Encounter in the woods

Some years ago I went to a fascinating conference run by the Sensory Trust about the different ways we connect with our surroundings.

One session even attempted to prove scientifically that feeling connected to the outdoors is good for people's health and wellbeing. The therapeutic effects of country walking are no surprise to us city dwellers. A group of friends and colleagues regularly meet at weekends to explore walks within an hour's train journey from London. It's a great escape from the pressures of urban life and a relaxing way to chat and get to know each other better.

Last week we had a glorious walk in the woods near Haslemere in Surrey (As it happens May is Walk in the Woods month). It's hard to imagine that only a few miles from the sprawling metropolis, we could walk for six hours in woods and heath land and hardly see a house.  The woods are beautiful in the spring. Sunlight filtered through a palette of fresh green contrasts with the sea of bluebells and wild garlic on the forest floor. There was a sense of discovery as we followed hidden footpaths and climbed the Black Down to the Temple of Winds.

While we were resting at the top, we saw a tall bearded man striding up the hill towards us. He saluted us and told us that he had been living in a tent in the forest for 12 years, He seemed perfectly adapted to a lifestyle of living in the open air, so one of our party greeted him as the Guardian of the Woods, a title which delighted him. As we stood on the highest point of the Down and looked out over an almost unbroken expanse of forest he shared his knowledge of the area and welcomed us to his home.

This encounter reminded me that although at Friends of the Earth we spend our time campaigning for the environment, there is often a disconnect between our daily lives in the city and experiencing the joy of nature more directly. We are lucky in this country that there remains a lot of unspoiled (albeit managed) landscape for us to enjoy and we have to ensure its protection.  A great first step is to get out into the countryside and explore.

See Britain and Ireland's Best Wild Places - 500 Essential Journeys by Christopher Somerville.

Joanna Watson, Creative Communications Team