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Luisa Rivera for Yale Environment 360

Ecopsychology: How Immersion in Nature Benefits Your Health

A growing body of research points to the beneficial effects that exposure to the natural world has on health, reducing stress and promoting healing. Now, policymakers, employers, and healthcare providers are increasingly considering the human need for nature in how they plan and operate.

By Jim Robbins • January 9, 2020

How long does it take to get a dose of nature high enough to make people say they feel healthy and have a strong sense of well-being?

Precisely 120 minutes.

In a study of 20,000 people, a team led by Mathew White of the European Centre for Environment & Human Health at the University of Exeter, found that people who spent two hours a week in green spaces — local parks or other natural environments, either all at once or spaced over several visits — were substantially more likely to report good health and psychological well-being than those who don’t. Two hours was a hard boundary: The study, published last June, showed there were no benefits for people who didn’t meet that threshold.

The effects were robust, cutting across different occupations, ethnic groups, people from rich and poor areas, and people with chronic illnesses and disabilities.

“It’s well-known that getting outdoors in nature can be good for people’s health and well-being, but until now we’ve not been able to say how much is enough,” White said. “Two hours a week is hopefully a realistic target for many people, especially given that it can be spread over an entire week to get the benefit.”

The study by White and his colleagues is only the latest in a rapidly expanding area of research that finds nature has robust effects on people’s health — physically, mentally, and emotionally.

The studies “point in one direction: Nature is not only nice to have, but it’s a have-to-have for physical health and cognitive function.”

“When I wrote Last Child in the Woods in 2005, this wasn’t a hot topic,” said Richard Louv, a journalist in San Diego whose book is largely credited with triggering this movement and who coined the term Nature Deficit Disorder. “This subject was virtually ignored by the academic world. I could find 60 studies that were good studies. Now it’s approaching and about to pass 1,000 studies, and they point in one direction: Nature is not only nice to have, but it’s a have-to-have for physical health and cognitive functioning.”

These studies have shown that time in nature — as long as people feel safe — is an antidote for stress: It can lower blood pressure and stress hormone levels, reduce nervous system arousal, enhance immune system function, increase self-esteem, reduce anxiety, and improve mood. Attention Deficit Disorder and aggression lessen in natural environments, which also help speed the rate of healing. In a recent study , psychiatric unit researchers found that being in nature reduced feelings of isolation, promoted calm, and lifted mood among patients.

The growing body of research — combined with an intuitive understanding that nature is vital and increased concerns about the exploding use of smart phones and other forms of technology — has led to tipping point at which health experts, researchers, and government officials are now proposing widespread changes aimed at bringing nature into people’s everyday lives.

For example, researchers and policymakers now talk about “park deserts” in urban areas. Cities are adding or enhancing parks, and schools and other institutions are being designed with large windows and access to trees and green space — or blue space, as in aquatic environments. Businesses are increasingly aware of the desire among employees for access to green spaces. “It’s needed to attract a skilled work force,” said Florence Williams, author of The Nature Fix . “Young people are demanding high-quality outdoor experiences.”

A park ranger leads a hike through the Kahuku unit of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. NPS Photo/ Janice Wei

The number of “forest schools” — which have long been a tradition in Scandinavia and where much of the learning takes place in natural settings in the outdoors — has mushroomed in the United States, up by 500 percent since 2012, according to Louv. Oregon recently passed a ballot measure to raise money for outdoor schools, and the state of Washington just became the first state to license outdoor preschools, where much of the play and learning occurs outside.

The organization Children & Nature Network , founded by Louv and others, advocates for more time in nature for children, tracks the research, and has a long list of abstracts that summarize studies on the subject on its website.

And The Trust for Public Lands (TPL) has just finished a seven-year project to map the parks of the U.S., with the aim of identifying places in need of parkland. “We’ve mapped 14,000 communities, 86 percent of the nation, and looked at who does and doesn’t live within a 10-minute walk of a park,” said Adrian Benepe, a senior vice president of TPL. The organization has a Ten Minute Walk campaign to work with mayors across the U.S. to make sure all people have that kind of access.

An increasing number of healthcare providers are also embracing the back-to-nature paradigm. One organization, Park RX America , founded by Robert Zarr of Unity Healthcare in Washington, D.C., declares its mission “to decrease the burden of chronic disease, increase health and happiness, and foster environmental stewardship, by virtue of prescribing Nature during the routine delivery of healthcare by a diverse group of health care professionals.” The organization has 10,000 parks in its “prescribing platform.”

One expert says he’s concerned that the growing interest in more contact with nature relies too much on only experiencing it visually.

The global Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides shows clients how to use immersion in nature for healing. “The forest is the therapist,” the group’s slogan reads. “The guides open the door.”

Studies show that the effects of nature may go deeper than providing a sense of well-being, helping to reduce crime and aggression. A 2015 study of 2,000 people in the United Kingdom found that more exposure to nature translated into more community cohesion and substantially lower crime rates.

And while more vegetation is thought to encourage crime by providing security for criminals, another study found the opposite — vegetation abundance is associated with a reduction in assault, robbery, and burglary, although not theft.

Still, many of these studies are correlational rather than causal. That means it’s hard to show that natural landscapes cause these effects, though these things happen when people are in a natural environment.

Sara L. Warber, professor of family medicine at the University of Michigan, noted that there are no “randomized, controlled studies” on the effects of nature on human health. Nonetheless, she said, there are epidemiological studies and measurements of before and after exposure to nature, and the results from this research are robust.

The view from atop Swiftcurrent Mountain in Montana. Brendan T Lynch/ Flickr

Peter H. Kahn, a professor of psychology at the University of Washington who has worked on these issues for decades, is encouraged by the new focus on the subject but concerned that the growing interest in more contact with nature relies too much on only experiencing it visually. “That’s important, but an impoverished view of what it means to interact with the natural world,” he said. “We need to deepen the forms of interaction with nature and make it more immersive.”

What are the active ingredients in a dose of nature? Pioneers in this work, Rachel and Stephen Kaplan, who began studying the subject in the 1970s, devised Attention Restoration Theory, which holds that paying attention in bustling cities, at work, or in other stressful environments requires a good deal of effortful attention. In a natural environment, however, the Kaplans found that people paid attention more broadly and in a less effortful way, which leads to far more relaxed body and mind.

Japanese researchers have studied “forest bathing” — a poetic name for walking in the woods. They suspect aerosols from the forests, inhaled during a walk, are behind elevated levels of Natural Killer or NK cells in the immune system, which fight tumors and infections. A subsequent study, in which essential oils from cedars were emitted in a hotel room where people slept, also caused a significant spike in NK cells.

However this growing field might be defined, it is gaining momentum. In a recent paper , 26 authors laid out a framework to create a formal role for the positive impacts nature has on mental health and to formulate a model for conserving nature in cities and integrating it into planning for these health effects.

“There is an awakening underway today to many of the values of nature and the risks and costs of its loss,” says one researcher.

“We have entered the urban century, with two-thirds of humanity projected to be living in cities by 2050,” said Gretchen Daily, director of the Natural Capital Project at Stanford University and a senior author of a recent paper arguing that the cognitive and emotional benefits of nature should be factored into economic ecosystem service models. “There is an awakening underway today to many of the values of nature and the risks and costs of its loss. This new work can help inform investments in livability and sustainability of the world’s cities.”

While the research has grown leaps and bounds, Kahn and others argue in a recent review paper that research into the topic is still lacking in many ways, and they lay out a research agenda they say would help formalize the role of nature in public health policy.

Understanding nature’s therapeutic effects may be arriving at a propitious moment. Some studies have found that anxiety over climate change is a growing phenomenon. Ironically, one of the best antidotes for that might be a dose of green space.

“If I am feeling depressed and anxious and worried about the environment,” Warber said, “then one of the best things I can do is go out in nature.”

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Become a Writer Today

Essay About the Beauty of Nature: 4 Examples and 9 Prompts

Read this article for essay examples and prompts to use so you can start writing essay about the beauty of nature.

Nature is complex and beautiful. Our ecosystem covers every aspect of Mother Earth, including the evolution of the earth & life, the various cycles, all the living things, and more. Collectively, they create something so beautiful and perfect that it can be hard to believe it exists. 

The beauty and power of nature can be pretty overwhelming. Whenever you want to feel these emotions, reading or writing essays about the beauty of nature can help you grasp those ideas. 

Below are examples of essays on nature and its beauty and prompts to help you get started on your next essay.

1. Essay on Beauty of Nature for Children and Students on Study Mentor

2. descriptive essay on beauty of nature on performdigi, 3. essay on beauties of nature by gk scientist, 4. descriptive essay on mother nature by neetu singh, 1. activities that appreciate nature, 2. the beauty of nature in renaissance art, 3. mindful methods of appreciating the beauty of nature, 4. literature pieces that define the beauty of nature well, 5. video games that captured the beauty of nature, 6. beautiful nature photo ideas and tips you can do with a phone, 7. difference between nature and science, 8. philosophical understanding of nature, 9. biomimicry: nature-inspired engineering.

“Each and everything in nature, including living or non-living organisms, play an important role in maintaining the balance to create a viable environment for all of us, which is called ecological balance. We need to make sure that the ecological balance should be maintained at all times to avoid a catastrophic situation in the future.”

The first essay discusses nature’s significance, the natural resources, and how to conserve them. It has an educational tone, encouraging the reader to care for nature and protect its beauty. The second essay focuses on the non-harmful ways of enjoying nature and protecting it from modern daily processes. You might also like these authors like Wendell Berry .

“Nature has many faces. They are everywhere. The human eye is always in contact with good things.”

This descriptive essay about the beauty of nature discusses the immortal, infinite, and eternal beauty of nature and nature as a reflection of the art of Allah. It covers the beauty of everything found in nature, including the changing seasons, birds, beasts, fish, reptiles, humans, the environment, and more.

“To enjoy these beauties of nature, one has to live in nature’s company. A countryman enjoys nature well. A town dweller cannot enjoy the beauties of nature.”

This essay on nature talks about nature and personifies it as a woman by using the pronouns she and her. The essay considers the various elements in nature, seasons, and unique environments. It also provides some wisdom to encourage the reader to care for nature.You might also be interested in these articles about the beauty of nature .

“As nature is the main life force of all living beings on earth. It is our duty to preserve and protect nature and all its creations alike. We must also love her in return as she loves us.”

In this essay, nature is God’s most tremendous boon to humanity. Thus, we must protect it from corruption, pollution, and other artificial and harmful manufactured things. The essay also gave examples of environmental problems that have impacted nature significantly. The end of the essay states that we must stand, preserve, and protect nature.

9 Prompts for Writing an Essay About the Beauty of Nature

Writing an essay about the beauty of nature can feel repetitive and overdone. You can avoid repeating the usual themes or ideas you saw above. Instead, use the essay prompts on nature below.

Here’s a tip: If writing an essay sounds like a lot of work, simplify it. Write a simple 5 paragraph essay instead.

