Learning biophilia

Last autumn as I was walking the dog along this wooded riverside path I was surprised to encounter a group of a dozen or so young teenagers in school uniform, armed with note books, recording equipment and, of course, mobile phones. They were peering into trees, bending down to the water and pointing their phones at the ground.  They all seemed intently engaged, singly or in twos and threes. They were accompanied by a young man I knew to be a talented local musician and composer.

It was a bit of a mystery at the time but last week all was revealed with the screening of a short film called Biophilia, the outcome of this and other explorations of nearby woodland by a group of Year 9 pupils from the local secondary school. A perceptive teacher, realising how stressed, isolated and  anxious many teenagers were feeling as a result of  the pandemic, came up with the idea of providing them with an  opportunity to spend time in nature during the school week, to record their observations through different media and to learn about the meaning and benefits of Biophilia (affinity with the natural  world) and 'forest bathing' (shinrin-yoku in Japanese). At the same time they were encouraged  to share their feelings about being locked down and how the experience had impacted upon them and their families. The film, made  collaboratively,  encapsulated the whole project with images, sounds,  discussions and personal observations.  The result was powerful and moving. The project had clearly been profoundly beneficial, not least because instead of banning the use of mobile phones it had allowed pupils to use them to maximise their encounters with nature. Their musical mentor used the sounds they captured in a composition and  alongside the film was an exhibition of the  remarkable photographic images taken by the participants.

I wish this experiment in biophilia  could become a regular part of the  curriculum for all young people who are so pressured by timetables, exams, social media.and worries about the future. It would be something they can take forward into whatever comes next, for themselves and for the wider world.

The film is available to watch on Vimeo
https://vimeo.com/694937564