A core part of our mission at OneNature is to fill the research gap about how wildlife makes people happier. We know already that wildlife is good for our overall well-being, especially because healthy and biodiverse ecosystems are very effective at climate change mitigation and adaptation. Large mammals in particular, such as whales and elephants, are valuable catalysts for carbon sequestration. Wildlife can also be beneficial for community development both socially and economically in the form of responsible and sustainable ecotourism.
But what about the more direct benefits that wild animals have on our mental health? Very little is known about this connection, and that’s exactly what OneNature is seeking to measure and understand. The scientific research that has already been done on this topic often focuses on birds. Without making assumptions, we can look to the research about birdwatching as a baseline for what we hope to find about the mental health impact of observing other types of animals in the wild.
A widely-cited study about the connection between birds and mental health came out of the University of Exeter in 2017. Researchers surveyed the mental health of over 270 individuals from urban and suburban areas representing various age groups, income levels, and ethnicities. The survey results indicated that being able to see birds, shrubs, and trees around the home was consistently beneficial to that person’s mental health. More specifically, there was a correlation between the visible presence of birds and lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. No particular species of bird provided greater benefits than any other, and in fact it was determined that most of the participants were not able to identify many different species of birds. There was, however, a greater boost in mental health associated with a larger number of birds.
Researchers at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research took this idea one step further in a study released last year. They found that a high biodiversity rate of birds in our vicinity is as important as our income in determining life satisfaction. Data from the 2012 European Quality of Life Survey, which contained responses from over 26,000 adults in 26 different countries, revealed that a 10% increase in the number of bird species in a person’s surrounding area increased their life satisfaction as much as a 10% increase in their bank account. These findings indicate that most people can tell if there is a higher rate of species richness in their neighborhood, even though they often cannot identify the various species.
Perhaps part of the reason why birds are so profoundly impactful on human happiness is their symbolic significance both culturally and spiritually. Because of their ability to soar into the heavens, birds are most often associated with freedom, divinity, the afterlife, and rebirth. Some people struggling with grief find comfort in viewing birds as a signal from a lost loved one, or even as that loved one’s reincarnation.
There are countless examples of spiritual connections with birds across different cultures and civilizations throughout human history. Christian literature regards the dove as a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Ancient Egyptians believed sparrows had the ability to carry departed souls into the afterlife. Cardinals were seen as ancestral messengers by Ancient Romans and Native Americans, while traditional Chinese and Japanese cultures associate them with rebirth much like the mythical phoenix. Crows and ravens tend to have a more ominous connotation with death; however, they are often considered to be benevolent messengers within the context of a dream. Cultural narratives like these show that birds have mental health benefits for those coping with grief and loss as well as anxiety and depression.
The positive impact that birds have on human mental health is clearly substantial. It makes you wonder, can other types of wildlife also affect our mental health this way? We want to hear your thoughts! Email us at info@onenatureinstitute.org and tell us a story about how wildlife has made you happier.
Sources:
Watching birds near your home is good for your mental health
Biological diversity evokes happiness
New study finds birds give people as much happiness as money
Bird symbolism: 10 common birds and what they are meant to represent