Highland Climate Festival Nature-Connection Activities

Hug a Tree!

Give it a go! You might find that you enjoy it! There are emotional, psychological and physical benefits to hugging people or trees. Hugging a tree may be easier for some people who do not enjoy the experience of hugging other people, or being hugged by them, and hugging trees can increase your nature-connection. Nature-connection can be about the physical, psychological and emotional impact of engaging in nature through our senses and immersing ourselves in our natural surroundings, and about our sense of the relationship that we have with the natural world.

There is also a wealth of evidence that hugging trees can be good for us:

  • Tree bark is a rich source of terpenes - terpenes are specific kind of phytoncides (such as the monoterpene limonene found in citrus peel) produced by trees. Some terpenes attract pollinators, whilst others help to protect the trees and plants against diseases and being eaten. These compounds are what give trees such as Pines and Spruces and plants such as lavender their distinctive smell and they are commonly the main constituents of essential oils. Exposure to phytoncides and terpenes has been shown to: Improve the functioning of the immune system; have an anti-inflamatory effect; reduce stress and anxiety; and improve mood. The proximity to the tree bark that you get when you embrace a tree means that you maximise your ability to inhale these beneficial molecules.

  • It has reported that hugging trees has been shown to increase the levels of the hormone oxytocin, which is the hormone responsible for emotional bonding and feelings of wellbeing, calmness and trust. One of the primary ways that oxytocin productions increased is through touch. Dr. Stone Kraushaar, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist known as The Hug Doctor suggests that we hug (each other or trees) for a minimum of 21 seconds on order to benefit from the increased release of oxytocin.

Look around you and choose a tree that calls out to you

  • Stand so that you can comfortably gaze at the tree from the base to the highest branches

  • Tune in to how the tree is moving with the breeze if there is one

  • Move closer to the tree and explore the texture of the bark with your eyes and your hands

  • Smell the tree, its bark or the leaves or needles if you wish

  • Wrap your arms around the tree and notice how it makes you feel

  • If you are comfortable doing so, close your eyes (or just lower your gaze) and notice how the texture of the bark feels beneath your hands

  • When you are ready to step away, if you have found the experience beneficial, then express your gratitude to the tree

  • If you would like to share pictures of your experience, share them in our Online Tree Hugging Championships!

 
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