Essay About the Beauty of Nature: Activities that appreciate nature

Do you want other people to enjoy and appreciate nature? With this essay, you can list the various methods of appreciating nature. The activities can be simple such as planting a tree, hugging a tree, and watching sunsets.

For help with this topic, read this guide explaining what persuasive writing is all about.

Renaissance art is rich with meanings and symbolism portrayed through nature. For example, although flowers universally stand for beauty, different flower types can have different meanings. Dark clouds and streaks of lightning in the skies can portray dark moods or omens. Many renaissance male artists saw nature as a mother, mistress, or bride. If you like interpreting renaissance art, you’ll enjoy this essay topic.

Mindfulness and nature share a very positive relationship. Being in nature can make you more mindful. Being mindful while in nature enhances your connectedness to it. This essay focuses on mindfulness in nature.

 Consider your connection to it, be aware of your surroundings, and actively appreciate its various parts. Connecting to nature will open you to change, the natural cycle of life and death, and more.

Literature is more flexible than visual art because it taps the imagination through ideas and concepts rather than images. For example, various poets, writers, and playwrights have likened the beauty of nature to love, characters, powerful forces, and intense emotions. 

Avid literature readers will enjoy writing about the beauty of nature through their favorite authors, themes, and stories.

No matter what their genre, more video games today feature realistic graphics. One of the best ways to show off these high-tech graphics is by showing nature’s beauty in a scene or environment. 

Some examples of the top video games that have captured the beauty of nature include Ghost of Tsushima, Red Dead Redemption II, and The Last of Us: Part Two. Write about how the beauty of nature can be captured in a video game and the methods used to create vivid digital worlds.

Are you an enthusiast of nature photography and amateur photography? Bring these two things together by writing an essay about taking nature photos with a phone. Write what you learned about taking nature photos. 

You can also provide sample nature photos you or others took with a smartphone. Remember, nature photography can cover many subjects, like animals, plants, landscapes, etc.

Have you ever stopped to think about the difference between nature and science? Science has many methodical and measurable aspects and is as young as humanity. The opposite is true for nature because it has existed far longer than humans have. Yet, we can use science to study nature. 

When you pick this essay idea, discuss the loose ideas mentioned above in more detail. Researching and reading about nature vs. science can also help. Discuss this in your next essay for an inspiring and intriguing essay topic.

Philosopher students will enjoy writing an essay about the beauty of nature. You can argue that nature does not exist because it is not measurable. It doesn’t exist outside of any solid examples we can give, like the environment, animals, weather, and plants. 

You write about the philosophical aspects of nature and use key research to back up your ideas and arguments made in the essay. Look for scientific research papers, books by philosophers, and opinion essays to create this essay.

Biomimicry is a sustainable solution to human challenges. It imitates the designs found in nature’s time-tested strategies and patterns and incorporates them into technology. 

This is a fascinating essay topic that can inspire your next written piece. Conduct research into biomimicry, and let the reader know your thoughts and opinions on this subject.

 Do you need more inspiration? Read these 13 essays about nature .

essay writing on nature and health

Maria Caballero is a freelance writer who has been writing since high school. She believes that to be a writer doesn't only refer to excellent syntax and semantics but also knowing how to weave words together to communicate to any reader effectively.

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Essay on Health for Students and Children

500+ words essay on health.

Essay on Health: Health was earlier said to be the ability of the body functioning well. However, as time evolved, the definition of health also evolved. It cannot be stressed enough that health is the primary thing after which everything else follows. When you maintain good health , everything else falls into place.

essay on health

Similarly, maintaining good health is dependent on a lot of factors. It ranges from the air you breathe to the type of people you choose to spend your time with. Health has a lot of components that carry equal importance. If even one of them is missing, a person cannot be completely healthy.

Constituents of Good Health

First, we have our physical health. This means being fit physically and in the absence of any kind of disease or illness . When you have good physical health, you will have a longer life span. One may maintain their physical health by having a balanced diet . Do not miss out on the essential nutrients; take each of them in appropriate quantities.

Secondly, you must exercise daily. It may be for ten minutes only but never miss it. It will help your body maintain physical fitness. Moreover, do not consume junk food all the time. Do not smoke or drink as it has serious harmful consequences. Lastly, try to take adequate sleep regularly instead of using your phone.

Next, we talk about our mental health . Mental health refers to the psychological and emotional well-being of a person. The mental health of a person impacts their feelings and way of handling situations. We must maintain our mental health by being positive and meditating.

Subsequently, social health and cognitive health are equally important for the overall well-being of a person. A person can maintain their social health when they effectively communicate well with others. Moreover, when a person us friendly and attends social gatherings, he will definitely have good social health. Similarly, our cognitive health refers to performing mental processes effectively. To do that well, one must always eat healthily and play brain games like Chess, puzzles and more to sharpen the brain.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Physical Health Alone is Not Everything

There is this stigma that surrounds mental health. People do not take mental illnesses seriously. To be completely fit, one must also be mentally fit. When people completely discredit mental illnesses, it creates a negative impact.

For instance, you never tell a person with cancer to get over it and that it’s all in their head in comparison to someone dealing with depression . Similarly, we should treat mental health the same as physical health.

Parents always take care of their children’s physical needs. They feed them with nutritious foods and always dress up their wounds immediately. However, they fail to notice the deteriorating mental health of their child. Mostly so, because they do not give it that much importance. It is due to a lack of awareness amongst people. Even amongst adults, you never know what a person is going through mentally.

Thus, we need to be able to recognize the signs of mental illnesses . A laughing person does not equal a happy person. We must not consider mental illnesses as a taboo and give it the attention it deserves to save people’s lives.

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The Healing Power of Nature

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I t sounded more like a lark than a scientific study when a handful of Japanese researchers set out to discover whether something special–and clinically therapeutic–happens when people spend time in nature. They were inspired by a new recommendation from the Forest Agency of Japan, which in the early 1980s began advising people to take strolls in the woods for better health. The practice was called forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, and it was believed to lower stress–but that hadn’t been proved. Since then, a large body of evidence has shown that spending time in nature is responsible for many measurable beneficial changes in the body.

In one early study, Yoshifumi Miyazaki, a forest-therapy expert and researcher at Chiba University in Japan, found that people who spent 40 minutes walking in a cedar forest had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which is involved in blood pressure and immune-system function, compared with when they spent 40 minutes walking in a lab. “I was surprised,” Miyazaki recalls. “Spending time in the forest induces a state of physiologic relaxation.”

Another researcher, Dr. Qing Li, a professor at the Nippon Medical School in Tokyo, found that trees and plants emit aromatic compounds called phytoncides that, when inhaled, can spur healthy biological changes in a manner similar to aromatherapy, which has also been studied for its therapeutic benefits. In his studies, Li has shown that when people walk through or stay overnight in forests, they often exhibit changes in the blood that are associated with protection against cancer, better immunity and lower blood pressure.

Recent studies have also linked nature to symptom relief for health issues like heart disease, depression, cancer, anxiety and attention disorders.

“The quiet atmosphere, beautiful scenery, good smells and fresh, clean air in forests all contribute to the effects,” says Li.

1 IT CAN LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE

Spending time outside is good for the heart, research shows, and since high blood pressure costs the U.S. approximately $48.6 billion per year and affects 1 in 3 Americans, visiting green spaces may be a simple and affordable way to improve heart health. A large June 2016 study found that nearly 10% of people with high blood pressure could get their hypertension under control if they spent just 30 minutes or more in a park each week. “If everyone were to make time for nature, the savings on health care costs could be incredible,” says study author Danielle Shanahan, a research fellow at the University of Queensland in Australia.

The fresh air could be one factor, since air pollution has been linked to a higher risk for heart attacks, but since the study participants lived in cities (and therefore were also being exposed to air pollution), that likely isn’t the only driver. Scientists think stress reduction also plays a part. “Nature is undemanding,” says Shanahan. “It requires effortless attention to look at the leaves of a tree, unlike the constant emails at work or the chores at home.”

Trees’ natural fragrance may also play a role, as some studies have shown that phytoncides lower blood pressure by quelling the body’s fight-or-flight response, which stresses the body.

2 EXPOSURE TO IT CAN INCREASE AWE

Looking at a stunning waterfall or undulating countryside can do more than enrich your Instagram feed: it can also elicit feelings of awe that bring a number of health benefits. In a 2015 study, researcher Paul Piff of the University of California, Irvine, found that people who spent 60 seconds looking up at towering trees were more likely to report feeling awe, after which they were more likely to help a stranger than people who looked at an equally tall–but far less awe-inspiring–building.

“Experiences of awe attune people to things larger than themselves,” says Piff. “They cause individuals to feel less entitled, less selfish, and to behave in more generous and helping ways.” The benefits of awe are physical too: regularly experiencing moments of awe has been linked to lower levels of inflammatory compounds in the body.

Everyday interactions with nature can also benefit. An April 2016 study of 44 cities found that urban areas with more parks scored higher on measures of community well-being. That’s likely because parks give people opportunities to socialize and be active with their neighbors, which could improve health, the researchers say. People in cities with lots of green space were more likely to report having more energy, good health and a sense of purpose too.

3 IT PROMOTES CANCER-FIGHTING CELLS

An April 2016 study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives reported that women living in areas with a lot of vegetation had a 12% lower risk of death from all causes compared with people in the least green places. That could be thanks to cleaner air, but nature may also offer its own medicine. Li’s research at Nippon Medical School shows that when people walk through a forest, they inhale phytoncides that increase their number of natural killer (NK) cells–a type of white blood cell that supports the immune system and is associated with a lower risk of cancer. NK cells are also thought to have a role in combating infections and autoimmune disorders and tamping down inflammation, which contributes to a wide range of ailments, including heart disease and diabetes.

In a 2010 study, researchers found that people who took two long walks through forests on consecutive days increased their NK cells by 50% and the activity of these cells by 56%. Those activity levels remained 23% higher than usual for the month following the walks. In another study, Li and his co-authors found that infusing people’s hotel rooms with phytoncides had some of the same anti-cancer-cell effects as those seen among people walking through forests.

4 IT CAN HELP WITH DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY

Not surprisingly, urban dwellers are far more likely to have anxiety and mood disorders than people who live in rural areas. That’s the bad news, since about 80% of Americans live in cities. The good news is that a small 2015 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that people who walked for 90 minutes in a natural setting, such as a forest or a nature park, were less likely to ruminate–a hallmark of depression and anxiety–and had lower activity in an area of the brain linked to depression than people who walked in an urban area. “Accessible natural areas may be vital for mental health in our rapidly urbanizing world,” the study authors write.

The exact mechanism of how nature helps mood disorders is unclear, but researchers agree that at the very least, time in nature tends to lift spirits. “When you have a short blast of nature exposure, people’s moods go up,” says Ming Kuo, an environment and behavior scientist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Another possibility is that the air near moving water, forests and mountains contains high levels of negative ions, which are thought to potentially reduce depression symptoms, according to a study in Frontiers in Psychology.

