For thousands of years our ancestors hunted, gathered, and survived in the wilderness. Endless grasslands, dense forests and rivers were an integral part of a place we called home.

But in today’s World, the green spaces are replaced by urban structures, crowded streets and polluted environments.

This rapid change puts an unwanted pressure on our body and mind. As a result we have seen that chronic illnesses, stress, depression and other ailments are on the rise.

Forests and other natural, green settings can reduce stress, improve moods, reduce anger and aggressiveness and increase overall happiness.

Forest visits may also strengthen our immune system by increasing the activity and number of natural killer cells that destroy cancer cells.

After stressful or concentration-demanding situations, people recover faster and better in natural environments than in urban settings.

Blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension and the level of stress hormones all decrease faster in natural settings.

Depression, anger and aggressiveness are reduced in green environments and ADHD symptoms in children reduce when they play in green settings.

More than half of the most commonly prescribed drugs include compounds derived from nature.