What is nicer and more calming than a walk in a forest. Listening to the sounds, the wind rustling in the canopies, smelling the trees and the herbs, looking at all the different shades of green or brown, feeling the roots or the rocks underfoot. Walking in a forest can be the ultimate sensory experience. When I walk in our local forests with my grandchildren I see them clambering over branches and rocks, paddling through some of the muddy paths, picking up pinecones and twigs with lichens or piece of old bark, and the youngest girl picks up and carries with her any dead branches and trails them behind her all along the walk. Their young minds are open to everything they see and experience no matter how often they actually do these walks. My daughter and son-in-law are real nature lovers and outdoor people and they take the children out on hikes, walks or beach days whenever they can. West Cork has good opportunities for this, and even the unsettle weather or rain does not faze them.
Walking the path 
Lesser celandine out in full strength
Right now the Irish native forests are full of new life, young plants, flowers and mosses. There are still night frosts and it is still a bit chilly but the sun is getting stronger by the day to our delight. We have had a real light April shower yesterday which refreshed everything and was good for growth. In the forest the spurges are giving a lovely show, the celandine, wood sorrel, blue bells, violets, stitchwort, and wild strawberries are equally blooming. The willow trees which are among the first to provide blossoms for the bees are now almost in full leaf. And already the bumblebees are buzzing!
I find a walk through the forest very calming but also refreshing, I think that it is the good air provided by the trees, the extra oxygen. But there is something more at work, Erich Fromm called it “Biophilia.” which is a love of life, an instinctive fondness for all that is living, our fellow humans, the plants, the trees, the animals. Our human brain craves greenery and an interaction with other living things. I read that we are naturally drawn to natural settings, and apparently things like ‘forest bathing’ can reduce our blood pressure, heart rate and lower our cortisol levels. But most of all it relaxes us and can quieten our often overstretched minds.
From a young age I have found it a need of mine to be surrounded by plants, whether it were houseplants or garden plants, now-a-days to see the green fields from some of our windows gives me great pleasure. But to actually be out in nature and get the full benefit of it has got to be far better still.
I hope that everyone is enjoying either spring or autumn seasons and also looking forward to less restrictions all over the globe.
agoyvaerts 
Alweer zéér MOOI lieve tanteke xxx
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Dank u wel David en Stefanie ❤
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Green and growing things abound, the glories of spring! Beautiful photos, Agnes. 🙂
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Thank you Eliza, so right you are! 🙂
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It has a name? Biophilia. Good to know. Just did this today in my tiny patch of woods that has gotten me through the last 12 months. So thankful for spring and to be enjoying it in the warmer weather.
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Very happy for you, and keep enjoying – we are going in the right direction, soon the wealth of nature’s abundance will be with us for a while.
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There is always something different to look at in the woods, it is ever changing.
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So rich isn’t it Emma, and wonderful!
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A beautifully photographed and described awakening. It is wonderful what young children will bring back from a walk
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Thank you very much Derrick, it’s wonderful to watch children enjoying nature and natural things isn’t it!
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It certainly is
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I feel the same way about a walk in the woods. I have been able to maintain a tiny wooded area on my property, so I never have to go far.
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That sounds truly wonderful!
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You are right, there is something both calming and inspiring about a walk in a wood or forest 🙂
Can I ask what you use to build your galleries? I’m looking for a possible new way to do my own and I like your layouts!
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In this instance I clicked on the block called ’tilled gallery’ and then just uploaded my photos. I hope this helps Sarah.
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Thank you – I do use the tiled gallery block sometimes but I’ve never been able to get some of the images to span the whole gallery while others are two to a row, as you have here. Maybe it links to your choice of theme? I’ll keep experimenting!
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Actually the first two photos together were done by clicking just ‘gallery ‘ the other i did with ’tilled gallery’
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Thanks – I clearly need to play around with my tiled gallery settings!
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Enjoy Sarah, yes it’s by playing around with it you learn, I do the same 🙂
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So beautiful, Agnes.
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Thank you Jean, so glad you enjoyed.
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💚
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Wonderful as always 💜 There’s nothing like nature to sooth the soul! 🌲🌳
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So true Tjorven, thank you 🙏
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I love your blogs with calming words and detailed descriptions. As always your photos are of professional standards. please keep it up we need you.
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Thank you for your kind and encouraging comment Colin. So glad that you enjoy.
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