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What, why, where and who?
Nature in Mind unites the benefits that a deep connection to nature can bring for individuals,
for organisations and for biodiversity.
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Offering unique experiences and programmes that help weave nature into your organisation’s strategies and activities, we follow the science - that tells us that a deeper, more engaged connection to nature, is good for us, good for business and good for planet Earth.
The Healing Power of Nature
We know that being stuck in a chronic stress response is very bad for our health and wellbeing.
Thankfully, engaging with Nature encourages a positive impact on our stressed-out nervous systems - shifting our more reactive sympathetic nervous system (fight, flight, freeze) response towards our more rejuvenating parasympathetic nervous system (rest, digest, repair) response.
In fact, research tells us that viewing, listening to, touching, or smelling nature can significantly reduce our stress response – in some cases by as
much as 60%.
Why Forest Bathing?
Nature has the power to heal
While we know that Nature can heal us, the type of nature we spend our time in, and the way we engage with it, are key to reaping all the health and wellbeing benefits available to us.
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We ‘bathe’ in the forest, rather than other natural environments, because the forest atmosphere is filled with Natural Volatile Organic Compounds (NVOCs) - like tree essential oils – and especially concentrated in ancient forests. Though emitted by trees to protect them from pathogens, NVOCs are extremely good for human health - which is why forest bathing offers a host of physical and mental health benefits.
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Further, we maximise the potential health benefits of our forest bathing sessions by including:
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mindfulness to help participants be present to the nature around them
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short meditations to help them access their rest, digest and repair response
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a host of sensory activities that invite them to deeply engage with their surroundings through sight, smell, hearing, touch and taste
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and opportunities to share their feelings and experiences with others.
Why The Hive? Why Epping Forest?
Our chosen venue, The Hive in Epping Forest, offers the perfect blend of nature and accessibility for our transformative experiences. This ancient woodland, with its majestic trees and secluded atmosphere, provides an ideal setting for a deep nature connection.
The Hive has a long history of bridging the gap between London's urban communities and the forest's natural wonders, aligning perfectly with our mission.
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Just a stone's throw from central London, the site has excellent resources, including a spacious indoor area with floor-to-ceiling windows that can accommodate up to 80 people.
For more immersive experiences, 20 cosy pods are available for overnight retreats. Here, surrounded by nature's wisdom, we cultivate the seeds of wellbeing, innovation, and sustainability for individuals and organisations alike.
Why Nature-Connectedness?
Nature-connectedness measures how we feel,
rather than how we think, about Nature.
Nature Connectedness is a psychological construct - drawing on pioneering research developed by the University of Derby’s Nature-Connectedness Research Group - that provides a way to gage how ‘emotionally connected’ we are to our natural environment, and thus how that impacts our attitudes to our lives, others, and the natural world.
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According to this research ‘nature-connected’ people report higher degrees of life satisfaction, lower levels of loneliness, improved ability to innovate, and increased pro-nature values and conservation behaviours.
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Becoming more nature-connected is not only better for individual health and wellbeing, but it also improves and supports attitudes, values and behaviours that can build healthier ‘Nature-connected’ organisations - with healthier employees, healthier cultures and increased enthusiasm and resilience for your net-zero goals.
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And all our experiences and programmes draw from the University of Derby’s, Five Pathways to building nature-connected organisations.
Who are we?
Susan Kench
Founding Director
I believe that we protect what we love. I founded Nature in Mind to help embed nature back into the heart of both our personal and work lives – helping to heal individuals, the organisations they work for, and planet Earth.
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I draw on my knowledge attained from a Master’s degree in Integral Health Education, studies in and work within the business sustainability and marketing sectors, research into the concept of Nature-Connectedness, and a certification as a Forest Bathing guide.
Ann Shuptrine
Director of Programmes
'Being’ in nature reminds us that we belong. The radical creativity necessary to meet today's complexity derives from cultivating our embodied sense of interconnectivity. Therefore, experiencing nature, together, is at the heart of my strategic and creative approach to catalyse co-creativity and relational planetary health.
I weave my expertise as a Social Scientist, Gestalt Organisational Consultant & Coach, Artist, Trainer and Facilitator of Embodied Movement to support individuals and organisations make change with nature in mind.
Nicola Godlieb
Creative Director - Wellbeing Programme
Nature is the ultimate creator. As a freelance creative director, teacher, and writer, I find our creative cycles are often in tune with the natural world. Journaling in forest settings can be a way to deepen this precious frequency.
I teach creative journaling with all ages to improve mental health and memory; restoring our emotional connection to the wider natural world. I have a BA Hons degree in Fine Art and an MA in Creative Writing. My fiction and poetry can be found in various anthologies.