Embrace nature in 2024

A family connecting with nature at Danby Lodge National Park Centre, Summer 2023. © James Metcalfe

There is so much to embrace and enjoy in our local natural surroundings, make 2024 the year you connect with nature and unlock all the benefits nature has to offer your physical and mental health and wellbeing.

There is no denying 2023 was a difficult year. The rising cost of living, the worrying growth in loneliness, worsening physical and mental health outcomes - the list goes on. Life seems that much harder right now, and so I think we can be forgiven for being a little easier on ourselves.

But, cliché though it may be, a new year brings with it an opportunity for change and renewal.

Now, doing things differently is not always straightforward nor easy. However, it is good to challenge ourselves no matter how big or small the steps we take. 

Connecting with nature provides us with that opportunity - a chance to disrupt routines we honestly cannot even remember starting, to feel connected to something much bigger, to slow-down and disconnect from the pressures of modern day life, to acquire new knowledge, skills and habits, to feel free. 

Last year as I reflected on the future direction of the North York Moors Trust I spent a great deal of time thinking about how we better connect people and nature. The benefits of so are so widely understood and recognised, it is simply a common sense approach.

Nature is a great healer and I am pleased as a Trust we will have new projects unfolding in 2024 harnessing that power to support people to not just to recover, but to thrive.

This year you can embrace nature too, or deepen your connection, and unlock the benefits for your mental and physical health and wellbeing (not forgetting the reciprocal benefits for nature too - the more we interact the more willing we are to support nature to recover and thrive).

There is a wealth of evidence to show the stronger your connection with nature the greater your physical and mental health and wellbeing, the calmer and less anxious you feel, and the more equipped you are to build and maintain strong relationships.

Spending time interacting with nature, even if it is just 30 minutes on your lunch break, walking home from school with your children, or first thing in the morning before work, can release superhero hormones such as endorphins (improve mood and alleviates pain), dopamine (unlocks the feel-good factor), and serotonin (reduces anxiety and promotes calmness).

And most importantly, nature is for everyone, everywhere. It is not just rural, it can be found even in the most urban or industrialised of areas. So wherever you are, seek out your green spaces. 

The North York Moors National Park is renowned for its beauty and tranquillity, a landscape of breath-taking visual and sensory contrasts that lift and improve health and wellbeing. But I understand that there are many barriers that inhibit people travelling to and spending quality time here (something we and many other organisations are working to improve). And whilst I encourage anyone to visit and enjoy our wonderful local national park, sometimes a small step such as time spent bird watching in your yard or garden, taking a walk in your local park, or looking out for a your tree of the day can be equally uplifting and set you on a journey to visiting the North York Moors National Park. 

Nature connection should mean something to you, however that interaction may look, as that is how it will have the greatest impact on you - you will find what fits by giving  new experiences a try or returning to old pastimes. 

Whether you reside in the North York Moors or surrounding areas, such as Teesside or Scarborough, we are lucky to have an abundance of local nature and beauty on our doorsteps - from a bracing walk at Saltburn-by-the-Sea in January, to the blooming daffodils of Farndale in April, to the return of the threatened Turtle Dove at Sutton Bank in May, to the changing of the season at Wykeham Forest in October.

This year I hope you take time out for yourself to embrace and enjoy nature, unlocking the benefits of doing so - and hopefully encouraging others to do so with you!

That is what we will be spending our time striving to do this year, assisting those who may need that extra support connecting with nature if they are not able or ready to do so independently.

I wish you all the best for the year ahead and I hope to meet or speak with you in 2024, whether that is through a project, event, or if you consider a generous donation to power our work.

Happy New Year,

James

Director of the North York Moors Trust