5 IT MAY HELP WITH ADHD SYMPTOMS

Small studies in kids with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have suggested that nature walks could be a potential natural treatment to improve attention. In one study, a team led by Kuo of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign had kids with ADHD take three 20-minute walks, without their medication, in different locations: a park, a neighborhood and an urban area. When the researchers tested the children afterward, they found that after a park walk, the kids were able to concentrate substantially better than after a walk in the other settings. In a separate 2011 study, Kuo and her colleagues found that children who regularly played in outdoor areas had milder ADHD symptoms, according to their parents, than children who played indoors or in areas with less nature access. “Nature gives the part of the brain that’s used in effortful concentration a rest,” says Kuo. “If you spend time doing something mentally relaxing, you feel rejuvenated.”

People without ADHD symptoms can also improve their attention and concentration by interacting with nature, evidence suggests. One University of Michigan study found that people improved their short-term memory by 20% after a nature walk but had no changes after walking through city streets.

6 EVEN FAKE NATURE HAS BENEFITS

Before you start planning your escape to the countryside, consider this: “There is plenty of evidence that you will get a range of benefits even if all you can manage is putting a plant in your room or looking at trees through your window at home,” says the University of Queensland’s Shanahan.

Research shows that even if they’re artificial, the images, sounds and smells of nature can have positive health effects. Listening to nature sounds over headphones, for instance, has been shown to help people recover faster from stress–which might explain why so many spas employ nature sounds in their treatment rooms.

Several studies have also shown that having a window view can improve attention, reduce stress and even help people in hospitals heal after operations. One widely cited study of people recovering from abdominal surgery found that those with tree-lined views were released faster from the hospital, experienced fewer complications and required less pain medication than people whose rooms faced a brick wall.

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One-And-Done Guide To A-Grade Worthy Essays On Nature

Haiden Malecot

Table of Contents

Worthy Essays On Nature

At least once in your life from elementary school you will find yourself having to talk or having to write about the inspiring relationship between man and nature that has been there since us humans started walking this planet.

You better be inspired and get a feel for it before you start gnawing at your pen. You’ll see that this topic, apart from being so ubiquitous and beloved by teachers of all kinds and calibers, is rather fun to explore and write about.

Essays on nature: how to structure?

The topic of essays on nature is blissfully broad unless narrowed down by your teacher’s specifications. Not that we will break any major news saying that you should start your essay with a catchy introduction.

Do not underestimate the importance of that short introductory piece : written well, it will set the right tone to your essay, make your own voice heard and make that first impression on your readers.

The contextual diversity stems from the very definition of nature. Quoting Merriam Webster , nature can be defined as

  • The inherent character or basic constitution … of a person or thing.
  • A creative and controlling force in the universe.
  • Natural scenery.

We have picked here only the most distinct definitions that would send your essay in three different directions, but you certainly get the drift.

As often as not, tasking students with an essay on nature, an educator expects a charming piece on scenic beauty with lots of descriptive passages.

But before you knock yourself out waxing lyrical on that breathtaking view from the mountain top that opened itself to your eyes as you were hitchhiking with your family during your Colorado trip, let not a premature sigh of relief escape your lips: there is more depth to it than may initially seem.

Depending on what the actual topic at hand is, you should:

  • Make a concise presentation of the topic.
  • Outline the problems you are going to solve in your essay.
  • Introduce a clear thesis statement.

Normally, you are not expected to come up with any laboriously picked and analyzed sources of information other than your own experiences with nature that inspired you into deep contemplations, profound emotions and filled other spiritual gaps in your perception of the world.

However, a good quote here and there is a must – just to show that you are familiar with the background and the efforts your fellow-writers have made in the field.

Proceed to the core of your writing, speaking about the moments when the presence of nature in your life overpowered you, the thoughts and ideas this feeling sparkled in you, and the impact it has had on your way of thinking and living.

Remember that drawing unexpected parallels is a mark of genius. How about you compare natural phenomena to the way you express your own emotions? What in the way you express your feelings through beaming, smiling – or tears and yelling – can be paralleled to weather changes?

…Go full-on allegorical!

Writing about nature, we suggest that you pick such tried-and-true fellow-writers as Henry David Thoreau , who is commonly referred to as “the godfather of American nature writing,” as an environmental educator and a travel/naturalist writer Heidi Zillie put it, and a harbinger of all go-green enthusiasts.

Speaking of environmentalists: as far as the cornerstone idea of your essay is concerned, it would score you a lot of points to jump on the naturalist bandwagon and make a strong call to protect natural resources.

The use of nature essay examples

Depending on what your primary focus in the essay is, you should pick a specific set of arguments to back up the viewpoints you express in your writing.

While describing and processing the imprint that nature sceneries have had on you is not about debating, since it is a purely subjective description of your own emotions, you still can present your feelings as contradictory and conflicting.

For instance, speak about the impact a sunny spell has on you when you are happy as opposed to when you are depressed. By contrasting your own emotions, sunshine from a clear blue sky can make you feel worse – although it can do the opposite and pick you up.

Um… or not?

Provide arguments to support both stances and illustrate with an example from your life.

Don’t be afraid to channel your inner Hemingway; we mean, the topic is pretty corny in its nature – bad pun intended!

What to write in essays on human nature?

Essays on human nature open up new horizons still.

Here once again it would be great to make a reference to Thoreau who advocated for

“the importance of leaving nature undisturbed, the need for all humans to have contact with nature, and the relationship between humans and other living things”

Speak about the contradictory nature of humans: we are part of nature, but we constantly seek to outsmart it.

What do we get as benefits, and are they compared to the damage we do the environment in the process?

One thing is for sure, and it is that it is human nature to defy mother nature, and our own nature whilst at it.

For centuries, from the earliest forms of human life on Earth, man has been trying to interpret, explain and even control nature and its phenomena, it is not by chance that the first explanations of meteorological phenomena that is rain can already be found in the first primitive men.

The wind, the sun, the snow, which, however, lacking any logical or scientific connection , gave an answer through the omnipotent presence of gods who controlled these temporal impacts.

But not only that, being peoples who based their entire survival on agriculture, they introduced the first songs and dances of the rain, of the sun, and in doing so they were convinced that the gods could hear them and that they could control and “send” what could be used to harvest to be prosperous.

essay writing on nature and health

Essays on nature vs. nurture

Merriam-Webster defines nurture as

– as opposed to those predetermined by genes, or nature.

The debates about to what extension we are influenced by our genetics that is nature, and to what – by environmental factors.

The supporters of the “nature” camp study the behavioral development in twins to prove their point, and we suggest you get the most out of citing some of them.

On the other side of the equation, scientists prove that there is a link between the events in our lives and our bodily functions; some events or actions can actually make us pass on genes to our offspring, like for instance substance abusing or smoking.

A study like this one under the supervision of Dr. Linda J. Luecken proves some meaningful connections between our biography facts and health condition.

Nature vs. nurture essay topics

Here are some of the most fruitful and inspiring topics for an essay on nature versus nurture you can dig into because every essay topic needs to be narrowed down for you to be able to make a clear and logical presentation of your standpoint:

  • Nature vs. Nurture In Personal Development.
  • Nature Vs. Nurture In Children.
  • The Nurture Assumption.
  • Nature vs. Nurture: From Elizabethan Times Till Now.
  • Frankenstein: Nature vs. Nurture.
  • Nature vs. Nurture Debate.
  • Nature vs. Nurture In Medicine.
  • Intelligence Quotient.
  • Nature vs. Nurture From A Psychological Standpoint.
  • Human Nature.
  • Obligate vs. Facultative Adaptations.
  • Social Pre-Wiring.
  • Heritability Of Intelligence.
  • Nature vs. Nurture in Genomics.
  • Personality Traits: Nature Or Nurture?
  • The Fallacy Of Nature vs. Nurture.
  • Darwinian Ethics In Nature Vs. Nurture Debate.
  • Biological Determinism.
  • Stability And Change In Nature Vs. Nurture Discourse.
  • The Nature And Nurture Of Genius.

Bottom line

Science is progressing with increasingly surprising innovations and technologies day by day, but people in some way continue to not fully grasp the benefits nature offers.

Exemplary is the case of houses built at the foot of Vesuvius, an area considered to be at risk of eruptions.

There are laws that prevent building in those areas, but at the same time in those areas, you always see more architectures, houses, and buildings that endanger human life.

Then the question arises of who is to blame in the end, and the necessary answer is that man, as in many things, is the main cause of own flaws!

…You get the drift?

Got questions or feel a bit lost? You don’t have to do this on your own; there is expertly help to get you all set for a maximal educational outcome!

Speaking of that… How about trying an expert help right now? Any topic, tightest deadline, complete safety! Click the button below to save your evening!

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How to Write a Drunk Driving Essay

essay writing on nature and health

The Scarlet Letter Essay Topics

How to write an argument synthesis essay: a step-by-step instruction.

Browse Course Material

Course info.

  • Dr. Cynthia Taft

Departments

  • Comparative Media Studies/Writing

As Taught In

  • American Literature
  • Creative Writing
  • Nonfiction Prose

Learning Resource Types

Writing about nature and environmental issues, exercise 1.1 (warm-up for essay 1).

Due Session 4

Purpose of assignment:

  • To focus your attention as you read and think about a particular work.
  • To help you distinguish between observed details and the ideas that emerge from those details.
  • To ensure that your own ideas are rooted in specific textual evidence.

Instructions:

  • Choose one of the texts listed below; then, identify and transcribe between fifteen and twenty key passages from the work your have chosen. Be sure to note page numbers.
  • Some phrases may combine both features. You may list them in both categories and underline the distinctive terms.

Be sure that you know the precise meaning of every word that you include in your list of quotes. Print out 3 copies of your exercise and bring them to class.

Draft of Essay 1

Due Session 5

Readings to consider:

[AE] = McKibben, Bill, ed. American Earth: Environmental Writing Since Thoreau . Library of America, 2008. ISBN: 9781598530209.

Beston, Henry. The Outermost House: A Year of Life on the Great Beach of Cape Code . Reprint edition. Holt Paperbacks, 2003, pp. 19–25. ISBN: 9780805073683. [Preview with Google Books ]

Eiseley, Loren. “The Judgment of the Birds.” In The Immense Journey: An Imaginative Naturalist Explores the Mysteries of Man and Nature . Vintage, 1959. ISBN: 9780394701578. [Preview with Google Books ]

[AE] Leopold, Aldo. “Marshland Elegy.”

[AE] Carson, Rachel. Excerpt from “Silent Spring” (pp. 835–848) and “And No Birds Sing (Section 1).” See pub info below.

[AE] Turner, Jack. “The Song of the White Pelican.”

Each of these authors draws upon the symbolic resonance of a particular bird or group of birds, but the power of each work depends upon carefully observed details. In a coherent essay that develops a unifying thesis, explore the role played by the particular bird or group of birds at the center of one of these texts. Be sure to consider the relationship between the observed or documented details and the symbolic associations of the bird. This assignment is deliberately open-ended to allow you to follow the distinctive path of your own thoughts, but the resulting essay must be tightly organized and well documented.

