. 689 00:37:59,940 --> 00:38:02,333 We met at his house in Louvain-la-Neuve. 690 00:38:03,400 --> 00:38:05,250 - [Interpreter] There's a well known American scientist 691 00:38:05,250 --> 00:38:06,610 named Edward Wilson. 692 00:38:06,610 --> 00:38:09,240 He was a professor at Harvard University. 693 00:38:09,240 --> 00:38:11,190 In the '80s, he had this idea he called 694 00:38:11,190 --> 00:38:13,453 The Biophilia Hypothesis. 695 00:38:14,700 --> 00:38:17,970 Basically, it states the man and woman 696 00:38:19,150 --> 00:38:21,963 having innate affinity to the elements of nature. 697 00:38:23,630 --> 00:38:26,040 He explained this emotional affinity, 698 00:38:26,040 --> 00:38:29,710 this innate non-acquired attachment with nature 699 00:38:29,710 --> 00:38:32,510 by the fact that there's a sort of co-evolution 700 00:38:32,510 --> 00:38:35,460 between the culture of the hunter-gatherer 701 00:38:35,460 --> 00:38:38,340 and the genetic evolution of the human species. 702 00:38:38,340 --> 00:38:40,250 This is something that has been taking place 703 00:38:40,250 --> 00:38:43,593 for 350,000 successive generations. 704 00:38:45,793 --> 00:38:47,520 We're part of something much bigger than ourselves, 705 00:38:47,520 --> 00:38:50,900 which has its own dynamics at its own seasonal rhythms. 706 00:38:50,900 --> 00:38:52,900 We just contribute to it. 707 00:38:52,900 --> 00:38:54,920 And that's what generates that feeling we get 708 00:38:54,920 --> 00:38:57,240 when we feel like our life makes sense 709 00:38:57,240 --> 00:38:58,640 that we're part of the flow. 710 00:38:59,860 --> 00:39:01,860 What's remarkable about our contact with nature 711 00:39:01,860 --> 00:39:03,673 is that it's extremely versatile. 712 00:39:05,680 --> 00:39:07,800 To some people, the thing that typically allows them 713 00:39:07,800 --> 00:39:10,540 to amplify their connection would be meditation 714 00:39:10,540 --> 00:39:13,563 or something calming like slow walking, for example. 715 00:39:14,510 --> 00:39:16,650 To others, it's exercise or adventure, 716 00:39:16,650 --> 00:39:20,540 like going for a hike or a horseback ride in the forest. 717 00:39:20,540 --> 00:39:23,000 Each of us has to find their unique preference 718 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:25,200 for how they like to interact with nature 719 00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:28,120 in a way that is most suited to their way of life, 720 00:39:28,120 --> 00:39:30,490 their preferences, their values, 721 00:39:30,490 --> 00:39:33,090 and even how they structure their day-to-day living. 722 00:39:34,959 --> 00:39:37,709 (birds chirping) 723 00:39:45,840 --> 00:39:47,230 - [Presenter] He made me realize that nature 724 00:39:47,230 --> 00:39:49,223 is not just essential to our health. 725 00:39:50,170 --> 00:39:53,070 By getting closer to the thousands of other lives 726 00:39:53,070 --> 00:39:55,970 it shelters, by reconnecting with the seasons 727 00:39:55,970 --> 00:39:58,630 using a ritualized temporality, 728 00:39:58,630 --> 00:40:01,160 maybe we can seize our chance to belong 729 00:40:01,160 --> 00:40:03,560 to something bigger than ourselves again, 730 00:40:03,560 --> 00:40:07,143 where words are no longer the main way we express meaning. 731 00:40:08,125 --> 00:40:10,958 (uplifting music) 732 00:40:22,470 --> 00:40:23,460 Everywhere in the world, 733 00:40:23,460 --> 00:40:26,443 our deep-rooted connection with nature is being lost. 734 00:40:27,590 --> 00:40:29,400 In barely one generation, 735 00:40:29,400 --> 00:40:33,080 Canada went from a rural nation to an urban country, 736 00:40:33,080 --> 00:40:35,810 where healthcare professionals are sounding the alarm 737 00:40:35,810 --> 00:40:38,780 on rising obesity, hyperactivity, 738 00:40:38,780 --> 00:40:40,493 and cardiovascular disease. 