5 Minute Nature Stories

[Liese Hittson]

Inspiredby the hugely bestselling 5-Minutes Stories collections, children's author Gabby Dawnay and illustrator Mona K present 10 read-aloud stories that invite young nature lovers to celebrate the everyday miracles in a woodland with 5-Minute Nature Stories.

Written in engaging rhyming text, each real-life tale in this 10-story collection introduces one of nature's wonders. And at the end of each story, children are invited to explore an informative "All About" page to discover more facts on the topic. Stories include:

Discover the interconnectedness of nature with this non-fiction story collection. Written by science writer and poet Gabby Dawnay, each read-aloud story celebrates everyday miracles in a woodland.

Lively tales told in rhyming verse are followed up with non-fiction explainers which summarise the science behind each story.

Great to read aloud and packed full of fun and humour, these stories help young readers aged 5+ to understand the interconnectedness of nature.

This non-fiction book is perfect for children who have a healthy interest in nature. With beautiful illustrations, it offers a collation of stories to help readers understand and discover more about the natural world.

Discover the interconnectedness of nature with this non-fiction story collection. Written by science writer and poet Gabby Dawnay, each read-aloud story celebrates everyday miracles in a woodland. A gift to inform and delight the youngest nature lovers.

Specifically, the study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, found that people who walked for 90 minutes in a natural area, as opposed to participants who walked in a high-traffic urban setting, showed decreased activity in a region of the brain associated with a key factor in depression.

In fact, city dwellers have a 20 percent higher risk of anxiety disorders and a 40 percent higher risk of mood disorders as compared to people in rural areas. People born and raised in cities are twice as likely to develop schizophrenia.

In the study, two groups of participants walked for 90 minutes, one in a grassland area scattered with oak trees and shrubs, the other along a traffic-heavy four-lane roadway. Before and after, the researchers measured heart and respiration rates, performed brain scans and had participants fill out questionnaires.

In a previous study, also led by Bratman, time in nature was found to have a positive effect on mood and aspects of cognitive function, including working memory, as well as a dampening effect on anxiety.

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In a buzzing exhibition hall at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California, cell biologist Cecilia Seixas steps in front of a video camera and prepares to sell her science in two minutes or less.

With thoughtful preparation, however, researchers can compress their work into a few key points. Emphasizing everyday relevance, tailoring the speech to the audience and using simple terms and analogies can turn a garbled, dissertation-length discussion into a punchy two-minute pitch.

It is often best to omit caveats and exceptions, or to mention them only at the end. Scientists can be afraid that other researchers will criticize them for being inaccurate, says Riesselmann. But most of the time, the exception to the rule is not important unless the study focuses on it, he says. Some scientists even make the mistake of leading with caveats, which undermines their credibility and diminishes the listener's interest, says Baron.

Deciding what to say is only the first step; sorting out how to say it is just as important. Avoiding technical jargon such as gene names is key. Navneeta Pathak, a cell biologist at the University of California, San Diego, and one of the winners of the ASCB elevator-speech contest, studies cancer metastasis but chose not to use that word in her speech. Instead, she described how tumour cells break away and travel through the blood to other parts of the body.

Crafting an elevator speech doesn't mean composing it word for word. It is best to jot down bullet points and remain flexible enough to think on one's feet, says Fox. Researchers who do write out a complete oration should not try to memorize and repeat it verbatim, because that can come across as unnatural. It is helpful to practise with family and friends, or to convene a small group of people from different backgrounds to give feedback. Using Twitter is good training in being concise, says Baron.

Energy and body language are important: make eye contact and use natural gestures to convey enthusiasm and draw the listener in, says Blount. Watch for cues, too; if the listener is glazing over, stop and let them ask a question, or bring in details that might pique their interest. Someone talking about work on an Alzheimer's drug, for example, might mention their grandmother's experience with the condition to convey how devastating the symptoms are.