Guidelines for draft of Essay 1

In-class on Session 6

Guidelines for Workshop 1

Due Session 7

Guidelines:

  • Finished essay should be 3–4 pages long (1000–1300 words, double-spaced).
  • Use MLA in-text citations. Remember Works Cited list.
  • Proofread your essay before submitting it.

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Essay on Nature: In 100 Words, 200 Words, 300 Words

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  • Updated on  
  • Oct 13, 2023

Essay on Nature

Nature is the intricate web of life that surrounds us, encompassing everything from the air we breathe to the majestic landscapes we admire. It includes the delicate balance of ecosystems, the diversity of flora and fauna, and the natural resources that sustain all living beings on Earth. Exploring the beauty and significance of nature is not only a pleasurable endeavour but also a crucial one, as it reminds us of our responsibility to protect and preserve our environment.

This Blog Includes:

Tips to write the best essay, essay on nature in 100 words, essay on nature in 200 words, essay on nature in 300 words.

Here are some tips to craft an exceptional essay:

  • Understand the Topic: Grasp the essence of the topic and its different aspects before you start writing.
  • Structure: Organize your essay coherently, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
  • Thesis Statement: Formulate a strong thesis statement that summarizes the main point you want to convey.
  • Use Vivid Language: Employ descriptive language to bring the beauty of nature to life for your readers.
  • Supporting Evidence: Back up your points with facts, statistics, and examples to make your essay more convincing.
  • Variety of Ideas: Discuss different perspectives and dimensions of the topic to showcase a comprehensive understanding.
  • Proofread: Edit your essay for grammar, punctuation, and clarity before submitting it.

Nature is a precious gift, encompassing all living and non-living entities. It provides us with air, water, food, and shelter. The beauty of nature soothes our souls and brings us closer to the marvels of creation. However, human activities are threatening the delicate balance of ecosystems, leading to pollution, deforestation, and climate change. It’s our responsibility to protect and preserve nature for future generations to enjoy its wonders.

Nature is the ultimate source of inspiration and sustenance for all life forms on Earth. From the smallest microorganisms to the tallest trees, every aspect of nature plays a crucial role in maintaining the delicate balance of our planet. The diversity of flora and fauna, the intricate ecosystems, and the natural resources provide us with food, shelter, and even the air we breathe.

Despite its undeniable importance, human activities are wreaking havoc on nature. Deforestation, pollution, and excessive use of natural resources are causing irreparable damage to our environment. Climate change, triggered by human-induced factors, is resulting in extreme weather events and rising sea levels, endangering both human and animal habitats.

Preserving nature is not a choice; it’s a necessity. The responsibility to conserve nature lies in the hands of every individual. Planting trees, reducing waste, using sustainable resources, and raising awareness about the importance of nature are steps we can take to mitigate the damage.

Nature has provided us with boundless beauty and resources, but it’s up to us to ensure its survival. By respecting and nurturing the natural world, we can secure a healthier and more vibrant planet for current and future generations.

Nature is a symphony of vibrant life forms and dynamic ecosystems that create a harmonious and intricate web of existence. The lush greenery of forests, the tranquil blue of oceans, the diverse habitats of animals, and the breathtaking landscapes remind us of the sheer magnificence of the world we inhabit. It’s a world that offers us both solace and sustenance, making our survival intertwined with its preservation.

The ecosystem services provided by nature are immeasurable. The forests act as the lungs of the Earth, producing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide. Wetlands filter our water, providing us with clean and fresh sources of hydration. Bees and other pollinators enable the growth of crops, contributing to global food security.

However, the rampant disregard for nature’s delicate balance is leading to alarming consequences. The relentless deforestation for urbanization and agriculture is causing habitat loss, leading to the extinction of numerous species. The excessive emission of greenhouse gases is driving climate change, with rising temperatures and unpredictable weather patterns threatening vulnerable communities.

To ensure the well-being of our planet and future generations, conservation and sustainable practices are imperative. Afforestation and reforestation efforts must be intensified to restore lost ecosystems. Transitioning to renewable energy sources can reduce carbon emissions and mitigate climate change. Moreover, raising awareness and fostering a deep connection with nature can instil a sense of responsibility and inspire positive action.

In conclusion, nature is not merely a resource for human exploitation; it’s a complex and interconnected system that sustains life in all its forms. We must recognize our role as custodians of the environment and act with diligence to protect and preserve it. By embracing sustainable practices and fostering a profound respect for nature, we can secure a future where the world’s natural wonders continue to thrive.

Nature encompasses the entirety of the physical world and its components, including landscapes, flora, fauna, air, water, and ecosystems. It encompasses the natural environment and all living and non-living elements that shape and sustain life on Earth.

Nature is vital for our survival, providing resources like air, water, and food. It maintains ecological balance, supports biodiversity, and offers inspiration and solace. However, human activities threaten its delicate equilibrium, necessitating conservation efforts.

Saving nature requires planting trees, reducing waste, using sustainable resources, and raising awareness about its importance. Adopting renewable energy sources, practising responsible consumption, and fostering a connection with nature are crucial steps in its preservation.

We hope that this essay blog on Nature helps. For more amazing daily reads related to essay writing , stay tuned with Leverage Edu .

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Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Beauty About The Nature

To go into solitude, a man needs to retire as much from his chamber as from society. I am not solitary whilst I read and write, though nobody is with me. But if a man would be alone, let him look at the stars. The rays that come from those heavenly worlds, will separate between him and what he touches. One might think the atmosphere was made transparent with this design, to give man, in the heavenly bodies, the perpetual presence of the sublime. Seen in the streets of cities, how great they are! If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore; and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God which had been shown! But every night come out these envoys of beauty and light the universe with their admonishing smile.

The Stars Awaken a Certain Reverence, Because Though Always Present, They Are Inaccessible;

but all natural objects make a kindred impression when the mind is open to their influence. Nature never wears a mean appearance. Neither does the wisest man extort her secret, and lose his curiosity by finding out all her perfection. Nature never became a toy to a wise spirit. The flowers, the animals, the mountains, reflected the wisdom of his best hour, as much as they had delighted the simplicity of his childhood. When we speak of nature in this manner, we have a distinct but most poetical sense in the mind. We mean the integrity of impression made by manifold natural objects. It is this which distinguishes the stick of timber of the wood-cutter, from the tree of the poet . The charming landscape which I saw this morning, is indubitably made up of some twenty or thirty farms. Miller owns this field, Locke that, and Manning the woodland beyond. But none of them owns the landscape. There is a property in the horizon which no man has but he whose eye can integrate all the parts, that is, the poet . This is the best part of these men's farms, yet to this, their warranty deeds give no title. To speak truly, few adult persons can see nature. Most persons do not see the sun. At least they have a very superficial seeing. The sun illuminates only the eye of the man but shines into the eye and the heart of the child.

The lover of nature is he whose inward and outward senses are still truly adjusted to each other;

who has retained the spirit of infancy even into the era of manhood. His intercourse with heaven and earth becomes part of his daily food. In the presence of nature, a wild delight runs through the man, in spite of real sorrows. Nature says, — he is my creature, and maugre all his impertinent griefs, he shall be glad with me. Not the sun or the summer alone, but every hour and season yields its tribute of delight; for every hour and change corresponds to and authorizes a different state of the mind, from breathless noon to grimmest midnight.

Nature is a setting that fits equally well a comic or a mourning piece. In good health, the air is a cordial of incredible virtue. Crossing a bare common, in snow puddles, at twilight, under a clouded sky, without having in my thoughts any occurrence of special good fortune, I have enjoyed a perfect exhilaration. I am glad to the brink of fear. In the woods too, a man casts off his years, as the snake his slough, and at what period soever of life, is always a child. In the woods, is perpetual youth. Within these plantations of God, a decorum and sanctity reign, a perennial festival is dressed, and the guest sees not how he should tire of them in a thousand years. In the woods, we return to reason and faith.

There I feel that nothing can befall me in life,

— no disgrace, no calamity, (leaving me my eyes,) which nature cannot repair. Standing on the bare ground, — my head bathed by the blithe air, and uplifted into infinite space, — all mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eye-ball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God. The name of the nearest friend sounds then foreign and accidental: to be brothers, to be acquaintances, — master or servant, is then a trifle and a disturbance. I am the lover of uncontained and immortal beauty. In the wilderness, I find something more dear and connate than in streets or villages. In the tranquil landscape, and especially in the distant line of the horizon, man beholds somewhat as beautiful as his own nature.

The greatest delight which the fields and woods minister, is the suggestion of an occult relation between man and the vegetable.

I am not alone and unacknowledged. They nod to me, and I to them. The waving of the boughs in the storm is new to me and old. It takes me by surprise, and yet is not unknown. Its effect is like that of a higher thought or a better emotion coming over me, when I deemed I was thinking justly or doing right.

Yet it is certain that the power to produce this delight, does not reside in nature, but in man, or in a harmony of both. It is necessary to use these pleasures with great temperance. For, nature is not always tricked in holiday attire, but the same scene which yesterday breathed perfume and glittered as for the frolic of the nymphs, is overspread with melancholy today. Nature always wears the colors of the spirit. To a man laboring under calamity, the heat of his own fire hath sadness in it. Then, there is a kind of contempt of the landscape felt by him who has just lost by death a dear friend. The sky is less grand as it shuts down over less worth in the population.

Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.

Chapter I from Nature , published as part of Nature; Addresses and Lectures

What Is The Meaning Behind Nature, The Poem?

Emerson often referred to nature as the "Universal Being" in his many lectures. It was Emerson who deeply believed there was a spiritual sense of the natural world which felt was all around him.

Going deeper still in this discussion of the "Universal Being", Emerson writes, "The aspect of nature is devout. Like the figure of Jesus, she stands with bended head, and hands folded upon the breast. The happiest man is he who learns from nature the lesson of worship."

It's common sense that "nature" is everything you see that is NOT man-made, or changed by man (trees, foliage, mountains, etc.), but Emerson reminds us that nature was set forth to serve man. This is the essence of human will, for man to harness nature. Every object in nature has its own beauty. Therefore, Emerson advocates to view nature as a reality by building your own world and surrounding yourself with natural beauty.

  • The purpose of science is to find the theory of nature.
  • Nature wears the colors of the Spirit.
  • A man is fed, not to fill his belly, but so he may work.
  • Each natural action is graceful.

"Material objects are necessarily kinds of scoriae of the substantial thoughts of the Creator, which must always preserve an exact relation to their first origin; in other words, visible nature must have a spiritual and moral side."

This quote is cited in numerous works and it is attributed to a "French philosopher." However, no name can be found in association with this quote.

What is the main point of Nature, by Emerson?

