Return to Nature: The New Science of How Natural Landscapes Restore Us

by Emma Loewe, Eileen Stevens (Read by)

Overview

Discover the new science and ancient wisdom on why nature makes us healthier and happier in body and soul from the co-author of The Spirit Almanac and mindbodygreen’s Senior Sustainability Editor.

For centuries, we have known that getting outside is good for us. Yet we have become increasingly disconnected from the earth that nourishes us, with most of us spending 87% of our days indoors. In response, writer and environmentalist Emma Loewe demonstrates the power of nature’s healing properties in a guidebook organized by eight landscapes. In each chapter, you'll find research-backed ways to explore that landscape right now and protect it in the future, so that it can be healthy and nurturing for generations to come. Drawing off modern science and innate wisdom, she uncovers:

•  Why being by the ocean makes you measurably happier
• How living near greenery helps you lives longer
• The staggering, illuminating statistic that forests can make you more relaxed within 90 seconds of walking among trees.

This stunning book—more urgent than ever—will appeal to anyone looking to connect with the world around them, whether in their neighborhood park or on a backpacking getaway. 

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798200856794
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	04/12/2022
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 5.70(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Emma Loewe is a writer, editor, and environmentalist based in New York City. She is the senior sustainability editor at mindbodygreen.com, where she covers the intersection of sustainability and human health. She's the author of "Return To Nature: The New Science of How Natural Landscapes Restore Us" (HarperOne, April 2022) and the co-author of "The Spirit Almanac: A Modern Guide To Ancient Self-Care" (TarcherPerigee, October 2018). Emma received her B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. Her work has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes, and Marie Claire, among others.

You can find her at: https://www.emmaloewe.com/

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 Parks & Gardens 21

Chapter 2 Oceans & Coasts 51

Chapter 3 Mountains & Highlands 79

Chapter 4 Forests & Trees 105

Chapter 5 Ice & Snow 133

Chapter 6 Deserts & Drylands 159

Chapter 7 Rivers & Streams 183

Chapter 8 Cities & Built Environments 209

Epilogue 241

Acknowledgments 245

Notes 248

Further Reading by Landscape 275

Editorial Reviews

Forests teach patience, snow embodies silence, deserts spark reinvention, rivers give flow, and cities teach reciprocity. … The common threads in these explorations is a heightening of the senses and a willingness to accept nature’s gifts. The book has a thoughtful message, so relevant in this time of virtual meetings and six-feet separations.” — Booklist (starred review)

"The ultimate map for mindfulness in Mother Earth. Proof that the outdoors can help to heal us." — Emma Mildon, bestselling author of The Soul Searcher's Handbook and Evolution of Goddess

"Reading RETURN TO NATURE is an antidote to burnout and a gentle invitation to expansive possibilities for awe, restoration, and gratitude right outside your front door. This gorgeously illustrated, beautifully written book invites you on an immersive journey through eight landscapes, combining fascinating insights into how nature restores our minds with accessible rituals to engage all your senses to experience and enjoy nature’s healing benefits for yourself. Along the way, you’ll learn simple but profound mindset shifts to appreciate our own role in the web of life, including solid practical advice on how we can better care for nature in our everyday lives as consumers and citizens, to protect and expand its gifts." — Kimberly Nicholas, PhD, author of Under the Sky We Make: How to Be Human in a Warming World

"Emma’s book reminds us of the beauty and health that is at stake on our planet and ourselves if we don’t get off our devices and go outside. She invites us lovingly to remember our greatest source of health and wellness…nature." — Alexandra Roxo, author of F*ck Like a Goddess: Heal Yourself, Reclaim Your Voice, Stand in Your Power.

"I couldn't stop thinking about this book. Do yourself a favor and go read it under a tree. Then prepare to head to your next city planning meeting to ensure more greenspace access for everyone." — Kathryn Kellogg, author of 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste

"Emma helps us channel what we already know: we all have an inherent connection to the natural world and it’s increasingly urgent to understand, protect, and experience what it has to offer. By breaking down the science and putting it into practice through do-it-at-home exercises, Return To Nature provides you both the door and the key to unlock the magic that's available to you out there: all you have to do is step outside to discover it!" — Gale Straub, Author of She Explores: Stories of Life-Changing Adventures on the Road and in the Wild