For many, the natural world has been a source of strength during this time of great change. Whether out on the trails or in your own backyard, nature helps us recharge and find the strength needed to face difficult truths and keep fighting for change. For others, the outdoors has never been a safe or accessible space. These stories show how members of the OLCV community have connected with nature, and contemplated their place within it, during 2020.

I felt lucky to have been visited by this magnificent bird. But I also remembered that not everyone could have moments like this. I thought of Christian Cooper, the Black man who was out bird watching in Central Park, and had the police called on him by a white woman. She lied and said he was threatening her when he had only asked her to keep her dog on its leash. This is not an uncommon experience for Black people. Racism against Black people is woven into every part of our society, and outdoor recreation is no exception.

I grew up for the most part in the woods of Southern Oregon. I have now lived (since moving back 27 years ago) smack in the middle of the woods in Southern Douglas County, Oregon. I don't have to do too much to get out and enjoy nature where I live. I have a lovely front yard with a dry creekbed and lots of my rocks and crystals out there. I also have lots of blooming things to bring in the bees, butterflies, and hummers. We take hikes behind our house and have found what we believe to be evidence of "BigFoot!" We have seen bears, Elk, deer, bunnies, squirrels, hawks, vultures, lots of different kinds of birds (lots of finches and robins), skunk, raccoons, possum, fox, bobcats, so many I cannot name them all. We have heard cougar and heard and seen coyotes. We have a big dog to keep the larger wild animals away from the house. We also have lots of Canadian geese and crows and quail. Turkeys, lots of turkeys in the fall and winter. It is a wonderland where I live and we call it Azalea. (that's the name of our tiny town - if you want to call a country store, a post office and a volunteer fire station a "town").

I live beside Crystal Springs Creek in a wee duplex. I am a photographer by love of nature so this is a perfect spot for me. Today I had a raccoon adventure with crows and squirrels. Each day brings some aspect of natural wonders my way. My garden is blooming and flourishing, my spirits have remained high all due to my love of the natural world.

I have to say that this time of social distancing and staying home has been a true gift to me. Not working as much has given me the luxury of extra time to spend outside, whether that be in my garden, on my SUP, or just gazing out my window at the rain.

I have spent the extra time out with my camera, capturing the changes in my garden as it moves from winter, to spring, to summer. Usually I can only indulge in a passing glance as I rush from home to work and on my many errands. With this slow down, I've been able to spend time, listening, seeing, and smelling, yes smelling the changes that happen with each season.

Being out in nature feeds my mind, body, and soul in a way I cannot adequately articulate. I try to show that joy in the pictures I take, and this wonderful pause in life has let me express myself to the fullest.

Since I was a child, playing outside--in whatever form of nature I can get--has always been my preference. Camping with my father was some of the best memories of my youth I have. Maintaining mental health has long been a challenge in my life and undoubtedly being able to access nature areas has been pivotal in my mental health journey. I feel the most content and happy while on hiking trails. I have a special affinity for the deep and lush forest. There has often been times that I do not know what else to do with myself to feel better than to go hiking for hours. I honestly am not sure I would be able to cope without nature to find sanctuary in. It may sound dramatic, but it is true, these natural areas may be the line between total collapse and possibly even death for some people and finding beauty and solace in life. It has been for me.

My friend Louise and I watch birds together, and during the pandemic we've been walking every Saturday for hours in Prospect Park, the jewel of our home borough of Brooklyn NY. One day we decided to walk in gorgeous Greenwood Cemetery instead, and Louise had heard about a so-called Magic Tree that was always full of birds. It was migration season, so we found the tree. We were astounded to see many species of wrens, Baltimore orioles, veerys, male downys, female redstarts, oven birds and scarlet tanagers flitting from branch to branch and from the Magic Tree to a majestic cone-loaded evergreen across the road and back. We watched for over an hour, mesmerized, exclaiming, "Oh my God, wow, holy cow" over and over. Our necks were killing us from leaning our heads back for so long, and we almost missed the 7 pm closing time and got locked in the cemetery--but we will never forget that experience.

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