Immerse them in nature: ecotherapy sessions can replenish kids' mental health

Gordon Cairns

By Gordon Cairns
Community contribution / May 11, 2021

Research has shown that just observing the forms of nature (the veins in a leaf, the giddy symmetry of flower petals surrounding a bud) can quieten those parts of the brain that fire up our anxiety levels. Have your students had the chance to experience a reflective ‘ecotherapy’ session?

As adults slowly rediscover the mental health benefits of the outdoors, it seems an opportune time to turn our young people onto this free mental health resource by introducing classes in ecotherapy.

When senior citizens want to have a general nark about ‘the youth of today’, you can be sure two seemingly ...

This story appeared in the June 2021 edition of Schools Excursion Guide.

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