"Emma Loewe's clear and powerful words will inspire any reader to integrate their surroundings into a more conscious daily routine, no matter what climate they live in. Using science and spirit-backed literature, Return to Nature is a testament to the inherent connection we have to all life on earth and the benefits that come when we decide to walk out the door. Everyone should read this book to truly understand Emma’s loving and thoughtful view of the world." — Marci Zaroff, ECOlifestyle pioneer, Founder/CEO ecofashionCORP and author of ECOrenaissance: A Lifestyle Guide for Co-creating a Stylish, Sexy, and Sustainable World

"Packed with fascinating research and packaged in an engaging way, Return To Nature is the ultimate road map to finding your healthiest, happiest self outdoors." — Jason Wachob and Colleen Wachob, co-CEOs of mindbodygreen

"I grew up immersed in the natural world—and can say that those connections to nature never left my brainstem—even when living in the city. In this intimate read, Emma Loewe shares how reconnecting to our environment is like the warm, welcoming embrace of a long lost loved one. She takes us on a journey through the landscapes of the world while simultaneously weaving stories of psychology, science, spirituality, and personal practice to help us Return to Nature." — Summer Rayne Oakes, author of How to Make a Plant Love You: Cultivate Green Space in Your Home & Heart

"In Return to Nature, Emma Loewe has gifted us a practical, informative guide. It left me becalmed, inspired, and hopeful." — Florence Williams, author of The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative

"Engaging, informative, inspiring. This book will change the way you see the natural world. On her tour through eight landscapes, Emma reveals the healing power of nature and our shared responsibility to protect it." — Ruby Warrington, author of Material Girl, Mystical World and Sober Curious

"Return to Nature is a perfect justification for how important advocating and protecting nature is: it enables us to be our happiest and healthiest selves. Emma’s words are the friendly nudge many of us need to get outside, see the trees, stand in the snow, swim in the sea. A fantastic reminder that not only are we a part of nature, we are healed by it." — Lauren Singer, CEO of Package Free and founder of Trash is for Tossers

From the Publisher

"In Return to Nature, Emma Loewe has gifted us a practical, informative guide. It left me becalmed, inspired, and hopeful."

Florence Williams

"Emma Loewe's clear and powerful words will inspire any reader to integrate their surroundings into a more conscious daily routine, no matter what climate they live in. Using science and spirit-backed literature, Return to Nature is a testament to the inherent connection we have to all life on earth and the benefits that come when we decide to walk out the door. Everyone should read this book to truly understand Emma’s loving and thoughtful view of the world."

Marci Zaroff

"Emma helps us channel what we already know: we all have an inherent connection to the natural world and it’s increasingly urgent to understand, protect, and experience what it has to offer. By breaking down the science and putting it into practice through do-it-at-home exercises, Return To Nature provides you both the door and the key to unlock the magic that's available to you out there: all you have to do is step outside to discover it!"

Gale Straub

"I couldn't stop thinking about this book. Do yourself a favor and go read it under a tree. Then prepare to head to your next city planning meeting to ensure more greenspace access for everyone."

Kathryn Kellogg

"Reading RETURN TO NATURE is an antidote to burnout and a gentle invitation to expansive possibilities for awe, restoration, and gratitude right outside your front door. This gorgeously illustrated, beautifully written book invites you on an immersive journey through eight landscapes, combining fascinating insights into how nature restores our minds with accessible rituals to engage all your senses to experience and enjoy nature’s healing benefits for yourself. Along the way, you’ll learn simple but profound mindset shifts to appreciate our own role in the web of life, including solid practical advice on how we can better care for nature in our everyday lives as consumers and citizens, to protect and expand its gifts."

Kimberly Nicholas

"Packed with fascinating research and packaged in an engaging way, Return To Nature is the ultimate road map to finding your healthiest, happiest self outdoors."

Jason Wachob and Colleen Wachob

Forests teach patience, snow embodies silence, deserts spark reinvention, rivers give flow, and cities teach reciprocity. … The common threads in these explorations is a heightening of the senses and a willingness to accept nature’s gifts. The book has a thoughtful message, so relevant in this time of virtual meetings and six-feet separations.

Booklist (starred review)

"The ultimate map for mindfulness in Mother Earth. Proof that the outdoors can help to heal us."

Emma Mildon

"Emma’s book reminds us of the beauty and health that is at stake on our planet and ourselves if we don’t get off our devices and go outside. She invites us lovingly to remember our greatest source of health and wellness…nature."

Alexandra Roxo

"Engaging, informative, inspiring. This book will change the way you see the natural world. On her tour through eight landscapes, Emma reveals the healing power of nature and our shared responsibility to protect it."

Ruby Warrington