Groucho Marx said: “Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.”
And with the warm spring sunshine greeted by so many like a long-lost friend, Londoners are being urged to get outside and connect with so-called green and blue spaces.
Over the next 2 weeks, the Happier Outdoors Festival highlights the chance to discover the London you might not know. The capital’s hidden nature nuggets rubbing shoulders with the hustle and bustle of city life.
With green land and waterways making up about half of Greater London, there is every reason to mark the return of longer, lighter days by feeling, embracing and being part of nature.
But one in 5 Londoners say they haven’t recently visited a green space, lower than any region in England [i]
More than 70 classes, groups and sessions make up the city celebration of the great outdoors – a mix of walks, clubs and events to relax or educate the mind and improve both your physical and mental state.
From Tai Chi classes in Harrow or counting bird numbers in Haringey, to taking a gentle stroll around woods and gardens in Lewisham or Croydon, building hotels for bugs in Barnet, and maybe putting your back into some organised gardening in Ealing.
Laura Brown, Natural England’s lead health adviser for London, said:
“The importance of open spaces cannot be underestimated. Nature can relax us, educate us, and help reduce anxiety and depression.
“We know there are countless benefits to connecting with nature – it makes us feel better, physically and mentally. The second Happier Outdoors Festival builds on last year, promoting the connection between people and urban nature.
“I’m excited for Londoners to discover natural spaces just minutes from their home or be inspired by a new outdoor hobby they had never considered before.”
Natural England founded the Happier Outdoors network, a group of more than 30 organisations running events to encourage people in London to connect with nature for improved health and wellbeing.
All events are free, and have either been arranged especially for the festival or continue throughout the year.
A full list of what’s on and how to get involved can be found at https://happieroutdoors.london/. The Happier Outdoors Festival runs between 7 and 16 April.
The clarion call to get outside comes as a wide-ranging survey opens into how exposure to natural spaces affects people’s health, behaviour and attitude to the environment over an extended period of time.
The three-year study will involve a sample of approximately 18,000 adults across the country, in a partnership between Natural England, the University of Exeter and the Natural Environment Research Council, and developed by organisations from a range of sectors.
[i] The People and Nature Survey for England 2024: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/the-people-and-nature-surveys-for-england-adults-data-y5q2-july-2024-september-2024.
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