By Pastor Bruce Gillette, First Presbyterian Union Church of Owego —
I saw a title of a newspaper column that intrigued me; it read, “How everyone can experience the magic of forest bathing.” It caught my attention; was the author recommending taking a literal bath in the woods?
I like this author; Leana S. Wen is a respected medical doctor who is an emergency room doctor, a clinical associate professor at George Washington University, and the author of a weekly column for a major newspaper. I wanted to find out what she was writing about this time.
When I was recovering from leukemia and a bone marrow transplant, I took comfort in looking out our sliding doors at a view of tree-covered East Beecher Hill. Now I have a deeper appreciation of why it was so helpful to me.
Dr. Wen cited a study from Australia that showed people who had a view of trees and grass from their homes had better mental resilience than those who didn’t.
“A really simple thing for anyone to do is to try to rearrange your furniture so that you have the best view possible. Just looking at greenery can help alleviate stress. Try turning your couch or dining room table so that you have a view of trees. If you are working from home and have a garden, position your desk so that you look out toward it.”
The article encourages people to bring plants into the home. And try your hand at gardening. Research shows that indoor horticulture activities, like potting plants and handling soil, can reduce anxiety and sleeping problems.
The “Planet-Friendly Potluck Lunch” at noon in the First Presbyterian Union Church, located at North Avenue and Temple Streets in Owego, offers a monthly meal of different dishes brought by participants, and then is followed by a program.
The July 27 program will be an invited guest from the Master Gardeners program who will talk about late summer and early fall gardening options, outside and inside. These activities can literally be what the doctor ordered for us all.
A recent study published in Nature demonstrated an association between listening to birdsong and lowering anxiety. The free Merlin Bird ID app by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology can easily be downloaded on a smartphone and is a great resource for identifying the birds that you are hearing.
Owego Presbyterians have had several guided bird watching walks at Brick Pond and Hickories Park, led by our expert birder, Derek Green, that are always a joy. If you can’t get outside, the doctor recommends listening to bird songs or watching nature scenes on YouTube.
God created us to relate to the beautiful creation, and we are especially blessed to live in wonderful Tioga County. Take some time to enjoy it all, especially the trees. Our Scouts would be happy to help you with your tree planting.
Several years ago, a tree survey by Cornell students found 54 different types of trees in our Village of Owego. We need more trees in Owego planted at our homes, churches, and schools – everywhere. They help cool this increasingly hot world from the climate crisis, save on energy costs, clean the air, increase property values, and are blessings in many other ways.
Visit www.arborday.org/trees/treefacts/ for fascinating tree facts.
I like a book by another medical doctor, Matthew Sleeth’s Reforesting Faith: What Trees Teach Us About the Nature of God and His Love for Us. He is the executive director of Blessed Earth.
In Christianity Today, he points out, “Trees are mentioned in the Bible more than any living thing other than God and people. There’s a tree on the first page of Genesis, the first Psalm, the first page of the New Testament, and the last page of Revelation. Trees are the oldest living things on earth. There are trees alive today that were already ancient in the time of Christ. In many ways, trees are like Jesus. They give, and they keep giving. They give life and beauty. They give shade and rest. They clean the air. They hold back erosion. They offer shelter, food, and protection.”
I serve as the Moderator of the national Presbyterians for Earth Care that offers many wonderful webinars. Check out our video on YouTube about tree planting with links to many other resources about it; you can find it at https://presbyearthcare.org/basics-of-tree-planting/.
Five years ago we planted some apple trees in our new home’s backyard. Now we are enjoying the fruit coming forth and look forward to our visiting grandchildren picking apples with us. I hope we all can find a place to plant a tree this fall. Together our deeds can help generations to come as we care for God’s creation now.
Bruce Gillette is a Presbyterian minister who serves with his wife, the Rev. Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, at the First Presbyterian Union Church in Owego.
Beautiful thoughts! Thanks Bruce.