739 00:40:46,929 --> 00:40:49,629 (bird tweets) 740 00:40:49,629 --> 00:40:52,046 (horn honks) 741 00:40:53,370 --> 00:40:57,050 But is there such a thing as an ideal distance from nature? 742 00:40:57,050 --> 00:41:00,200 What are the criteria for nature to benefit our health 743 00:41:00,200 --> 00:41:03,353 and how close can we really bring the forest to our cities? 744 00:41:04,314 --> 00:41:06,731 (calm music) 745 00:41:13,760 --> 00:41:17,180 He thinks the answer will come from the forests themselves. 746 00:41:17,180 --> 00:41:18,380 Together with his students, 747 00:41:18,380 --> 00:41:20,460 he's building the first evaluation chart 748 00:41:20,460 --> 00:41:23,720 for the benefits of urban forests here in Stanley Park, 749 00:41:23,720 --> 00:41:27,960 a 44-hectare green heart in the very center of Vancouver. 750 00:41:27,960 --> 00:41:29,740 - So today we're actually out here to do what we call 751 00:41:29,740 --> 00:41:31,050 an experience value mapping, 752 00:41:31,050 --> 00:41:33,920 where we go into a forest and see what kind of experiences 753 00:41:33,920 --> 00:41:36,200 does the forest or the park offer to us. 754 00:41:36,200 --> 00:41:38,470 And it could really change from one part of the park 755 00:41:38,470 --> 00:41:40,190 to another, where you feel you're moving 756 00:41:40,190 --> 00:41:41,720 into a different room as it were. 757 00:41:41,720 --> 00:41:44,060 So from maybe a very busy social area, 758 00:41:44,060 --> 00:41:46,310 you move to an area where there's a lot of 759 00:41:46,310 --> 00:41:48,230 reclusiveness almost and serenity 760 00:41:48,230 --> 00:41:49,670 and where you really can feel 761 00:41:49,670 --> 00:41:51,350 now I'm really restoring myself. 762 00:41:51,350 --> 00:41:52,552 And we need both. 763 00:41:52,552 --> 00:41:56,080 We need both the social and the more natural experience. 764 00:41:56,080 --> 00:41:57,780 - [Presenter] Cecil Konijnendijk's work 765 00:41:57,780 --> 00:42:00,710 is based on his understanding of holistic health. 766 00:42:00,710 --> 00:42:02,610 In addition to physical and mental health, 767 00:42:02,610 --> 00:42:06,870 he adds another key element: sociocultural relations. 768 00:42:06,870 --> 00:42:09,790 His students are pulling data pertaining to noise level, 769 00:42:09,790 --> 00:42:11,960 variety of tree species in the area, 770 00:42:11,960 --> 00:42:14,390 but also playground availability for children, 771 00:42:14,390 --> 00:42:16,750 and gathering areas designed for socializing 772 00:42:16,750 --> 00:42:17,903 with friends or family. 773 00:42:19,060 --> 00:42:20,990 - Yeah, it's almost like a savanna landscape, huh? 774 00:42:20,990 --> 00:42:22,720 Which we know of course is very important for health, 775 00:42:22,720 --> 00:42:23,970 people like savanna. 776 00:42:23,970 --> 00:42:25,880 It's interesting that wherever you go in the world, 777 00:42:25,880 --> 00:42:27,560 people have the same feeling with savanna. 778 00:42:27,560 --> 00:42:28,687 So everybody likes savanna landscape. 779 00:42:28,687 --> 00:42:31,510 That's why we have these parks that look like savannas, 780 00:42:31,510 --> 00:42:32,710 'cause people are always so eager 781 00:42:32,710 --> 00:42:35,230 to be in that kind of environment, 782 00:42:35,230 --> 00:42:37,100 open space, and trees, and they can look 783 00:42:37,100 --> 00:42:38,300 and they can see around. 784 00:42:38,300 --> 00:42:40,483 Yeah, it's pretty important. 785 00:42:41,416 --> 00:42:43,744 (birds chirping) 786 00:42:43,744 --> 00:42:45,400 So the benefits of urban forests, of course, are many. 787 00:42:45,400 --> 00:42:47,000 So we need different approaches, 788 00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:48,880 different methods to really assess them. 789 00:42:48,880 --> 00:42:51,310 Anything from the cooling effect and air pollution 790 00:42:51,310 --> 00:42:53,900 reduction effect to more tricky things 791 00:42:53,900 --> 00:42:57,810 like the psychological and social benefits of urban forests. 