GETTING BACK TO NATURE

“OUR lives are overcrowded, overexcited, over-strained...

- JOHN ORNA-ORNSTEIN

We all want quiet. We all want beauty. We all need space.” National Trust cofounder Octavia Hill’s words from 1895 still ring true today.She believed that nature wasn’t a luxury, but an essential part of a full and happy life. She set up this conservation charity, dedicating her life to looking after green spaces for people and nature, and making sure everyone could enjoy them.

The Trust's new strategy continues to put people and nature at its very heart. More than a century later, science confirms what Octavia instinctively knew: spending even 15 minutes in nature can improve your mood and reduce stress.

And recent research from More In Common shows we're a nation of nature-lovers, overwhelmingly citing parks and green spaces as our favourite things about the places where we live. But they can feel out of reach. Even in Wales, renowned for its national parks and countryside, only 36% of urban households are within 300m of a park or playing field which will meet their daily needs for access to green space.