The central theme of Emerson's famous essay "Nature" is the harmony that exists between the natural world and human beings. In "Nature," Ralph Waldo Emerson contends that man should rid himself of material cares and instead of being burdened by unneeded stress, he can enjoy an original relation with the universe and experience what Emerson calls "the sublime."

What is the central idea of the essay Nature, by Emerson?

For Emerson, nature is not literally God but the body of God’s soul. ”Nature,” he writes, is “mind precipitated.” Emerson feels that to realize one’s role in this respect fully is to be in paradise (similar to heaven itself).

What is Emerson's view of the Nature of humans?

Content is coming very soon

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Ralph Waldo Emerson left the ministry to pursue a career in writing and public speaking. Emerson became one of America's best known and best-loved 19th-century figures. More About Emerson

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Nature's Contributions to Human Health: A Missing Link to Primary Health Care? A Scoping Review of International Overview Reports and Scientific Evidence

Laura lauwers.

1 Department for Interdisciplinary and Primary Care, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium

Hilde Bastiaens

2 Research Institute Nature & Forest (INBO), Belgian Biodiversity Platform, Brussels, Belgium

Associated Data

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article and in the published protocol of this article ( 17 ).

Nature's contributions to human health (NCH) have gained increased attention internationally in scientific and policy arenas. However, little attention is given to the role of the health care sector in this discussion. Primary health care (PHC) is a vital backbone for linking knowledge and practice within the organization of health care. The objective of this scoping review is to evaluate how international overview reports and scientific literature on NCH address to PHC. More specifically, we extracted data on arguments, practice supporting tools and guidelines, challenges and constraints, and management approaches to integrate NCH and PHC. The scientific literature search was run in Web of Science. Two independent reviewers screened the scientific publications. Through the scientific literature search, we identified 1,995 articles of which 79 were eligible for analysis. We complemented the search with a selection of six international overview reports. Both the international overview reports and the scientific publications paid limited attention to the role of PHC regarding NCH. To cope with the current challenges and constraints to integrate NCH and PHC, more evidence on NCH, further development of PHC practice supporting tools, bottom–up integrated approaches, and closer interdisciplinary collaborations are required.

Introduction

Nature is known to affect human health in different ways. The manner in which nature's contributions to human health (NCH) have been studied reflects the changes in concepts of health. Health has long been defined as “the absence of disease” and approached by focusing on the pathogenesis or mechanisms that cause diseases ( 1 ). In this context, nature is simultaneously considered a threat to health due to the cause of diseases associated with mass mortalities and a source for curative care through the provision of medicinal compounds. In 1978, the World Health Organization (WHO) redefined the concept of health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” in the Alma-Ata Declaration ( 1 ). This change of health concept illustrates the shift in mainly focusing on disease-causing factors to considering factors supporting human health and well-being. In this context, only recently, more attention is paid to the benefits of nature contact to human health. The range of mechanisms, from supporting physical activity to enhancing immune function, and effects of nature contact to human health, from improved mental health to reduced diabetes, were recently reviewed ( 2 ).

This shift from emphasizing health risks to including health benefits from nature is reflected in international overview reports of interdisciplinary collaborations on NCH. In 2005, the WHO contributed to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) with a state-of-the-art overview of the broad range of NCH ( 3 ). In this overview, the relation between human health and an ecosystem approach of nature is addressed. The review focuses on the risks of the degradation of ecosystems to human health, such as natural disasters and malnutrition. In 2010, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and the WHO produced a collaborative statement on One Health ( 4 ). This collaboration aimed at sharing responsibilities and coordinating global activities to address health risks at the animal–human–ecosystems interfaces ( 4 ). In parallel, Wildlife Trust and the Consortium for Conservation Medicine joined the EcoHealth Alliance, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to a “One Health” approach to protecting the health of people, animals, and the environment from emerging infectious diseases ( 5 ). In 2015, the initial steps in the collaboration between WHO and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) regarding biodiversity and health began ( 6 ). The state of knowledge review resulting from this collaboration includes health benefits of nature in terms of biodiversity. In this period, the Rockefeller Foundation–Lancet Commission on planetary health introduces the concept of planetary health as an alternative to One Health and EcoHealth ( 5 ). The commission defined this planetary health as “the achievement of the highest attainable standard of health, well-being, and equity worldwide through judicious attention to the human systems—political, economic, and social—that shape the future of humanity and the Earth's natural systems that define the safe environmental limits within which humanity can flourish” ( 5 ). In 2016, the European OneHealth/EcoHealth (OH/EH) workshop aimed at integrating these concepts given the similarities in their objectives ( 7 ). Here again, the benefits of nature to human health are included in the final report. In the same period, the European Union itself published a recent report on nature-based solutions (NBS) and renaturing cities from a European expert group commissioned by the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation ( 8 ). In this report, the potential human health benefits of NBS are explicitly addressed, as are in research calls related to that report. However, despite growing interest from scientific and policy arenas for NCH, the role of the health care sector, and more specifically the role of PHC in relation to NCH, has not been thoroughly reviewed.

The integration of NCH and PHC fits well in the initial WHO 1978 vision of PHC as to be comprehensive ( 1 ). Comprehensive PHC encourages to improve social and environmental contexts that create disease and risks for disease and pays attention to disease prevention and health promotion ( 9 ). Due to pragmatic reasons, a more selective approach with marginalized attention for preventive and promotive actions took over this comprehensive vision, especially in low- and mid-income countries ( 9 ). However, today, there is an increased demand to close the gap between PHC and Public Health by strengthening the preventive and promotive character of PHC ( 10 ). The role of PHC has become strategically important for several reasons. PHC is the first level of contact of individuals, the family, and community with the national health system ( 1 ). Its coordinating role helps people to navigate the maze of health services and to mobilize the support of other facilities by referring patients or calling on the support of specialized services ( 11 ). A further asset is the close link between health care practice and local communities, which potentially makes it an ideal sector for implementing and communicating scientific findings of NCH research ( 1 ). Additionally, PHC plays an important role in coaching and medical follow-up for patients with chronic diseases, and therefore lowering the threshold for nature-based interventions among that vulnerable group. Thus, it is important to look at NCH in relation to PHC, and as a first step, we examined what has already been published. The objective of this scoping review is to evaluate how international overview reports and scientific literature on NCH address to PHC. To scope the available knowledge, the following research question was developed: What does the literature mention on the integration of NCH and PHC? To do so, this scoping review summarizes the literature into four themes: arguments, practice supporting tools and guidelines, challenges and constraints, and management approaches characterizing the integration of NCH and PHC.

Definitions

Nature-based care: we developed this umbrella term for health care interventions related to nature, such as green prescriptions, nature-based health interventions, nature-assisted therapies, and green care.

Green Prescription: a physical activity scripting scheme (written and verbal) whereby patients are initially screened for physical inactivity and receive a physical activity prescription from their GP ( 12 ).

Nature-based health intervention: a program, activity, or strategy that aims to engage people in nature-based experiences with the specific goal of achieving improved health and well-being ( 13 ).

Nature-assisted therapy : an intervention with the aim to treat, hasten recovery, and/or rehabilitate patients with a disease or a condition of ill health, with the fundamental principle that the therapy involves plants, natural materials, and/or outdoor environment, without any therapeutic involvement of extra human mammals or other living creatures ( 14 , 15 ).

Green care: another umbrella term for denoting interventions that use elements of nature and defined as a targeted therapeutic or treatment intervention that is specifically designed for people with a defined need and is delivered by trained/qualified practitioners. However, this term has very broad implications, also including social rehabilitation or health promotion, and also contains animal-assisted therapy ( 14 , 15 ).

Complementary medicine or alternative medicine: a broad set of health care practices that are not part of a country's own tradition or conventional medicine and are not fully integrated into the dominant health-care system ( 16 ).

A full review protocol was drafted a priori by the research team (LL, HK, RR, and HB), and is available in JMIR protocols ( https://www.researchprotocols.org/2019/1/e12510/ ) ( 17 ). A summary of the methodology follows.

Search Criteria

We used a two-step approach to explore the domain of NCH in relation to PHC. First, we searched the gray literature for recent international overview reports on NCH. We complemented this by a scientific literature search in Web of Science (WOS). With the help of PHC professionals and the application of PubMed Search Builder, we developed a search string for PHC. This search string was combined with search strings for nature and the nature–health subthemes presented in the WHO-CBD report: human microbiome, infectious diseases, natural disasters, medicinal plants, and nutrition ( 6 ). These search strings were adopted from the search strategy for the Regional Assessment for Europa and Central Asia by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) ( 18 ). We developed an additional subtheme “nature-based care” and considered it as an umbrella term for health care interventions related to nature. The diverse range of topics covered by those nature–health subthemes allowed to fully grasp the full potential connections between all aspects of NCH and PHC. The relevance of the subthemes and an overview of the search strings are presented in the published protocol ( 17 ). The search strings were combined as follows:

  • Nature–health subtheme AND primary health care.
  • Nature–health subtheme AND primary health care AND nature.
  • Nature AND primary health care.

Inclusions and Exclusion Criteria

We considered all literature dating from 1900 to May 2017. We did not consider foreign language material, except for papers with an English abstract because of the cost and time involved for translation. Two independent reviewers (first reviewer: HK, second reviewer: HB or RR) checked the titles and abstracts of the search results for relevance. Relevance was attributed if the publications approached the nature–health subthemes in accordance to their relevance to health and if they paid attention to PHC in a nonsuperficial manner. Publications were included when explicitly relating the research findings on NCH to PHC, with references to PHC according to the keywords of the search string. Publications were excluded from further analysis when only mentioning PHC, but not linking the NCH knowledge to PHC. At title and abstract stage, for each publication, reviewers made one of following decisions: relevant, in doubt, or irrelevant. In the case of doubt or disagreement, the first reviewer made a final decision at the full paper stage in consultation with the second reviewer. As we were more interested to explore a broad range of topics related to NCH than to go into great detail on a specific topic, for pragmatic reasons, papers were only checked for relevance when the number of results of a combination of search strings was below 100. Reviews were always considered. The quality of the papers was not assessed. Figure 1 illustrates the selection process for the scientific literature. More details can be found in the published protocol ( 17 ).

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Prisma diagram of articles included in study.

Extraction of Data

For the international overview reports, we only screened and extracted data with keywords associated to PHC. Since the results were very limited, we screened and extracted additionally data containing the keywords “health care,” “healthcare,” and “health prof.”

For the scientific literature, we read the full article and extracted data following a list of extraction fields, including “year of publication,” “country of origin,” and key findings that relate to the research question: What does the literature mention on the integration of NCH and PHC?

Based on first insights in the data extracted in relation to our research question, we decided during the development of our protocol to sort all data under four main categories: (1) arguments, (2) practice supporting tools and guidelines, (3) challenges and constraints, and (4) management approaches characterizing the integration of NHI in PHC. This data extraction approach is akin to a “narrative review,” where we used the four categories as an analytical framework to all data extracted from the international overview reports and scientific literature ( 19 ). We sought to apply a uniform approach to all literature included in the review, but in practice it was sometimes impossible to extract information on all four categories where some literature failed to include relevant material. Since the spatial and temporal information of the scientific literature did not show remarkable trends in topical foci, we did not report on those results.

