By Megan Tomlinson

Special to Black Press

Tucked away in one of the many municipal forests of small-town British Columbia stands a tall and mighty Douglas Fir whom I have dubbed 鈥淏ig Mama.鈥�

For many years, I鈥檝e had a routine visiting this majestic giant at the end of a stressful nursing shift. My practice is to take pause in Big Mama鈥檚 magnificence and lean into her unconditional support. Without words, she soothes my nervous system and rekindles resiliency.

This summer, I was heartbroken as I visited Big Mama only to find her defaced with spray paint. The writing was sloppy, somewhat illegible and held a suspicious message of intolerance. A week later while exploring another nearby forest, I came across three more trees with similar messages tagged on their trunks.

It goes without saying that trees are a life-giving organism. They provide shelter, oxygen, and habitat for wildlife. Trees improve soil and water conservation, and they are an effective solution for mitigating climate change through the tireless sequestration of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The traditional knowledge of Indigenous Peoples exemplifies the many ways in which trees support human life as an important source of sustenance and demonstrate the reverent stewardship essential to the health and prosperity for future generations.

Modern science has only more recently acknowledged the individual human health benefits associated with trees, forests, and the natural world. Phytoncides are antimicrobial organic compounds emitted by trees and plants, resemblant of essential oils and thought to have health promoting effects on people. Peer review studies report an overall improvement to immune function in participants immersing themselves in forest bathing or Shinrin-yoku, a therapeutic concept conceived in Japan whereby one immerses into the forest atmosphere via the senses.

Nature therapy, in which a meaningful connection with nature is realized, can be part of a chronic disease self-management regime to decrease risks associated with heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. Further health benefits include an improvement in sleep quality and an increase in cognitive skills such as concentration, memory, and creativity. In youth living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), 20 minutes of nature-based activity per day has been shown to improve concentration scores and reduce reports of anxiety and depression.

Promoting nature as a legitimate health intervention is gaining momentum as seen in the BC Parks Foundation partnership program known as PaRX whereby physicians and nurses prescribe doses of nature therapy to improve health and well-being. This intervention benefits the individual. It also has the potential to be an effective solution for restoring planetary health. It is broadly accepted that the more time one spends in nature, the more apt they are to protect it.

The protection of forests and wild spaces requires a multifaceted approach. While citizens and grassroots initiatives are an important aspect, all levels of government have a responsibility for environmental protection amidst the continuation of colonial driven agendas. They must work tirelessly at ensuring Indigenous voices and traditional knowledge are at the forefront of decisions pertaining to natural resource management. With pressure on densification of urban spaces, municipal governments should prioritize availability and access to green spaces for all residents as an essential health promotion measure.

For too long, the dominant world view has seen nature as a resource and object to dominate. This disconnection is evident with the vandalism of trees in my local forests. We must be deeply concerned about this maladaptive relationship because human health is reliant upon the health of the natural world. Trees are touted as being the lungs of the planet. They are essential to human survival and as such, should be cherished.

Megan Tomlinson, RN, BScN is a member of the Canadian Association of Nurses for the Environment https://cane-aiie.ca