Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

The Importance of Nature, Green Spaces, and Gardens in Human Well-Being

2010; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 13; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/1366879x.2010.522046

1469-6703

Isis Brook,

Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction

Abstract Comparing the nature encounters of Gerald Durrell with our current climate of 'stranger danger', health and safety neurosis, and the beguilement and blunting of the senses by technological advances presents a worrying picture of a new era of nature and culture deprivation. However, even in the most unlikely places, a rich engagement with nature can be rekindled. Central to such recovery is access to nearby nature that allows practical engagement rather than merely detached on-looking. In my conclusion I outline examples where this has been made possible in the challenging settings of socially deprived urban areas. Acknowledgements I would like to thank the referees for their helpful comments on the initial version of this paper. Notes Notes 1 His Mother responding to the suggestion that it is just a phase is reported as saying: 'He's been in this phase from the age of two' (Durrell, Citation2006, p. 62). 2 Durrell, Citation2006, p. 161. 3 Durrell, Citation2006, p. 42. 4 Durrell, Citation1974, p.73. 5 Durrell, Citation2006, p.71. 6 Durrell, Citation2006, p.44. 7 Durrell, Citation2006, p.84. 8 Durrell, Citation1974, p. 52. 9 Durrell, Citation2006, p.36. 10 Durrell, Citation1974, p. 55. 11 Durrell, Citation1974, p. 111. 12 See Kaplan, Citation1992. 13 Lewis, Citation1996, p.74. 14 Kaplan, & Kaplan, Citation2005, p. 280. 15 Nicholson-Lord, Citation2003, p.5. 16 This can even be the case in wealthy city spaces. For example, see the paucity of planting and acres of concrete – inventively arranged concrete but concrete nevertheless – in prize winning contemporary spaces. See Garmory & Tennant, Citation2005. 17 Newton, Citation2007. 18 Lewis, Citation1996, p.80. 19 Kaplan & Kaplan, Citation2005, p. 273. 20 Kuo & Sullivan, Citation2001a. 21 Sullivan, Citation2005, p 245. 22 Kuo et al., Citation1998. 23 Sullivan, Citation2005, p. 244. 24 Newton, Citation2007, p.31. 25 Hillman et al., Citation1990. 26 Rissotto & Giuliani, Citation2006. 27 Louv, Citation2005, p.127. 28 Louv, Citation2005, p. 34. 29 Pyle, Citation2002. 30 Louv, Citation2005, chap. 3, 'The crimilization of natural play'. 31 Simmons, Citation1994. 32 Louv, Citation2005, p. 10. 33 Kubey & Csikszentmihalyi, Citation2004. 34 Sigman, Citation2007. Sigman notes that commercial television, which relies on keeping its audience minute by minute to earn its revenue, has always used more of these techniques so that, for example, a typical BBC children's show will have scenes that last 70% longer than a typical commercial station's children's show. 35 Christakis et al., Citation2004. 36 Sigman, Citation2007, p. 14. 37 Sigman, Citation2007, p. 12. 38 Chawla, Citation1986. 39 Moore & Wong, Citation1997. 40 Cooper Marcus, Citation1992. 41 Whuinston Spirn, Citation1998. 42 Chawla, Citation1986. 43 Layard & Dunn, Citation2009, p.86. 44 Durrell, Citation1985, p. 57. 45 Durrell, Citation1985, p. 70. 46 Durrell, Citation1974, p. 151. 47 Durrell, Citation1974, p. 194. 48 Durrell, Citation1974, p.105; 2006, p.354. 49 Ransome, Citation2001. 50 Kuo & Sullivan, Citation2001b. 51 Greenspace Scotland, Citation2008. 52 Jepson A., 2008, pers. comm., Edinburgh, 19 June. 53 Stuart, Citation2005, p. 72. 54 Stuart, Citation2005, p. 75. 55 Apparently in abusive relationships food is sometimes used as part of the power dynamic and women often reported not being allowed to use some foods or having to prepare them in highly controlled ways, or were not allowed to eat. Stuart, Citation2005, p. 65. 56 Stuart, Citation2005, p. 83. 57 Quoted in Austin & Kaplan, Citation2003, p. 221. 58 von Hassell, Citation2005. 59 Reynolds, Citation2008, p. 16. 60 Tracey, Citation2007, p. 94. 61 Reynolds, Citation2008, p. 140. 62 Brook, Citation2010. 63 McShane, Citation2007, p. 175; O'Neill, Citation2008, p. 139. 64 Available at http://www.universityofthetrees.org/ (accessed 1 June 2010). 65 Sacks, Citation2010. Available at http://www.universityofthetrees.org/ (accessed 1 June 2010). 66 Kondorfer, Citation2010. Available at http://www.engage.org/projects/files/J_Korndorfer.pdf (accessed 3 June 2010). 67 Brook, Citation2010. 68 Kaplan, Kaplan, & Ryan, Citation1998; van Herzele, Collins, & Heyens, Citation2005; CABE, 2007.