UnEarth Magazine.

Words by Maisie Wilkinson, Art by Lucrezia Belpietro.

Has anyone ever told you that you need to go outside more and touch some grass? Hopefully, the answer is no, as this insult tends to be directed towards out of touch 24/7 gamers that only ever take a quick glance away from their screens to inhale a monster energy flavoured pot noodle and stare desperately at the soggy sock on their nightstand, wondering why they are still single. That said, even if you don’t spend 12 hours a day complaining about wokeism on Reddit forums, I believe that you too could benefit from spending more time outdoors.   

In 2005, Richard Louv coined the term ‘nature deficit disorder’ (1). Since then, there has been growing interest in this concept which Louv explores in his book, ‘Last Child in the Woods’ (1). Originally, Louv was using this term to describe the increasing divide between the natural world and children and the impacts this has on their wellbeing, health, and development (2). However, I am applying the term in a broader sense, as I think that regardless of our age, we should all reflect on our relationship with nature and the time we spend outdoors.  

One of Louv’s main arguments is that kids are increasingly becoming aware of global threats to the environment, but physical contact with nature is becoming limited (2). This is the main reason I’m telling you to go outside, rather than droning on about a seemingly abstract threat to the environment that you will only pretend to care about for 10 minutes. Another reason I’m telling you to go outside is because evidence suggests disconnection from nature has a negative effect on physical, mental, and spiritual health (2). Furthermore, how we interact with nature causes us to appreciate it for its intrinsic value, not just its utility; this affects the choices we make when it comes to living our lives and running our societies (2).  

If you think you are suffering from nature deficit disorder, don’t worry! There is no need to panic, as fortunately for you, there are many places in St Andrews which are great for nature connection. My favourite place to go is the Botanical Gardens; I’ve recently started volunteering on Wednesday mornings, as it forces me to set time aside to spend at least a couple of hours outdoors. If you prefer something more active, however, Lade Braes makes a great running route; it’s really close to a lot of the university accommodation blocks, making it great if you are busy and just want to take a quick break. Likewise, if you’re studying in the library and just need a 10-minute breather, I would recommend either Sallies or St Mary’s Quad, provided it isn’t raining or abhorrently cold. If you have more time, the beaches are a great place to go. when the weather is nice, you can even make a day of it and have a beach day or bonfire with your friends. Of course, one of the most iconic St Andrews experiences is taking an early morning dip in the North Sea. Although I appreciate this does sound borderline masochistic at first, swimming with my friends early on a Sunday morning was one of my favourite university experiences. What’s even better is that if you go really early and the universe decides to look fondly upon you, there might not be a queue at Taste, so you can buy a coffee to warm yourself up afterwards. 

Obviously, going outside isn’t going to fix everything; you still have to submit that assignment; your crush still won’t like you back; DJs will continue to use airhorns to hide the fact they can’t beat match. However, it is always important to take a break sometimes and setting aside some time to connect with nature might be a good way to achieve this. At the end of the day, all I can hope for is that this has encouraged you to at least consider deleting discord and to possibly go outside and touch grass this week. 

References 

1. Louv, R. (n.d.). Last Child in the Woods. Available from: https://richardlouv.com/books/last-child/ [Accessed 04/10/2023].  

2. Louv, R. (2008). Last Child in the Woods. Revised and updated edition. New York: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.