792 00:42:57,810 --> 00:42:59,270 So we need a whole range of tools, 793 00:42:59,270 --> 00:43:00,220 not only from forestry, 794 00:43:00,220 --> 00:43:01,970 but from different fields to understand 795 00:43:01,970 --> 00:43:03,470 the benefits of urban forests. 796 00:43:05,100 --> 00:43:07,370 So I think this is all new stream of research. 797 00:43:07,370 --> 00:43:09,670 How do we create better urban forest in a city 798 00:43:09,670 --> 00:43:13,280 to actually provide benefits to our people? 799 00:43:13,280 --> 00:43:15,630 - [Presenter] What Cecil said really touched me, 800 00:43:15,630 --> 00:43:19,090 because he made me realize that although being in nature 801 00:43:19,090 --> 00:43:22,060 reinforces our physical and mental health, 802 00:43:22,060 --> 00:43:25,210 it also provides the perfect backdrop for fulfilling 803 00:43:25,210 --> 00:43:27,000 our need to be with one another 804 00:43:27,000 --> 00:43:29,230 and sharing moments of beauty. 805 00:43:29,230 --> 00:43:30,257 - And luckily we see these days, 806 00:43:30,257 --> 00:43:31,510 and that's really something new, 807 00:43:31,510 --> 00:43:33,000 that the medical professionals are coming 808 00:43:33,000 --> 00:43:35,787 into this field and actually start to understanding 809 00:43:35,787 --> 00:43:37,870 the importance of nature on our health and wellbeing. 810 00:43:37,870 --> 00:43:38,840 Because we need the medicine. 811 00:43:38,840 --> 00:43:41,220 We need the medical professionals to really give us 812 00:43:41,220 --> 00:43:43,060 the credibility and to give us the data 813 00:43:43,060 --> 00:43:45,040 for showing these benefits. 814 00:43:45,040 --> 00:43:46,840 - [Presenter] Matilda Van Den Bosh is a doctor 815 00:43:46,840 --> 00:43:48,880 and a professor at the school of population 816 00:43:48,880 --> 00:43:52,100 and public health at the University of British Columbia. 817 00:43:52,100 --> 00:43:54,790 Using very precise geospatial data, 818 00:43:54,790 --> 00:43:56,900 Matilda and her students can identify 819 00:43:56,900 --> 00:43:59,270 the biodiversity of cities like Vancouver 820 00:43:59,270 --> 00:44:02,070 down to knowing exactly which varieties of tree 821 00:44:02,070 --> 00:44:04,890 or bush species are present in each neighborhood 822 00:44:04,890 --> 00:44:06,760 and then cross reference that information 823 00:44:06,760 --> 00:44:08,973 with data available about public health. 824 00:44:09,810 --> 00:44:13,590 - We have data for Vancouver and now other cities 825 00:44:13,590 --> 00:44:17,950 in Canada as well that provides sort of 360 degree views 826 00:44:17,950 --> 00:44:20,290 of greenness as we would see it from the street. 827 00:44:20,290 --> 00:44:23,740 And we can overlay this on maps of Vancouver 828 00:44:23,740 --> 00:44:26,380 and we have sort of a measure of how people 829 00:44:26,380 --> 00:44:28,560 would experience greenness from the street, 830 00:44:28,560 --> 00:44:31,300 all along the neighborhoods of the city. 831 00:44:31,300 --> 00:44:34,420 So then we can link this with data on health 832 00:44:34,420 --> 00:44:36,853 in early childhood, as well as later in life. 833 00:44:37,760 --> 00:44:38,680 - That is fantastic. 834 00:44:38,680 --> 00:44:41,370 The kind of satellite data we are working with as well now 835 00:44:41,370 --> 00:44:44,950 where we can actually go down and look at single trees 836 00:44:44,950 --> 00:44:46,390 and specify particularly, 837 00:44:46,390 --> 00:44:48,220 because that is also what has been lacking, 838 00:44:48,220 --> 00:44:51,710 I think, quite a lot in the research before that we, 839 00:44:51,710 --> 00:44:55,930 it has not been really specific enough. 