Nature is the greatest place to heal and recharge.
"Go outside, often, sometimes in wild places. Bring friends or not. Breathe.” -Florence Williams
No matter the season, The Pinehills offers countless excuses to drop what you're doing and get out of the house. So, what a happy accident that a book buried in the stack all winter made it to the top just in time to remind us: The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier and More Creative by Florence Williams. While there's science to explain how we feel when we're in nature, and you know that feeling, that's truly your soul speaking.
For many of us in northern climes, our lives shift indoors during winter. Bundle up and head out! Making a case for spending more time outdoors, Williams shows how time spent in nature is more essential and urgent than ever. She tells us that "evidence suggests you should treat nature as you would exercise: Any is good, and more is better."
Wondering about the connection between nature and our well-being? If you haven't already, watch the short video above from Florence Williams to learn what happens when you spend just 5 minutes in nature.
The Japanese term shinrin-yoku, translates to “forest bathing” or “absorbing the forest atmosphere.” The practice encourages people to simply spend time in nature - no actual bathing takes place. If you look closely around The Pinehills, you'll see a place carefully situated among the trees, and a community that epitomizes shinrin-yoku - thriving and growing in harmony with nature.
The Pinehills is what happens when you emphasize treetops over rooftops. When you design roads that follow the land’s natural contours and orient homes and views to take in nature. Here you will find that for every acre we build on, two will be preserved as open space – that means 2,270 acres of open space out of 3,243.
With all of the open space in The Pinehills, there are countless ways to explore and reconnect with the world around you. This is a place that encourages pedaling and walking. And, any day you don't have to get in your car is a good day!
Want to make a habit of getting out and embracing nature? Florence Williams has a plan and we have a few suggestions!
Florence Williams - a prescription for embracing nature.
Daily
Take a break in a natural setting with trees, birds and flowing water.
This daily dose of nature can be taken easily with your morning coffee. Living at The Pinehills, birds will greet you when you step onto your deck to breathe in the fresh air.
Weekly
Escape from the humdrum; spend at least an hour in a park with wooded paths.
Wooded trails are right outside your door, but in The Pinehills' backyard is a natural treasure. Mass Audubon’s Tidmarsh Farm was once a working cranberry farm and now, the original ecosystem restored, it boasts cold-water streams, ponds, forest, and woodlands. 481-plus acres of wildlife sanctuary with miles of trails, permanently protected and open for all to enjoy.
Monthly
Get away to a quiet forest, river, lake or seashore.
Massachusetts beaches range from saltwater ocean beaches to inland fresh-water beaches. How lucky is Plymouth to have the most beautiful ocean beaches to enjoy, not to mention a pond for every day of the year! Plus, the world-renowned beaches of Cape Cod are just a hop, skip, and short drive over the bridge. But be warned – in terms of traffic - timing your trip to the Cape is everything.
Yearly
Vacation in a remote setting to experience the awe that nature freely provides.
A few hours’ drive from Plymouth gets you to the gorgeous mountain wildernesses of Vermont, New Hampshire and New York, not to mention one of our favorite National Parks – Acadia. