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Green in the City

Finding calm from the green and birdsong in the middle of a city.

I had a trip to Invercargill for work this week. It was a long drive, busy roads and many clients booked in. I was tired and felt like having a sleep, or eating lots of sugar. I had an hour break between sessions and I found myself driving to Thomsons Bush. Wow, what a gem. In the middle of the city, off a busy road, there is this magical green area, that was just the tonic I needed. 

I had come across a forest that was left intact when the city was cleared and built in the mid 1800’s. It was nature, as it would be in the backcountry. Untamed by gardeners, as parks are usually in the cities. Kahikatea trees tower over other native trees and bushes. Birds flew all around me, singing their charming songs. Tui’s, wood pigeons, bellbirds and fantails galore. 

I walked the trails slowly. I closed my eyes and listened to the birds. I watched them fly, play and feast. I inhaled the intoxicating smell of forest, I breathed it all in deeply. I sat and took it all in, the green all around me. In no time, I felt restored, alive, calm, relaxed and so energised. I then continued my day, taking this magical experience and feeling with me, which stayed, even as I drove out into the traffic in the middle of the city.

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So what is nature?

I thought this is a good place to start. Let’s look up the dictionary…

Collins Concise Dictionary

So the definitions that relate to ‘nature’ as in the natural world context are:

  • all physical life that are not controlled by man
  • plant and animal life, as distinct from man
  • a wild primitive state untouched by man
  • natural unspoilt countryside

We could think of nature resources as a continuum from small with greater human involvement, to large, wild and less accessible. Many of us have pot plants or a private garden, there are sometimes trees and grass along streets, there are local parks and reserves in the towns and cities we live in, as well as larger parks and reserves out of town. Then we have more remote and wilderness locations wiht mountains, forest and rivers/alpine lakes. These can be called ‘green space’. How about ‘blue space’. This can include rivers, streams, lakes as well as costal environments. 

  • Blue space
  • Green space

There are lots of fancy definitions of nature when you look at the research, ‘very natural, mostly natural, mostly built, very built, urban green, wilderness green’. 

Nature to me, is a place where there is as little of the built environment as possible (building, roads, cars, etc). Where I can see mostly green or blue (or other shades of those natural colours) and where I can hear the sounds of nature such as birds or leaves. Nature is in our backyard, and in a park in a busy city, just as nature is the mountains and rivers in the backcountry, or at the beach.

Nature is everywhere, wherever we live. Some of us may need to look a little harder for it, or travel further to get to it. But it’s there and it is the most wonderful resource that we can all benefit from.

  • Gardens in the middle of Alexandra
  • Rhododendrons at Otago University, middle of Dunedin
  • Home orchard in the suburbs
  • Lake Wanaka from
    Mt Iron
  • Head of Lake Pukaki
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Beach vs city

On a recent visit to the big city, my daughter and I spent time in town as she wanted to do some shopping. This is not one of my favourite activities as I always know how it will end up making me feel. Not knowing where to drive, trying to find a carpark, walking on hard concrete pavements, the unnatural lighting inside stores, the noise, hustle and bustle. But it was her weekend away so to please her, we pursued the shops. Only after just an hour I already felt myself shift into a different state – tired, hot, sore eyes, sore head, shallow breathing, feeling frustrated. Luckily my girl agreed so we cut the shopping trip short and head to the beach. Just seeing the dunes even before I got out of the car was a welcome relief and I knew that I would feel much better.

Fresh air, a slight breeze, bare feet in the sand, the smell of salt, the sound of the waves. This to me was the perfect remedy. And even Miss 11 agreed that she also felt better after a walk and 100 cartwheels. 

I am always fascinated by the physical and mental changes that these two environments have on me. I would love to be able to measure it so see what is happening to my blood pressure, my heart rate, my breathing, my stress levels, etc…..another day. 

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Welcome to Well Nature


Welcome to Well Nature, to inspire and encourage you to connect with nature for the good of you. The physical, social and psychological benefits of being in nature are huge. Research is out there proving it right now. Well Nature will help you to learn more about these benefits, as well as give you insights as to how to connect with your natural world.