840 00:44:55,930 --> 00:44:58,460 What has usually been done in this kind of research is that 841 00:44:58,460 --> 00:45:00,557 you look at satellite images and then you get 842 00:45:00,557 --> 00:45:03,200 the kind of overall view of the greenness 843 00:45:03,200 --> 00:45:04,670 in a city, for example. 844 00:45:04,670 --> 00:45:07,030 And then you can basically tell whether it's green 845 00:45:07,030 --> 00:45:08,390 or it's not green. 846 00:45:08,390 --> 00:45:09,550 However, in this map, 847 00:45:09,550 --> 00:45:11,780 what is interesting here is that it has been 848 00:45:11,780 --> 00:45:15,460 through different techniques, been classified. 849 00:45:15,460 --> 00:45:17,410 So we can look at the different species 850 00:45:17,410 --> 00:45:19,590 like the cedrus trees, coniferous trees, 851 00:45:19,590 --> 00:45:21,720 different type of grass and shrubs, 852 00:45:21,720 --> 00:45:26,720 and then also the impervious and built areas, surfaces. 853 00:45:27,060 --> 00:45:31,010 On this project, we are specifying what type of green space, 854 00:45:31,010 --> 00:45:33,100 what type of vegetation would actually 855 00:45:33,100 --> 00:45:36,400 have a specific impact on the health outcome. 856 00:45:36,400 --> 00:45:38,570 I think the most important there is actually 857 00:45:38,570 --> 00:45:41,613 the collaboration between environmental scientists, 858 00:45:41,613 --> 00:45:44,527 between urban planners, and from my perspective, 859 00:45:44,527 --> 00:45:47,390 the public health workers and agencies, 860 00:45:47,390 --> 00:45:50,630 the collaboration there and to increase the awareness 861 00:45:50,630 --> 00:45:54,620 of the the knowledge across the sectors is very important. 862 00:45:54,620 --> 00:45:56,650 - [Presenter] Taking biodiversity into account 863 00:45:56,650 --> 00:46:00,330 in our research on nature and health is something recent, 864 00:46:00,330 --> 00:46:01,950 but in the short term, 865 00:46:01,950 --> 00:46:05,080 it should provide precious clues to urban planners 866 00:46:05,080 --> 00:46:07,330 who may begin choosing tree species 867 00:46:07,330 --> 00:46:10,675 based on their specific therapeutic benefits. 868 00:46:10,675 --> 00:46:15,675 (uplifting music) (birds chirping) 869 00:46:18,298 --> 00:46:19,131 (bells chime) 870 00:46:19,131 --> 00:46:21,170 When I met up with my fellow tree-bathing companions, 871 00:46:21,170 --> 00:46:23,220 I finally understood what they meant 872 00:46:23,220 --> 00:46:25,570 by receiving tree energy. 873 00:46:25,570 --> 00:46:28,190 Tree energy comes in the form of phytoncides, 874 00:46:28,190 --> 00:46:30,690 which have a positive effect on our immune system. 875 00:46:30,690 --> 00:46:33,020 The energy from trees has antidepressant 876 00:46:33,020 --> 00:46:34,653 and anti-stress qualities. 877 00:46:35,510 --> 00:46:38,723 Nature isn't just good for us; it's vital. 878 00:46:40,920 --> 00:46:45,390 - It is interesting how science has validated 879 00:46:45,390 --> 00:46:49,040 what the indigenous peoples always knew. 880 00:46:49,040 --> 00:46:54,040 Every plant here has something beneficial to offer. 881 00:46:56,020 --> 00:46:59,110 - There's no language, it's all about feeling, 882 00:46:59,110 --> 00:47:03,100 but sometimes, sometimes there's a lot of love as well 883 00:47:03,100 --> 00:47:05,090 from the trees. 884 00:47:05,090 --> 00:47:07,790 And there's a lot of joy as well. 885 00:47:07,790 --> 00:47:10,504 I experience those things. 886 00:47:10,504 --> 00:47:13,230 (birds chirping) 887 00:47:13,230 --> 00:47:14,940 - Coming into this forest, 888 00:47:14,940 --> 00:47:17,810 with that opening up all the senses, 889 00:47:17,810 --> 00:47:19,993 it was an overwhelming experience. 890 00:47:20,900 --> 00:47:23,823 It was just very, very overwhelming. 