Tag: mental health

One swallow does not a summer make…..

, by Laura Healy Smith
Swallow, (c) Chris Gomershall, 2020Vision Every spring, I long for the sight of swallows returning to perch on telegraph wires and preen themselves after a mammoth journey which seems impossible for such a tiny, slight bird. Their chatter has been the constant soundtrack to my life over the years and their petrol blue and red plumage – and forked tails…

New beginnings…..

, by Laura Healy Smith
At this time of year, I think it’s very appropriate to talk about new beginnings. As a DreamWorks character stated “Easter is new beginnings, new life. Easter is about hope,” and so is Spring itself. Hello, I’m Natalie, a new Trainee with Cumbernauld Living Landscape and I’m very new to conservation as my background is actually in childcare, which I…

A vital lesson

, by Paul Barclay
  By Paul Barclay, Cumbernauld Living Landscape Health and Wellbeing Project Officer This week is Green Health Week and people all over the UK are taking the opportunity to highlight just how vital spending time in nature is to everyone’s health and wellbeing. The last few years have really emphasised this. For many of us, stuck at home, that daily…

A New Beginning

, by Cumbernauld Living Landscape
Sadly I have come to the end of my time as a Creating Natural Connections Trainee with Cumbernauld Living Landscape, so I wanted to take some time to reflect on my past few months helping to protect and enhance Cumbernauld’s many green spaces! Months ago I came to the project desperate to expand my knowledge and to develop more skills…

Healthy body, healthy mind – healthy planet

, by Paul Barclay
Healthy body, healthy mind is a phrase most of us recognise, but perhaps it is time to add a new clause to that old mantra. It’s now recognised that for a healthy life one of the most important factors is a healthy planet. Research shows that being amongst vibrant, biodiverse, natural spaces is vital for healthy people and communities. At…

Natural healing

, by Paul Barclay
    This week is Mental Health Awareness Week. Unfortunately there is still real stigma, fear, and even shame surrounding mental health issues. There shouldn’t be. The past year has shown us that illness can strike anyone, anywhere – but it also showed the strength that lies within us to endure even in the darkest of times. One of the…

Autumn Wellbeing

, by Paul Barclay
  An autumn walk can be a fantastic way to shake off the worries and pressures of daily life. The vibrant colours of the leaves are nature’s gift to us all as they turn and fall in drifts. The trails of reds, browns and yellows marking autumn’s progress always brings out my inner child, I can never resist that secret…

Why every day should be mental health day

, by Paul Barclay
Saturday 10 October was designated World Mental Health Day, a subject that is very close to my heart. Every week Cumbernauld Living Landscape’s Wild Ways Well project runs sessions to help people experience the mental health benefits of nature. There are lots of theories why people benefit from being exposed to nature. Some think it comes from our evolutionary past,…

Winter Blues

, by Paul Barclay
As I write this I’m huddled over a steaming mug of tea, wearing my warmest jumper and waiting for the forecast sleet to start falling outside. I console myself with the thought that, though it might not feel like it, spring is on the way. It probably hasn’t escaped long-term readers of these blogs that I’m no fan of winter!…

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