Results From International Overview Reports

Six international overview reports on NCH were selected to complement the scientific literature ( Table 1 ).

Selected international overview reports.

The role of PHC remained mainly underreported in the selected international overview reports on NCH. The WHO contribution to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment ( 3 ) and the UNEP report “Healthy Environment, Healthy People” ( 22 ) did not include key terms associated to PHC. Especially in the WHO–CBD review ( 6 ), attention to PHC became more specific. None of the reports referred to practice supporting tools or guidelines. Arguments, challenges and constraints, and management approaches to integrate NCH and PHC could be extracted from the reports ( Supplementary Table 1 ).

We derived several arguments from the reports to better integrate NCH and PHC. First of all, natural disasters already have a great impact on the (primary) health care costs and infrastructure ( 3 , 6 , 20 ). Contrary, (primary) health care itself has an impact on natural ecosystems that subsequently can have a negative effect on human health ( 6 ). Second, through the central role of PHC in communities, PHC possesses interesting health data that can be spatially linked to environmental data and strengthen the response and preparedness to health impacts of the environment ( 20 , 23 ). This central role can further support health professionals to mobilize a wide community of actors to increase awareness for NCH ( 20 , 21 ). Third, worldwide medicinal plant use continues to be an important part of (primary) health care systems where training local communities could help to protect biodiversity and local knowledge and to reduce poverty ( 3 , 6 ). At last, evidence for the effectiveness and preventive potential of NCH is increasing and could reduce health care costs ( 21 – 23 ).

Challenges and Constraints

A big challenge is that poor populations are often more dependent on natural resources in their environment due to inadequate access to health care, but often live in areas that are becoming more prone to flooding or other natural disasters ( 20 ). Additionally, a minimum threshold of health-worker capacity is required to prevent and respond to the health consequences of environmental change ( 20 ). Besides the increase in health inequalities, the integration of NCH and PHC is constraint by the general trend of budget cuts in preventive care ( 21 ). This trend reflects the current challenge to increase awareness on the preventive functions of nature. Consequently, dedicated measures for awareness raising are required to facilitate the mainstreaming of NCH ( 21 ).

Management Approaches

From the extracted management approaches, we learn that an integration of PHC and NCH is required on different levels, involving different actors. First, knowing the reciprocal impact of the health care sector and the natural environment, the integration of NCH and PHC requires the integration of policies advancing both human health and environmental sustainability ( 20 ). Second, data integration should be obtained, for example, by including environmental metrics in facility and population-based health surveys ( 20 ). Third, interdisciplinary collaborations between health and environmental actors are required and could be stimulated by the local authorities through collaboration calls or collaboration platforms ( 20 – 22 ). Fourth, the integration of NCH and PHC can be further enabled by providing trainings: trainings to local community members to protect their natural resources, to researchers to gain skills in producing and commercializing traditional medicines, and to health professionals in understanding and applying concepts and practices of NCH ( 6 , 20 , 21 ). Regarding medicinal plant research, the reports emphasize the importance of respecting local health culture and knowledge, for example, by informing the local community on the research project or by developing memoranda of understanding between researchers and traditional healers ( 6 , 20 ). Fifth, NCH and PHC could be spatially integrated by establishing medicinal plant conservation areas, planning green space for health, recognizing nature areas as “preventive health care centers” or “health hubs,” financially supporting health care services to utilize urban green spaces, or incorporating green areas in health services. Health professionals can take an active role in this integration by joining environmental health research, writing green referrals, and using their central role to mobilize a wide community of actors ( 6 , 20 , 21 ). At last, the integration can be stimulated by copying good practices on small scales and applying them on a wider set of regions ( 6 , 21 ).

Results From Scientific Literature

We identified 1,995 articles of which 79 (28 reviews, 51 papers) were eligible for analysis. Table 2 gives a quantitative overview of the search string combinations. The last column illustrates the total amount of reviews and papers included for a specific nature–health subtheme. Some articles were moved to the results of another subtheme if they fitted better content-wise. We did not identify relevant articles that fitted the nature–health subthemes “human microbiome” and “nutrition.”

Quantitative overview of the search string combinations applied in WOS.

The results of each search string combination with PHC that were considered relevant to our research question showed considerable differences in topical foci ( Supplementary Table 2 ). The scientific literature allowed us to draw lessons on arguments, practice supporting tools and methods, challenges, constraints, and management approaches to integrate NCH and PHC.

The arguments to integrate NCH and PHC relate strongly to the comprehensive vision of PHC by focusing on the potential for health promotion and disease prevention, both on individual and population level. Literature regarding “nature-based care” describes the potential of PHC in disease prevention on the individual level through health-promoting interventions, e.g., physical activity interventions, nature-based care, and complementary therapies. On a population level, this literature emphasizes the potential of PHC professionals to have a broad public health impact as they are considered highly credible resources for health information and are often visited on a regular basis by their patients ( 12 , 24 ). Literature regarding “medicinal plants” describes the potential of PHC in disease prevention on the individual level through holistic care interventions, for example, Ayurveda complementary therapies. On a population level, this literature emphasizes that although interventions of conventional medicines dominate in the western countries, three quarters of the world population rely on herbal and traditional medicine as a basis for PHC because of its affordability, accessibility, and long cultural history ( 25 – 31 ). As traditional medicinal knowledge is disappearing, PHC has the potential to conserve and integrate this knowledge as a response to the growing demand for traditional healing, also in western countries ( 28 , 32 ). Further, literature regarding both “nature-based care” and “medicinal plants” underlines a reduction in consumption and costs of PHC as a result of the preventive and therapeutic potential of the presented interventions ( 29 , 33 – 37 ). Literature regarding “infectious diseases” and “natural disasters” describes the potential of PHC in disease control and prevention only on the population level through early interventions during the detection and treatment of diseases ( 38 – 40 ).

Practice Supporting Tools and Guidelines

Only two articles of the included literature provide tools to support PHC workers that directly relate to NCH. One article within the subtheme “infectious diseases” introduces a pathogen source questionnaire to gain insights in the zoonotic contact of the patient ( 41 ). The other article within “natural disasters” considers two summarized checklists, one for the early warning system, as well as when doing post-disaster risk assessment, and the other for prevention and control of recorded diseases ( 38 ). Two articles within “natural disasters” provide useful traumatic screening instruments, but mentioned “natural disasters” only once as an example of possible trauma exposures ( 42 , 43 ). Although not published as a guideline, one article on “natural disasters” reviews all skin diseases related to floods and summarized the appropriate management or treatment ( 39 ). “Nature-based care” literature discusses specific trainings to support the PHC professional in writing green prescriptions ( 34 , 44 – 46 ). To give written advice to a patient to be physically active, PHC trainings on motivational interviewing techniques and behavioral counseling strategies are recommended ( 34 , 45 , 47 ). However, again these articles lack references to specific practice supporting guidelines and refer mostly to physical activity in general without giving attention to the natural component ( 12 , 24 ).

Literature concerning “nature-based care” and “medicinal plants” assigns the difficulty to integrate NCH and PHC to a general lack of collaboration and communication between different areas of knowledge ( 48 – 50 ). Where ethnobotanical research is predominated by descriptive works of useful plants, the translation of this traditional knowledge into PHC practice requires more interchange of theories and methods among related disciplines, like ethnopharmacology ( 48 ). Furthermore, the development of wide-scoped interdisciplinary projects that recognize intellectual property rights and reward the communities for their knowledge contribution are needed to counteract the disappearance of traditional medicinal knowledge, opposing the growing demand for traditional healing ( 48 , 49 ). Articles about “nature-based care” provide several reasons to explain why the green prescribing practice remains low despite the growing evidence on the health benefits of green space ( 50 ). First of all, this interdisciplinary field requires the development of a consistent terminology to support a better collaboration. Besides a need for interdisciplinary collaboration, a behavioral change is required both from the patient and the PHC professional as the new approaches extend the traditional biomedical model ( 24 , 34 , 45 , 46 ). However, the lack of resources and time in the PHC sector greatly challenge the practical trainings and substantial support from the physician toward the patient required for these behavioral changes to succeed ( 24 , 34 , 46 ). At last, where strong evidence is needed to convince PHC professionals of a certain practice, there is little academic interest in the field, for example, for phytotherapy, or the type of evidence cannot compete with evidence base using methodologies like randomized controlled trials (RCTs) ( 36 , 50 ). The type of evidence used to indicate the effects of an intervention is mostly based on subjective measures, like self-reported health status ( 51 – 53 ). The latter is also reflected in the literature on “medicinal plants,” where the evidence for the healing effects of medicinal plants is often limited to the traditional, and, to a certain extent, subjective use of plants by local communities ( 26 ).

The paragraphs below illustrate that the integration of NCH and PHC should preferably be done in a bottom–up manner and that horizontal networks among PHC practices and community-based facilities should be stimulated. Articles addressing “medicinal plants” emphasize the importance of community participation in studies on traditional knowledge acquisition. These articles tell us that local communities and local stakeholders are willing to contribute to scientific research and participate in the conservation of medicinal plants and the associated knowledge, but that the state health care negatively influences traditional-based healing practices by promoting allopathic health care ( 28 , 49 , 54 ). Literature regarding "infectious diseases” discusses community participation in relation to successful disease control ( 55 – 59 ). Decentralized or inadequate public health infrastructure, shortage of financial resources, and human resistance to programs emerge as reasons for failures of vertical health projects and a shift to community-oriented PHC systems in many countries ( 55 – 59 ). To engage community members in public health programs, community participants should define their idea of “participation” and what they perceive as their “communities” ( 36 ). For “nature-based care,” literature discusses community involvement in PHC mainly in relation to physical activity programs ( 24 , 34 , 45 , 46 , 58 , 59 ). These studies show that giving advice only to increase physical activity through green prescriptions is not as effective as tailored interventions involving a personalized action plan supported by a strong network between PHC and sport or other facilities in the community ( 24 , 46 , 58 ). Such a network builds the opportunity to share the load of intervention activities, as PHC professionals are limited by consultation time ( 24 , 34 ). These communal facilities can help in motivating and monitoring the patients in the performance of their physical activities or in providing opportunities for health promotion in general, e.g., the provision of community vegetable gardens or health education activities ( 24 , 34 , 45 , 46 , 58 – 61 ).