891 00:47:26,920 --> 00:47:29,020 And it was just something 892 00:47:29,020 --> 00:47:32,413 that I really enjoyed experiencing. 893 00:47:35,050 --> 00:47:36,960 - [Presenter] As I reached the end of my research, 894 00:47:36,960 --> 00:47:40,020 I realized that children are particularly at risk 895 00:47:40,020 --> 00:47:42,640 for our growing disconnect with nature, 896 00:47:42,640 --> 00:47:45,760 renewing the ties between children and the natural world 897 00:47:45,760 --> 00:47:48,393 as early as possible must be a priority, 898 00:47:49,340 --> 00:47:52,300 but what's the best way to tackle this problem? 899 00:47:52,300 --> 00:47:54,630 I then discovered forest schools. 900 00:47:54,630 --> 00:47:56,290 Their main goal is to encourage children 901 00:47:56,290 --> 00:47:59,340 to explore their environment and offer education 902 00:47:59,340 --> 00:48:02,120 while they're fully immersed in the forest. 903 00:48:02,120 --> 00:48:05,960 - Forest school is a play-based learning philosophy 904 00:48:05,960 --> 00:48:07,930 that takes children outdoors 905 00:48:07,930 --> 00:48:11,710 to play freely and to feel in their hearts 906 00:48:11,710 --> 00:48:14,510 that they have a place that they could go back to 907 00:48:14,510 --> 00:48:16,270 as they get older. 908 00:48:16,270 --> 00:48:20,260 If you have the time in the forest and you are allowed 909 00:48:20,260 --> 00:48:23,230 to explore, you're allowed to be curious, 910 00:48:23,230 --> 00:48:26,030 you're allowed to follow what inspires you, 911 00:48:26,030 --> 00:48:28,923 then I think that's how you and the forest work together. 912 00:48:31,050 --> 00:48:33,500 And something that I think many adults have forgotten 913 00:48:33,500 --> 00:48:37,610 how to do is learning how to get deep into play. 914 00:48:37,610 --> 00:48:38,850 And at forest school, 915 00:48:38,850 --> 00:48:41,120 we give children the time and the space 916 00:48:41,120 --> 00:48:43,570 to do what they would like to do 917 00:48:43,570 --> 00:48:45,990 and to get into what we would call flow. 918 00:48:45,990 --> 00:48:49,640 And flow is that feeling of you are so immersed 919 00:48:49,640 --> 00:48:53,490 in the moment that you forget about everything around you 920 00:48:53,490 --> 00:48:55,610 and you just do what you love to do. 921 00:48:55,610 --> 00:48:57,370 It's a very, very calming thing. 922 00:48:57,370 --> 00:49:00,420 So if we can teach ourselves how to do that as children 923 00:49:00,420 --> 00:49:03,120 and we can teach our children how to do that, 924 00:49:03,120 --> 00:49:04,853 then I think that's a huge gift. 925 00:49:07,230 --> 00:49:11,010 I think that the future of forest school is really to become 926 00:49:11,010 --> 00:49:14,950 a force behind bringing nature into the city, 927 00:49:14,950 --> 00:49:18,430 because children need to be able to go in nature every day, 928 00:49:18,430 --> 00:49:21,973 not just once a year, not just on a school field trip. 929 00:49:24,710 --> 00:49:26,420 - [Presenter] For the past 25 years, 930 00:49:26,420 --> 00:49:30,050 more and more studies have been providing irrefutable proof 931 00:49:30,050 --> 00:49:32,373 of nature's incredible power to heal. 932 00:49:33,360 --> 00:49:36,290 Now researchers will need to better understand 933 00:49:36,290 --> 00:49:38,130 how nature affects each of us, 934 00:49:38,130 --> 00:49:39,920 depending on our individual health, 935 00:49:39,920 --> 00:49:42,363 our senses and our personalities. 936 00:49:47,179 --> 00:49:48,320 (speaking in foreign language) 937 00:49:48,320 --> 00:49:50,060 - [Interpreter] I'm convinced that in the future, 938 00:49:50,060 --> 00:49:52,940 doctors will start prescribing time in the forest 939 00:49:52,940 --> 00:49:54,743 over pharmaceutical drugs. 