When we stop and think, we all know that nature is good for us – but how often do we stop and think?

The Wildlife Trusts are launching My Wild Life today which encourages us all to stop for a minute to reflect on what wildlife means to us and think about how to make wildlife part of our everyday lives.  If we did this, not only would wildlife benefit, but so would we – because contact with nature is good for us. Those people lucky enough to live near and experience green spaces have a 50% chance of being more healthy – both physically and mentally and are 40% less likely to become overweight or obese.

Sir David Attenborough has travelled the world in search of wildlife but in London where he lives he can watch stag beetles flying in his garden and marvel at ancient trees in London’s parks.  Sir David, The Wildlife Trusts’ President Emeritus, says: “Contact with nature should not be the preserve of the privileged. It is critical to the personal development of our children.

This is why The Wildlife Trusts are restoring wildlife and wild places in towns and cities as well as in the countryside, and why we are encouraging people from all walks of life to share their own personal stories about what nature means to them.  Sir David Attenborough is one of hundreds of people taking part so far, alongside students, nurses, families, volunteers, teachers and many others from across the UK.  From today his, and other stories, can be found at www.mywildlife.org.uk where people can add their own story and discover wild places near to them.

Sir David continues “People turn to nature in moments of joy and in moments of sadness. We are part of the natural world: we depend on it for the air we breathe and the food we eat.  The Wildlife Trusts are helping people to understand their role in the natural world and their dependency on it. This is essential if we are going to speed nature’s recovery.”

Simon King OBE, The Wildlife Trusts’ President, said: “People across the UK benefit from the work The Wildlife Trusts do – from nature therapy projects to forest schools, the thousands of wild places we care for and our work bringing back wildlife and natural processes to landscapes.  

"We’ve always known that contact with nature can make a big difference to people’s lives.  The evidence is now building to back this up.  We hope these stories inspire others to think about their relationship with the natural world and to make nature part of their life.”