Naturally Healthy May
Experience the smell of spring this Naturally Healthy May
May is the perfect time of year to get outside and connect with the natural world around us. Immersing in nature through your senses and exploring your outdoor surroundings can be a positive distraction from day to day work, exams, and the business of everyday life. It is widely known that just by being outdoors, we can feel revived and relaxed, helping our mental health and wellbeing by reducing our stress and anxiety levels. Even on a wet day, grabbing a waterproof coat and putting on wellies, allowing yourself to walk through puddles and go down muddy lanes, can remind us of the joy we can experience through taking part in simple activities, either on our own or with friends and family.
Naturally Healthy May is part of Devon’s Naturally Healthy initiative, led by Active Devon and Devon County Council on behalf of the Devon Local Nature Partnership. It brings together a wide range of partners from the health, wellbeing, community and environment sectors to ensure that everyone in Devon, whatever their age, is happier and healthier through increased connection to nature.
How about taking a stroll in your local area or park, join a guided walk or event, take part in a walking meeting with work colleagues, grab your bike and enjoy a cycle ride, get outside for a bit of light gardening or start cultivating a vegetable patch, or just stop and mindfully listen to bird song early in the morning, breathing in the fresh smell of spring.
To find events in your local area, or to list an event you are running, visit www.devonconnect.org and let’s all celebrate naturally healthy month together!
There are a number of webinars on YouTube which you can share and these can help to connect people to nature. These include -
- What birds can you spot in Devon
- What trees can you spot in Devon
- What wildflowers you can spot in Devon
Websites that cover active lifestyles, active travel routes and provide information on Naturally Healthy May for you to share
- Explore Devon website which has maps of walking, cycling and horse-riding routes
- Travel Devon advice and guidance on travel routes (buses, trains etc.)
- Active Devon website for information on Naturally Healthy May
- Devon Connect website where people can post events or see local activities
- DLNP website containing information on naturally healthy ideas
Key dates to support during the month
- Mental Health awareness week 13 – 19 May (linking to Mental Health Foundation resources)
- Stover Country Park Guided Walk 1 May
- Walk to School Week 20-24 May (Living Streets)
- National Children’s Gardening Week 25 May – 2nd June
- National Walking Month May
- National Clean Air Month May
- Dawn Chorus – 5 May
Please contact Vicky Radcliffe or Kate Hind with any events you would like to share/ any resources you might need or any queries you might have: kate.hind@devon.gov.uk or vicky.radcliffe@activedevon.org