This review aimed to get an overview of the state of the art of NCH in relation to PHC. To this end, this review indicates that a potential role for PHC in NCH is perhaps not fully recognized. The role of PHC was most clearly defined in the literature on “nature-based care” in terms of disease prevention and health promotion through the application of green prescriptions, and in the literature on “medicinal plants” in terms of curative care through the application of knowledge on traditional medicine. Additionally, the international overview reports highlighted the potential role of PHC professionals in mobilizing a wide community and contributing to environmental health research. However, the included literature did not cover specific tools to support PHC practices. PHC practice- supporting tools and guidelines were in general limited and very context-specific. The given tools and guidelines were based on an overall recognition of the importance of “context” to integrate NCH and PHC. Not only increased attention to the patient's history and background but also to the context of the PHC professional and of the health issue itself was mentioned by the included literature. The limited number of tools and guidelines presented in the included literature might on one hand be associated with the underrecognition of evidence on NCH by health professionals, since the available data deviates from the strict criteria for RCTs ( 50 ). On the other hand, some research fields within NHC are quite recent, such as the contribution of microbial diversity in the natural environment to immune function. Despite a lack of practice supporting tools and guidelines, the review covered a wide range of arguments to integrate NCH and PHC. Most arguments related to the economic costs of PHC, the preventive potential of NCH, and the need to protect our natural health resources. However, this integration is not without challenges and constraints. The included literature highlighted the need to tackle health inequalities related to poverty, to better inform on NCH among PHC professionals, to improve interdisciplinary collaborations, and to provide PHC practices with the necessary resources. Finally, the scientific literature and international overview reports emphasized the need for integrated, bottom–up approaches to successfully link NCH and PHC. Regarding these management approaches, the included literature highlighted the importance of respecting local environmental and health knowledge, linking environmental and health data collection, and a better coordination of environmental and health policies. However, at present, policy makers seem to struggle to scale up these integration models, while at the same time responding to local conditions and needs of the community ( 62 ).

The findings of this review should be viewed in light of limitations in our method. The main limitation of the review is the lack of capacity for a content analysis when the number of the results crossed the self-determined threshold of 100. This implies that the included literature does not fully cover the quantitative presence of certain topics in the scientific literature.

By linking to PHC, this review adds priorities to the research agenda published by Frumkin et al. to guide future studies on NCH ( 63 ). Overall, knowledge on NCH in PHC and the role for PHC regarding the application of that knowledge in health care practice remains in its infancy in both science and practice. Based on this research, we suggest that research priority should be given to real-time examples of practice with the assessment of the process and time- and cost-effectiveness to identify best practices. Based upon this research, necessary tools and guidelines to support the integration of NCH and PHC could be developed. The growing interest for green prescriptions opens research opportunities to investigate benefits of nature on health in a PHC setting. As the included literature is mostly restricted to physical activity in general without mentioning the benefits related to physical activity in a natural setting, for example, the improvement in mental well-being or immune function, it would be interesting to further investigate the added value of a natural environment for physical activities and how the patient can be stimulated through a community-based referral network to visit natural environments for physical activities ( 64 – 66 ). Regarding medicinal plants, this review provides an overview of scientific literature that can serve as a starting point to develop management plans urgently needed to conserve the medicinal resources and the associated traditional knowledge. The literature on infectious diseases relates to the One Health approach by emphasizing the necessity to further investigate ways to strengthen the collaboration between environmental, human, and animal health care sectors for disease control and prevention, with PHC being an ideal setting to converge those disciplines ( 20 ). The unpredictable outcomes of natural disasters might challenge the reporting of NCH in the context of such events; however, with the growing climate threat, these reports become highly important to mobilize PHC in an efficient manner.

PHC provides a relevant and valuable evaluation testing ground for studies on the integration of NCH in health care practices. PHC can report back to research, as it is close to community health developments, and as such delivers important data to science and policy. Further, it focuses on reducing health inequalities in communities ( 67 ). To conclude, this review provides a broad overview of the potential of integrating NCH and PHC and calls for a better uptake of this potential in future scientific studies and international policy directives on NCH.

Data Availability Statement

Author contributions.

HK, RR, and HB conceptualized the review and involved in the selection of relevant scientific literature. HK developed the search strategy with guidance from Conor Kretsch (COHAB) and Bram Oosterbroek (ICIS-University of Maastricht). LL analyzed the literature and wrote the manuscript of the review with critical inputs and appraisal from HK, RR, and HB. All authors have read and approved the manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

The authors express gratitude to Conor Kretsch (COHAB Initiative, Co-Operation On Health and Biodiversity) and Bram Oosterbroek [International Centre for Integrated Assessment and Sustainable Development (ICIS)-University of Maastricht] who have closely collaborated with the colead author, HK, of this paper in adapting and applying the literature search strings in the context of the nature–health-related sections of the IPBES Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for Europe and Central Asia 2018. The authors greatly acknowledge Carolyn Daher who proofread the manuscript for language-related errors and gave critical inputs.

Funding. This study results from the project Green light (in Dutch: Licht op Groen), hosted by the University of Antwerp and funded by the Province of Antwerp in Belgium.

Supplementary Material

The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00052/full#supplementary-material

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Essay on Nature And Environment

Students are often asked to write an essay on Nature And Environment in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Nature And Environment

What is nature.

Nature is everything around us that wasn’t made by humans. It includes the air we breathe, the parks where we play, and the animals we watch. Nature is the mountains, rivers, forests, and oceans that make our planet beautiful. It gives us food, water, and air.

Our Environment

The environment is like a big house where nature lives. It’s where all living things, including plants, animals, and humans, share space and resources. We all depend on the environment to survive. It is our responsibility to take care of it.

Why Nature Matters

Nature is important because it helps us live. Trees give us oxygen, and plants give us food. Without nature, we wouldn’t have clean water to drink or soil to grow our crops. Nature also makes us feel happy when we spend time in it.

Protecting Our Planet

To protect our planet, we must keep our environment clean and safe. This means not littering, recycling our waste, and using less plastic. We should also save water and energy by turning off lights and taps when we’re not using them.

250 Words Essay on Nature And Environment

Nature is everything that was not made by humans. It includes trees, rivers, animals, mountains, and all the other things we see outside that are not buildings or roads. Nature is very important because it gives us air to breathe, water to drink, and food to eat. It also makes our world beautiful.

The environment is like a big home where all living things, including humans, animals, and plants, live together. It has different parts like air, water, land, and all the living things. We all share this home, and we must take care of it so it remains a good place to live.

Why Nature and Environment Matter

Nature and our environment are important because they help us stay alive. They give us clean air, which we need to breathe. Without clean air, we can get sick. Water is also important because our bodies need it to work properly. Plus, plants and animals depend on each other and on us. If we hurt our environment, we also hurt ourselves.

Taking Care of Our Environment

Taking care of our environment means we use things wisely. We should not waste water, throw trash everywhere, or cut down too many trees. We can also help by planting more trees and cleaning up rivers and beaches. When we look after our environment, we make sure it stays healthy for us and for all the animals and plants.

Nature and our environment are gifts that we must protect. It’s up to us to make sure they are safe so that we, and all the living things we share the Earth with, can have a good life. Let’s promise to be good friends to nature and our environment.

500 Words Essay on Nature And Environment

Introduction to nature and environment.

Nature is all around us. It includes the trees, the mountains, the oceans, and even the air we breathe. When we talk about the environment, we mean everything that surrounds us, including living things like plants and animals, and non-living things like water, soil, and climate. Nature and the environment are important because they give us food to eat, water to drink, and air to breathe.

The Beauty of Nature

Nature is full of wonders. Think of the bright colors of flowers, the songs of birds, and the vastness of the sky. All these beautiful things are gifts from nature. They can make us feel happy and calm. When we take a walk in a park or go for a hike in the mountains, we can see how amazing nature is. It is not only nice to look at but also a home for many creatures.

Plants and Animals

Plants and animals are a big part of nature. They live in forests, deserts, oceans, and even in cities. Plants are very important because they make oxygen, which is the air we need to live. Animals, including insects, birds, and fish, each play a special role in nature. They help plants grow by spreading their seeds and keeping the soil healthy.

Our Role in Protecting the Environment

It is very important for us to take care of nature and the environment. Sometimes, people make the air dirty by using cars and factories that let out smoke. They also throw away trash that can hurt land and water. We need to keep our environment clean by recycling, using less plastic, and not wasting water.

Climate Change

The weather is changing in ways that can be bad for nature. This is called climate change. It makes it hotter in some places and colder in others. It can also cause big storms and make it hard for animals and plants to live. We can help stop climate change by using less energy from things that burn oil and coal, and by planting more trees.

Nature and the environment are very special. They give us a place to live, food to eat, and air to breathe. We should remember to look after them so they can stay beautiful and healthy. By doing simple things like recycling and saving water, we can make a big difference. Let’s promise to protect our nature and environment for ourselves and for the animals and plants that share this earth with us.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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Essay On Nature – 10 Lines, Short And Long Essay For Children

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Key Points To Remember When Writing Essay On Nature For Lower Primary Classes

10 lines on nature for kids, short essay on nature in english for children, long essay on nature for children, what will your child learn from an essay on nature.

Nature is everything that surrounds us. It is a kind of God’s blessing in the form of life around us. The atmosphere, climate, ecosystem, flora and fauna, and many more exist within this nature to maintain a smooth balance. Writing an essay on nature for classes 1, 2, and 3 is a good way to teach kids about this subject. A nature essay in English will provide kids with abundant knowledge on the topic.

Nature is the biggest reason for our easy survival on this planet. It provides us with food, clothing, and shelter. The sunlight, plants, air, rain, animals, and everything come together to complete nature. It makes our environment liveable and beautiful. It has given life to human beings, and it was present even before the evolution of human beings. It makes a natural cycle for the smooth functioning of every living being on this planet. There is a reason why nature is referred to as “mother”. Mother nature cherishes and nurtures us.

Before writing an essay on any topic, it is important to read and understand it. Instead of mugging up the text, you can watch videos and understand the details of the topic. Below are some points on how to write an essay on nature.

  • An essay has an introduction, body, and conclusion.
  • The introduction to the essay should briefly include the definition of nature.
  • The body should explain the role and importance of nature.
  • The conclusion should talk about what we can do to conserve nature.
  • You can include famous quotes and lines to emphasise the importance of nature.

Kids need to understand nature in simpler words as they grasp the details easily with simpler language. Here are a few lines that might help them understand and write a simple short essay for classes 1 and 2.

  • Nature consists of everything that we can see and feel.
  • It is a home to different kinds of living and non-living beings.
  • It maintains an ecological system to make everyone live in harmony.
  • Nature holds a balance between diverse ecosystems for smooth functioning.
  • It consists of air, water, plants, animals, human life, and many more.
  • Nature provides us with water to drink, air to breathe, food to eat, clothes to wear, and a shelter to live in.
  • Imbalance in nature can be life-threatening to all.
  • Many factors are disturbing the balance of nature, like industrialisation, technology, etc.
  • Nature conservation is an important factor in saving nature.
  • Saving our mother nature is the need of the hour.

The entire humankind is dependent on nature. Gradually, we are exhausting the energy of mother nature. Let us understand its value with a nature essay in English 100 words. It can be written in simple language as it is a simple short essay about nature.

