Ecopsychology

Research shows that there are psychological benefits for humans in interacting with ?nature,? as well as in the aesthetic value of green spaces. Watching a bird in a tree or listening to the sound of a river can be relaxing and improve a person's sense of psychological well-being. The psychological or health benefits of exploring a new ecosystem or viewing native wildlife have made regions with high biodiversity attractive to tourists. The nature tourism industry is central to many local economies, with biodiversity's value often becoming a factor in why property rates of houses or hotel rooms with a natural view cost more than those without. Horticulture: the Psychological Benefits from Gardening This article discusses the benefits people derive from natural interaction and what motivates people to garden. The Nature of Poetry Living things and wild places often elicit strong emotional reactions. In this activity from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, students read poems that relate to biodiversity, comparing different themes and tones. Students will then write their own poetry to capture an emotion they've had about a species or landscape. [Grades 5-8] Clay, Rebecca. Green is Good For You, //Monitor on Psychology. //American Psychological Association, 2001.

The basic idea of ecopsychology is that while today the human mind is shaped by the modern social world, it is adapted to the natural world in which it evolved. According to biologist [|E.O. Wilson], human beings have an innate latent instinct to emotionally connect to nature, called the biophilic instinct, particularly aspects of nature that reflect our Environment of Evolutionary Adaptiveness (EEA).

[|http://www.ecopsychology.org/biblio.html#Writings]

Ecopsychology suggests one approach. We have to overcome our repressed feelings about the destruction of nature before we can move forward to make positive changes. There are many reasons why we repress our feelings about what is happening to life on Earth. We fear feeling the full impact of despair and how that might wipe out any sense of purpose or meaning we’ve tried to establish for our lives. We’re afraid of exposing our ignorance about the facts and figures related to ecological decline. We’re not comfortable trusting our own judgment about it. We also might fear that by expressing our concerns we will distress others—our families and friends. This goes against a general societal pressure to keep up appearances of success and happiness. Since we are conditioned to consider primarily our individual needs and wants, it seems difficult to believe that we could feel suffering on behalf of society or nature itself. But as ecopsychology suggests, such feelings are a valid part of our human mind. Finally, we also feel powerless, or more precisely, we fear experiencing the feeling of powerlessness— the feeling that we do not really have full control over our lives.

LANDSCAPE FEATURE: Nature as Mental Health

A connection with nature appears to be a central part of our mental and physical health. Formative psychologists, such as Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, understood human beings largely in terms of the individual psyche, or the relationships among individual family members. This framework of understanding generally ignored any influences from the natural world. These influences might come from, for example, a rural upbringing, childhood summer camp, or simply the landscape of your hometown. New theories of ecopsychology suggest there is an important ecological dimension to the human personality—a dimension that is both natural and universal. According to these theories, we are influenced in identity and basic development by the natural world, as well as the social world.

By recognizing an ecological self that does mourn the destruction of life on Earth up to this point, we can then begin to move forward with the knowledge that we can play a positive role in the web of life of which we are part. this is a very personal aspect of nature as culture. Although there are many spiritual and social dimensions to this approach, they are beyond the scope of this book but there are some ideas offered in the “further reading” section. Without entirely leaving behind the more spiritual frame of mind we can explore below some of the more practical ways that designers might improve their personal connection to natural forces, particularly through ecological literacy.

Ecological literacy is a way of describing a solid understanding of the ecosphere. But for our purposes, I think it also means a more acute awareness of your corner of the ecosphere. For example, you know your own zip code, but do you know what watershed you live in? a “watershed” is a region that drains into a certain river or body of water. Similarly, you can probably identify hundreds of corporate logos and brands, but can you identify ten kinds of plants and animals that are native to your bioregion?

DEFINITION: Ecological Literacy

Ecological literacy is sometimes called “ecoliteracy.” You are ecologically literate when you have a solid understanding of not only the general workings of the ecosphere but also a general ecological knowledge of your local bioregion. This knowledge should include aspects of the urban ecologies of your region—for example, do you know: The path of your drinking water from precipitation to the tap? The predominant soils where you live? Five native plants in your region including an edible one? The length of the outdoor growing season in your region? Your region’s average annual precipitation and what constitutes a drought? The names of five birds found in your region and which are migratory? How the land in your region has been used by humans over the last two centuries? The final destination of your garbage? The primary geological events or processes that shaped the land in your region? The spring wildflowers that are first to bloom each year? ome of the vital ecological interactions that occur in your region to maintain its viability as an ecosystem? When your region’s moon was last full and how many days until the next full moon? Where your energy comes from The primary sources of pollution in your region? The predominate natural sounds in your region, by season?

Do you have a mental picture of the bioregion you live in—its boundaries and key characteristics? In the past most materials were of local origin. Not only did this make it easier to match materials in repair or replacement, but being near the source gave better understanding and appreciation of it as well. This appreciation diluted purely economic considerations. If you are accustomed to walking through a local wood, you may have qualms about clear-cutting it to produce your line of furniture.

And what about urban ecology? How do resources flow through your town or city? If your design work touches upon other regions, for example, through overseas production, you may want to develop some ecoliteracy about these other regions as well. it can be relevant to the design process itself and to your health.

Nature is the last of our themes, and in some ways the most personal, or spiritual. Contrasting sharply with previous discussions, in parts 2 and 3, about the largely functional and service value of nature, this cultural dimension of nature provides an important element of cultural sustainability.

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