"When a man or a woman go through complex, difficult, painful, extreme moments in their existence, they very often seek out nature, they distance themselves and retreat into the woods or into environments that are natural to them. We are reborn by physically rediscovering our roots. And it is no coincidence that some of the greatest figures of our civilization were hermits who sought wisdom in a blade of grass, in the dark belly of a cave, on the top of a mountain." This is what Tiziano Fratus, poet and writer, and above all a "tree seeker," said a few years ago. Fratus loves seeking out the centuries-old, majestic trees, the most ancient woods. He reviews them, measures them, photographs them. He meditates on them and then talks about them. Another poet, Franco Armino, wrote: " The world around us is a great pharmacy from which we can draw freely and gratuitously . And in an ecological way, because looking at the sky, at a tree, is a gesture that does good but does not pollute."
In short, these words also confirm what we all take for granted: being in nature makes us feel better. But is there any concrete scientific evidence to support this idea?
Kathy Willis, professor of Biodiversity at the University of Oxford, certainly thinks so, as demonstrated in her book , Nature Heals (Aboca Edizioni, 2025, pp. 324). Willis, in fact, stumbled upon a study that radically changed her view of the natural world while contributing to an international project examining the social benefits of plants. The study revealed that hospital patients recovering from surgery improved three times faster when they could see trees rather than buildings from their windows. The science therefore confirmed our instincts about the benefits of interacting with the natural world. Willis, however, as a good scientist, didn't stop at the first evidence. She wanted to delve deeper into the topic, discovering that in the last ten years, there has been an explosion of evidence demonstrating how sensorial interaction with the natural world has incredible effects on our bodies and minds.
The best advice, however, is the practical advice Willis offers: schools should let children play in nature to improve their health and concentration ; city streets should be filled with trees to make the urban landscape more enjoyable. Furthermore, experiments conducted around the world, combined with new data collected via satellites and biobanks, have shown that having a vase of flowers on the desk or a green wall in the office has a measurable effect on well-being . They've shown that touching organic soil improves the health of our microbiome, and that a natural landscape promotes recovery from stress, improves attention and memory, and can even reduce blood pressure. Furthermore, there's evidence that birdsong and the rustling of leaves have a relaxing effect and reduce anxiety, and that touching wood makes us feel calmer. And the gnarlier the wood, the better.
Kathy Willis offers us a book that brings the latest scientific research into our homes and workplaces, demonstrating how nature can reduce healthcare costs and how, by integrating it into our cities, it can create a better, happier, and healthier environment.