The fruits of nature have benefited us since we came onto this planet. Nature is so much more than a blessing; it has given us the gift of life. It protects us from all the harm and evil. Every member of nature has a role to play, be it living or non-living. While it has the power to protect us, it also has enough power to vanish entire humankind. Over the years, we have been exploiting mother nature with activities like deforestation, waste production, etc. It is important to conserve nature by keeping our surroundings clean and green and using more sustainable products.

We are sitting in the comfortable lap of mother nature without worrying too much about the problems it faces. It is a giver and never asks anything in return. Here is an outline of nature and its importance in the form of an essay for class 3.

Nature can be defined as the interaction between physical surroundings around us. Physical surroundings include living and non-living beings. Living beings include humans, animals, plants, and anything that can breathe in and out. Non-living beings are weather, climate, rocks, air, water, sand, etc. Nature is all about the coexistence of living and non-living beings. It maintains an ecological balance between the two. Entire humankind is dependent on the smooth functioning of the ecosystem maintained by mother nature.

1. Importance And Role Of Nature

The importance of nature is unparalleled. It gives us necessities like food, air, and water. We breathe oxygen given by plants, and plants take in the carbon dioxide we breathe out. This is a simple example of how nature balances everything. You can understand its importance from the fact that poets and writers have written exceptional pieces about mother nature. Writers and poets like Rudyard Kipling, William Wordsworth, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, and many more gave us beautiful poems and proses to make us understand the value of nature. Their writings compel us to be closer to nature and lead a happy & healthy life. Being closer to nature can heal our prolonged illness and make us fit as a horse.

The services of nature can be categorised as provisional, regulating, and non-material. Provisional services are those activities that give direct benefits from nature like food, water, medicinal plants, and many more. The regulating services include regulation of natural activities like water purification, decomposition, climate regulation, and many more. The non-material service includes recreational activities like interaction with nature to explore advents of art, music, culture, and more.

2. Significance Of Nature Conservation

The energy sources in nature are not infinite; we are exhausting them with continuous and careless usage. It has become very important to start acting about conserving nature with our best. The increase in industrialisation, urbanisation, and migration is causing a shortage of even basic amenities. There is a rapid surge in the greenhouse effect and global warming. Activities like deforestation and transportation are causing an increase in pollution. Dumps from industries, sewage waste, oil spills, and more are a cause of diseases in humans and animals. The health of mother nature is deteriorating because of our quest for comfortable living. Saving nature is the need of the hour. We can do a lot by just switching to sustainable living standards. Planting more and more trees, keeping the environment clean and green, and boycotting the usage of plastic and non-biodegradable products are some activities that can be inculcated in our daily lives to conserve nature. We should be rationally using clean water and should indulge ourselves in rainwater harvesting. If we want to pass a beautiful environment to our future generation, we should be willing to keep it clean in the present.

Our kids learn from us. Our activities influence them a lot. If we work towards keeping our home and nature clean, they will imbibe the same from us. The essay will teach them about the significance of the protection of nature. It will also show them a mirror if they are doing any harm to nature. It will compel them to work towards and give them ideas on how to conserve nature. It will make them realise nature is the best teacher.

We can conclude that nature is the most powerful thing on our planet that binds everything together. Any malfunctioning in even the smallest processes can cause a lot of damage to life on earth. Our selfish deeds towards nature can harm us and our future generations. It is important to keep nature growing for the existence of humanity on the planet. Protecting and preserving nature calls for your attention. It is a two-way process – if you take care of mother nature, it will continue to care of your needs.

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Stress and Its Effects on Health Essay

Introduction, physical effects, psychological effects, behavioral effects.

Stress is the emotional strain or tension experienced by an individual due to a reaction toward various demanding and influential situations. The challenging or compelling situations are termed stressors. Stressors can be internal or external and include life changes such as losing a significant figure, low socioeconomic status, relationship problems, occupational challenges, and familial or environmental factors. An individual’s response to stressors influences the outcome of their life. Health is a state of complete social, emotional, and physical well-being and not merely the absence of disease. Stress is a common risk factor for negative health status secondary to negative adaptation and coping with the stressors. Stressors can create a strain on one’s physical, psychological and behavioral well-being, leading to lasting effects that are detrimental to one’s health.

Stress is associated with various physical health impacts on an individual. In an online cross-sectional survey by Keech et al. (2020) to determine the association between stress and the physical and psychological health of police officers, the findings illustrate that stress negatively impacts physical and psychological well-being. One hundred and thirty-four police officers were involved in the study (Keech et al., 2020). The findings demonstrate that stress resulted in various short and long-term physical effects that included increased heart rates, sweating, high blood pressure, and long-term development of the cardiac condition. In addition, stress resulted in the development of gastrointestinal disorders such as peptic ulcer and irritable bowel syndrome. Keech et al. (2020) note that stress’s associated physical health effects are explained by various mechanisms that include overstimulation of the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis.

Overstimulation of the sympathetic nervous system results in increased sympathetic actions on the peripheral body organs leading to increased sweat production, heart rate, respiration rate, and urinary and bowel elimination. The study notes that chronic stress without positive adaptation measures results in the progressive development of hypertension, peptic ulcers, and irritable bowel syndrome as long-term effects (Keech et al., 2020). Within the gastrointestinal tract, chronic stress activity on the sympathetic nervous system results in increased parietal cell action. Overactivity of the parietal cells results in excessive gastric acid production, gradually eroding the mucosa, and ulceration occurs.

The effects of stress on the cardiovascular system are explained in a review by Kivimäki & Steptoe (2017) to determine the impact of stress on the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases. In the review, stress is identified to cause cardiovascular conditions secondary to the effects of sustained sympathetic action on heart contractility and peripheral vascular resistance (Kivimäki & Steptoe, 2017). The sympathetic nervous system contributes to normal heart and blood vessel contractility. However, when the system is overstimulated, a surge in contractility above the normal limits ensues, leading to the progressive development of heart conditions.

Psychological well-being incorporates a positive mental health status evidenced by an individual’s satisfaction with life, happiness, rational thinking and decision-making, and positive mood patterns. Stress has been associated with alterations in an individual’s psychological wellness. An explanation for alteration in an individual’s psychological well-being secondary to stress is negative adaptation. Keech et al. (2020) note that an individual’s response to a stressor determines whether stress results in positive or negative effects. In the online cross-sectional survey by Keech et al. (2020), the findings illustrate that pressure resulted in the development of anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorders as long-term effects among the participants. Exposure to stressful situations resulted in progressively developing anxiety among the individual secondary to persistent worry over the issue. The anxiety results in other physical manifestations, including increased heart rate, palpitations, sweating, and altered mobility. Depression and bipolar conditions were also associated with chronic stress secondary to the impacts of stress on neurotransmitter function and nerves.

Similar findings are noted in a cross-sectional study by Zhang et al. (2020) to compare the prevalence and severity of stress-associated mental health symptoms, including anxiety, depression, and insomnia among healthcare workers during the COVID pandemic. Five hundred and twenty-four healthcare workers were involved in the study. The study findings illustrate that 31.3% of the participants developed depression secondary to the stressful working environment, 41.2% reported anxiety, and 39.3% reported sleep disturbances (Zhang et al., 2020). The scientific explanation for the relationship between stress and depression was attributed to the effects of stressful periods on neurotransmitter homeostasis. Chronic stress results in the altered regulation of neurotransmitters in the central nervous system. Alterations in serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine resulted in the progressive development of depression and anxiety. Sleep disturbances reported by the participants are attributed to alterations in cortisol hormone homeostasis secondary to overstimulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis.

Stressful situations can also lead to alterations in the behavioral patterns of an individual. The most common behavioral effects secondary to stress include the development of eating disorders, altered sleeping patterns, impaired concentration, and drug abuse especially alcohol. Alterations in sleep and eating patterns are linked to stress’s effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis (HPA). Exposure to stressful events leads to increased activation of the HPA axis with a net effect of increased catecholamine production (adrenaline and noradrenaline) (Moustafa et al., 2018). Increased adrenaline and noradrenaline production results in dysregulation in the eating and sleeping patterns. Sustained high levels of cortisol results in difficulty falling asleep and increased metabolic processes. The biological clock regulates the typical sleeping pattern that relies on producing the sleep hormone melatonin. Melatonin production by the pineal gland is regulated indirectly by the concentration of serum cortisol levels and directly by light perception. Imbalances in the serum concentration cycle secondary to stress results in imbalanced melatonin production and concentration with a net effect of sleeping difficulties.

The emotional strain caused by stress increases the risk of alcohol and other illicit drug use and dependence. Moustafa et al. (2018) conducted an integrative literature review to determine the relationship between childhood trauma, early-life stress, alcohol and drug use, addiction, and abuse. The review findings illustrate that stress increases the risk of alcohol and drug use, addiction, and abuse among the victims. An explanation for the increased risk is the individuals’ lack of identification and implementation of effective coping strategies (Moustafa et al., 2018). Lack of effective coping strategies results in maladaptive measures such as illicit drug use and alcohol consumption. Extensive use of the maladaptive measures results in progressive addiction and drug abuse among individuals with an increased predisposition to other health effects. Alcohol consumption and other illicit drug use over time increase the risk of developing cardiac, respiratory, and liver conditions.

Stress is the emotional strain or tension experienced by an individual due to a reaction toward various demanding and influential situations. Individual response to stressors influences their health. Maladaptive response to stress results in various physical, psychological, and behavioral negative effects. Negative effects of stress on physical health include increased heart rates, sweating, high blood pressure, and long-term development of the cardiac condition. Psychological effects include the development of anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorders. The behavioral effects of stress on an individual include the development of eating disorders, altered sleeping patterns, impaired concentration, and abuse of alcohol and other drugs. Based on the research findings, it is essential for healthcare providers to identify strategic measures and health initiatives to educate and sensitize the community members on effective stress management approaches in all settings to aid in combating the health effects.

Keech, J. J., Cole, K. L., Hagger, M. S., & Hamilton, K. (2020). The association between stress mindset and physical and psychological well being: Testing a stress beliefs model in police officers . Psychology & Health , 35 (11), 1306-1325. Web.

Kivimäki, M., & Steptoe, A. (2017). Effects of stress on the development and progression of cardiovascular disease . Nature Reviews Cardiology , 15 (4), 215–229. Web.

Moustafa, A. A., Parkes, D., Fitzgerald, L., Underhill, D., Garami, J., Levy-Gigi, E., Stramecki, F., Valikhani, A., Frydecka, D., & Misiak, B. (2018). The relationship between childhood trauma, early-life stress, and alcohol and drug use, abuse, and addiction: An integrative review . Current Psychology , 40 (2), 579–584. Web.

Zhang, X., Zhao, K., Zhang, G., Feng, R., Chen, J., Xu, D., Liu, X., Ngoubene-Italy, A. J., Huang, H., Liu, Y., Chen, L., & Wang, W. (2020). Occupational Stress and Mental Health: A comparison between frontline medical staff and non-frontline medical staff during the 2019 novel Coronavirus Disease outbreak . Frontiers in Psychiatry , 11 . Web.

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