Great Read: The Nature Fix by Florence Williams

​If you’ve always wondered just how beneficial nature is to our health, creativity, and overall well-being, consider reading The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative by Florence Williams (2017). Williams pulls together the most highly-regarded studies from around the world that look at this topic from many angles and knits these findings together in a fascinating, well-written book.
 
The implications of this research for the way we design our schools, communities, parks, and other spaces are far-reaching. Among the many powerful take-aways from this book was how fortunate our students are to already be spending significant portions of their day learning, inquiring, and recreating in a beautiful natural setting. AISL students don’t just learn in the classroom- they learn outdoors, around the ponds, by the gardens, and often barefoot on the grassy fields.
 
AISL students are also enriched by the natural soundscapes of the campus. The underlying melody of each day includes frogs croaking, birds singing, and wind blowing through the trees. In contrast, people who live near airports and other cacophonous soundscapes often suffer an increase in hypertension, which can cause heart attacks and strokes. Additionally, excessive noise can create frustration and an inability to focus.
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One of the chapters of this book also examines the power of awe. Awe-inspiring landscapes often promote curiosity and draw us out of ourselves, often helping us to put our problems into more perspective. We are certainly lucky to have places such as the mighty Victoria Falls and the wonders of the bush & its phenomenal wildlife right at our doorsteps. Interested in learning more about this research? Check out The Nature Fix and see what you think. It's right in the library.

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