I help children explore the connection to nature that saved my life

After a mental health crisis, birdwatching was the self-care that enabled me to find some stability. Nature is still fundamental to my recovery—it distracts me from my anxieties, connects me to the present, and helps me to understand my place in the world. The mental health charity Mind and the New Economics Foundation thinktank outline five ways to bolster mental wellbeing: be active, take notice, learn, connect, and give.1 Birdwatching incorporates all five.When I stand in the wet meadows near our house, on the rickety bridge over the stream, or in one of the hedgerow lined local lanes, I feel whole. Simply listening to the leaves rustling and the birds calling, breathing fresh air, feeling the sun on my skin, is a meditation—and a medication. I feel grounded, fulfilled, and focused. It’s almost spiritual. Now my goal is to guide others to experience these benefits.Organic and easyAs a child, my…
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