From Bannerghatta to Epping Forest

Hi Compassionates!  Did you take your nature pill this week?  120 minutes a week is all you need to feel a significant difference to emotional and mental health, according to research. But any period of time, whether it’s minutes or hours, will definitely provide a boost to well-being.  A good way to measure this, is to check in with yourself after spending time with nature. You can ask yourself three simple questions 1) how does my head feel? 2) how does my heart feel? 3) how does my body feel? Try it! You can see the effects for yourself 🙂 

I was fortunate enough to experience an extra boost to well-being throughout the month of January, as I chanced on a trip to India, overcoming pandemic paranoia. And stayed with a wildlife conservation charity, advertised as ‘house in the forest’ on the outskirts of Bangalore, a place to stay and enjoy nature.

A Rocha, the name of the charity, means A Rock in Portuguese. It was founded in Portugal by an English couple in 1983, and has Christian origins. Their mission is to protect creation, to prevent biodiversity loss through wildlife conservation. There is some fantastic wildlife in India, I’m talking about large mammals, tigers, elephants and leopards. And in such close proximity to the city too! This is what makes it a unique story. Bannerghatta national park is only 20 kilometres south of Bangalore, and large mammals such as elephants and leopards can sometimes wander into the city, or around the bordering farms, and unwittingly cause havoc, elephants feeding on and destroying farmers’ crops.

The damage to crops provokes arguments and conflict. Can you imagine arguing with a 4000 kg elephant? 🙂 Fatalities naturally occur, loss of life. And A Rocha helps to mitigate that, largely through education programmes and scientific research. They are doing a fantastic job, and comprise a very passionate team. But despite their best efforts the situation is worsening, as Bangalore city continues to expand, and bordering land continues to shrink e.g. the wildlife habitat.

In my eyes this highlights the vital need for nature connection programmes, opportunities for children and young people to form a relationship with the natural world and form the passion and commitment to protect it. It’s my hope that through facilitating nature connection, the children that I spend time with, will grow up to become zoologists, biologists and wildlife conservationists and work for charities such as A Rocha. It all starts with the opportunity to make that heartfelt connection.

I had many such heart felt experiences whilst staying in Bannerghatta forest at the field studies centre, with plenty of opportunity to practice forest schools and mindfulness. I had many happy encounters with birds, reptiles and amphibians, and was completely spoiled with many fascinating insects to observe, including butterflies, bee’s, beetles, dragonflies, wasps, and damselflies.

I also met a praying mantis which was both a fascinating and joyful experience.  Did you know it’s called the praying mantis because it rests with its hands in a prayer position? Awwww that’s kind of cute!  But don’t be fooled by the holy sentiments. It can actually consume its mate, if particularly hungry, as well as feast on small birds and amphibians…  you have to admire the little critter 🙂

Now I’m home, and have returned to Epping Forest. It’s not quite as exotic!!  But it’s still extremely valuable and beautiful all the same. It’s London’s largest forest, and home to many smaller, cute, endearing, and less threatening mammals. It’s important for preventing climate change, and supporting natural processes that are the bedrock of our health and well-being. And let’s not forget that British wildlife is in trouble too, with over half our species in decline many now face extinction.

So if you haven’t already visited, you definitely should, whatever the season there are many treasures to discover in and around the forest. It all starts with that heart felt connection, so get out and enjoy it.  I20 minutes a week is all you need but hopefully much much more…

I’m definitely going to. I hope you will too.

Little Miss Compassion x