The old adage “you can’t see the forest for the trees” may be lost on us nowadays, if we live and work in areas where trees are sparse or non-existent. If so, we need to find some trees; they are good for us.

Spending time in the company of trees, whether walking through a forest or sitting in the shade of a spreading tree on a hot day, has been shown to offer us humans many and long-lasting benefits.

According to Tree Canada, recent research has turned up a slew of benefits for our mental health when we commune with trees and nature.

Walking on tree-lined paths can lower fatigue, confusion, depression, bring down our stress and anxiety levels and soothe our emotions.

Studying in a treed area can enhance memory and a 2020 study found that an area with a high density of trees improved memory and dementia risk.

Japanese people have been forest bathing for centuries, a practice of spending quiet immersive time in forests and green space. Recently, it has been discovered that during forest bathing we breathe in aromatherapy chemicals which interact with our immune system and enhance the activity of NK (natural killer) cells, our first-line defence cells against viruses and cancer. Most encouraging is the finding that this effect lasts about 30 days.

Botanist and biochemist, Diana Beresford-Kruger, talks about forest bathing on her website, “Thousands of years old, it is a form of natural aromatherapy where the medicinal aerosol load changes from north to south and forest to forest. Different cultures call it different things. The Japanese call it “Shinrin-yoku.” The Irish Celts called it “Tig allais”.”

I am personally grateful for all the trees that surround us here at Tofino Hummingbird Cottage. There are numerous forests to in which to bathe, stroll, or take a vigorous hike. There are trees at the beach. There are also trees right outside the windows of Tofino Hummingbird Cottage so that, if it feels like a cozy-at-the-fireside day, we can sit inside and get all the tree benefits by just looking at them – studies have shown that works too.