Last Thursday we opened the Opkikkerpad (“Boost path”), and since then I´ve been on radio (Radio2, Nostalgie) and TV (AVS) in Flanders. What is all this fuss about? Clearly nature´s importance for wellbeing has been finally noticed in Flanders and we at NatureMinded could not be happier. The fuss about the Opkikker pad has probablyContinue reading “Guided wellbeing path”
Category Archives: Nature connectedness
Finding and losing nature in Belgium
Since the lockdown, I am able to spend more time outdoors and I am overjoyed seeing people walking in the neighbourhood. The dog walkers have been joined by families, young and older couples, even youngsters, in the neighbourhood green spaces.
But this dreamy scenario was not always as dreamy..
How the wild child can save nature
Some weeks ago the biggest nature organisation in Flanders, Natuurpunt, shared an article that was titled “How the wild child can save nature” (Hoe het wilde kind de natuur kan redden). It got me thinking about how there´s still a knowledge gap between what we well-meaning adults think our children need and what they actuallyContinue reading “How the wild child can save nature”
30/30 campaign: promoting physical and mental health through daily exercise in nature
The naturalness of the residential environment has been associated with a lower prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress (Cox et al., 2017). Furthermore, people who have access to green spaces in their neighborhood, use these areas more and tend to be physically more active (Pietilä et al., 2015). Finally, people with a strong connection withContinue reading “30/30 campaign: promoting physical and mental health through daily exercise in nature”
Relationship lessons from nature
This text I wrote originally appeared on March 29th, 2018 on Healing Forest, an amazing initiative that aims to connect people and forests for both of their health. This text is edited by my dear friend and colleague Nitin Das, the man behind the well-loved film, India´s Healing Forests. What can nature teach us aboutContinue reading “Relationship lessons from nature”
Winter post #2: Big splash in the bucket
This weekend my friends and I treated ourselves to a weekend at the sea at an ocean front apartment. Oostende was recuperating from a northwestern storm called Dieter that made some big waves and caused the gusts of wind to be mighty powerful. These gusts also brought ashore a bunch of seabirds that would normally not makeContinue reading “Winter post #2: Big splash in the bucket”
Enabling daily explorations in nature
Growing up in Finland in a small town, we had a wonderful little forest close to and a big yard around our apartment building. There were varied terrains: stones and rocks, little hills and slopes, bushes, and trees to climb into. By spending hours and hours on that yard waiting for friends to come outContinue reading “Enabling daily explorations in nature”
“It doesn´t rain in our forest” – visit to forest school in Tammela, Finland
Finland is one of those countries, where the forest school movement has been rising in popularity in the recent years. In the last 10 years, some 30 forest schools have been established. Most of these are pre-schools that cater for 5-6-year-olds, who spend most days of the week or the most hours of the dayContinue reading ““It doesn´t rain in our forest” – visit to forest school in Tammela, Finland”
Forest school in Belgium
Quite unexpectedly, I heard about a forest school in Belgium. Someone who had the same trajectory as the kids in their reflecting vests heading toward a big park in Gent mentioned it to me. Apparently there had even been a piece in the newspaper about them. Why did I not know about this? My guessContinue reading “Forest school in Belgium”
