#191: Nature on the Brain
In her cover story for the magazine\u2019s summer issue, Lucy Jones writes about \u201ca renaissance of love for nature\u201d that took place during the pandemic in the midst of so much isolation and death. Why is it, exactly, that going into nature is so therapeutic? Jones\u2019s new book, Losing Eden, examines the wealth of scientific literature on the psychological effects of nature, from neurons to the whole nervous system. She joins us on the podcast to talk about her research into what we lose when we lose contact with nature.
Go beyond the episode:
- Lucy Jones\u2019s Losing Eden: Our Fundamental Need for the Natural World and Its Ability to Heal Body and Soul
- Read her Summer 2021 cover story, \u201cRewilding Our Minds\u201d and an essay in Emergence on \u201cThe Druid Renaissance\u201d
- A 2020 instance of a white woman calling the police on a Black birdwatcher sparked new studies and stories on the problems minorities face in parks and other public spaces, but racism in outdoor pursuits is nothing new. Groups like Outdoor Afro aim to make nature more welcoming.
- Find solace (and food!) in foraging responsibly: @blackforager Alexis Nikole on Instagram, \u201cWildman\u201d Steve Brill on your bookshelf, Falling Fruit on the map, meetups in your own back yard
- Call us Smarty Plants: some of our other favorite nature-centric episodes include an interview with forestry legend Suzanne Simard, rewilding queen Isabella Tree, plant messiah Carlos Magdalena, and cherry blossom enthusiast Naoko Abe.
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Have suggestions for projects you\u2019d like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org.
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