Wollongong Botanic Gardens very own ‘Botanic Gardens Week’ has aimed to promote healthy living and wellbeing for Illawarra residents.
Recent research has highlighted a strong link between exposure to green spaces and increased life satisfaction, with time spent outdoors improving both physical and mental health.
Wollongong Botanical Garden curator, Felicity Skoberne said even taking a short walk outside can reduce stress.
“When you come into nature, when you walk into the botanic garden, you can often see people’s body language changes,” Ms Skoberne said.
“You see their shoulders drop, their faces soften, you see a relaxation that comes over people.
“It’s one of those spaces that when people come in here they’re just gonna get the benefits just by default just making the decision to walk into a beautiful green space.”
Ms Skoberne said that technology has become so prominent in modern life that it restricts the community’s connection with nature.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, overall life satisfaction can be subjectively measured on a 1-10 scale with 1 being unsatisfied and 10 being completely satisfied.
Green spaces in urbanised areas are now being introduced and are associated with health benefits such as mental relaxation, stress reduction and enhanced physical activity.
An RMIT survey on nature connection has shown that the correlation of life satisfaction and time spent connecting with nature is prominent, revealing that those with higher levels of nature connectedness are 4.6 times more likely to be satisfied.
Registered Nurse Jacinta Perin said in a Botanic Gardens Australia and New Zealand (BGANZ) webinar during Botanic Gardens Week, that spending time in green spaces like a botanic gardens can be a coping mechanism after natural disasters.
“Without any kind of prompting people will just start talking about the stuff that was bothering them,” Ms Perin said.
Research has shown that green prescriptions involving green space use have substantial benefits, with results showing significant associations with reduced cardiovascular diseases, diastolic blood pressure and salivary cortisol.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, in a 12 month period, one in five Australians aged 16-85 experienced a mental disorder.
Events like the Botanic Gardens Week aim to provide help and support for people suffering a mental disorder in Australia.
The NSW government has implemented Urban Greening, an initiative to help address the mental health concerns.
Additional Reporting: Koda Way