940 00:49:58,520 --> 00:50:01,740 - Research will have very much to do in the coming years, 941 00:50:01,740 --> 00:50:05,150 trying to understand how the relationship 942 00:50:05,150 --> 00:50:07,660 between nature and health can develop 943 00:50:07,660 --> 00:50:10,740 and how that relationship can look differently 944 00:50:10,740 --> 00:50:13,673 for different people in different contexts. 945 00:50:18,270 --> 00:50:20,010 - [Interpreter] It's interesting to see the extent 946 00:50:20,010 --> 00:50:22,100 to which today's public health policies 947 00:50:22,100 --> 00:50:23,933 promote healthy eating habits, 948 00:50:24,980 --> 00:50:27,250 how they fight against excessive consumption 949 00:50:27,250 --> 00:50:28,640 of alcohol or tobacco, 950 00:50:28,640 --> 00:50:31,080 yet they're totally lackadaisical when it comes 951 00:50:31,080 --> 00:50:32,403 to contact with nature. 952 00:50:33,360 --> 00:50:35,970 I think there's an extremely promising field of work here 953 00:50:35,970 --> 00:50:37,963 in terms of public health policies. 954 00:50:38,970 --> 00:50:40,490 Because at the end of the day, 955 00:50:40,490 --> 00:50:43,390 it will contribute to diminishing the costs of healthcare. 956 00:50:44,550 --> 00:50:46,030 - Green should be part of the solution, 957 00:50:46,030 --> 00:50:47,740 not something that comes extra at the end 958 00:50:47,740 --> 00:50:49,050 when everything else is being sorted 959 00:50:49,050 --> 00:50:50,790 and then we get maybe half a percent or 1% 960 00:50:50,790 --> 00:50:52,000 of the city budget. 961 00:50:52,000 --> 00:50:54,890 And I think this whole health debate is really helping us 962 00:50:54,890 --> 00:50:57,290 to make across that point to make sure we get green spaces 963 00:50:57,290 --> 00:50:59,803 integrated into these major agendas and policies. 964 00:51:00,660 --> 00:51:02,380 - [Presenter] These new scientific discoveries 965 00:51:02,380 --> 00:51:05,500 support what native populations have known for centuries. 966 00:51:05,500 --> 00:51:07,900 We are interconnected with the living world 967 00:51:07,900 --> 00:51:10,793 down to the deepest part of our bodies and souls. 968 00:51:11,750 --> 00:51:13,930 - Where I think we need to listen very much more 969 00:51:13,930 --> 00:51:17,850 to the knowledge which is stemming from millennia 970 00:51:17,850 --> 00:51:20,760 and where this knowledge is actually existing today 971 00:51:20,760 --> 00:51:22,830 in the indigenous communities. 972 00:51:22,830 --> 00:51:25,250 And if we could collaborate more, 973 00:51:25,250 --> 00:51:28,510 we could reach a bigger and deeper understanding 974 00:51:28,510 --> 00:51:31,210 of the interconnections between 975 00:51:31,210 --> 00:51:34,060 the house of the environment and the house of the people. 976 00:51:36,400 --> 00:51:40,140 - This effect of nature experience should be brought 977 00:51:40,140 --> 00:51:42,580 to all people and should benefit humanity. 978 00:51:42,580 --> 00:51:44,690 It's only now that we're being deprived of it 979 00:51:44,690 --> 00:51:45,720 as we move to cities 980 00:51:45,720 --> 00:51:48,760 and have the decreased rates of nature exposure. 981 00:51:48,760 --> 00:51:51,100 We need to figure out ways to bring that back 982 00:51:51,100 --> 00:51:52,433 into people's lives. 983 00:51:55,310 --> 00:51:57,840 - [Presenter] Mankind has created immemorial ties 984 00:51:57,840 --> 00:51:59,120 with mother nature. 985 00:51:59,120 --> 00:52:01,450 We need her as much as she needs us 986 00:52:01,450 --> 00:52:04,230 to take better care of her and respect her. 987 00:52:04,230 --> 00:52:06,230 We are nature. 988 00:52:06,230 --> 00:52:09,130 If we destroy it, we destroy ourselves. 989 00:52:09,130 --> 00:52:11,510 The time has come for us to make a new pact 990 00:52:11,510 --> 00:52:13,489 with our living world. 991 00:52:13,489 --> 00:52:16,406 (enchanting music) 992 00:52:35,127 --> 00:52:37,877 (birds chirping)