RESET | A Ministry of the Future campaign
Nature is free, evidence-backed, and somehow still the thing we forget to do.
Take our quiz and receive suggested free or low cost activities to help you find your own way back outdoors.
Before we asked you, we asked them
“I woke up at 5 a.m. to the sound of the kookaburras, every morning... there was a wonderful smell. And I used to get out my matchbox cars and play in the dirt around the conifers and listen to the kookaburras and all the other sounds.”
Ken, 73, from Victoria
Ken
“At 10, I was very much in the bush and in the water. There was a flowering tree that I used to dream in. I used to climb into it…and just dream away.”
Caroline, 83, from New South Wales
caroline
“Every single day I feel that crossing of going into this place where I feel close to the trees. And it is a form of spiritualism. And I do feel it's healing."
Anita, 67, from Victoria
anita
Natalie Kyriacou OAM sat down with older Australians in Sydney and Melbourne and asked a simple question: what did an ordinary day outside look like when you were ten? They told us about catching cicadas, tadpoles in the creek, red dirt, kookaburras before rain, walking to the baths before school.
your grandparents were onto something
3 hours vs 15%
On any given day, around six in ten Australians spend close to three hours watching TV or streaming. About 15% go for a walk.
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). (2022). How Australians Use Their Time. ABS.
31% lower odds
In a study of 46,786 Australian adults, living in areas with more tree canopy was associated with 31% lower odds of psychological distress.
Source: Astell-Burt, T., & Feng, X. (2019). Association of urban green space with mental health and general health among adults in Australia. JAMA Network Open, 2(7), e198209.
120 minutes
In a study of nearly 20,000 adults, spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature was associated with significantly higher odds of good health and wellbeing.
Source: White, M. P., Alcock, I., Wheeler, B. W., et al. (2019). Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing. Scientific Reports, 9(1).
All RESET event Photography by moment2moment.com.au
the childhood that grew from trees
Read what Natalie took away from sitting down with older Australians to ask them about what nature was like growing up in the 40s, 50s and 60s.
Natalie Kyriacou OAM as guest writer for this RESET blog post. Hear about the experience of our RESET events in Natalie’s own words, beautifully written and very moving.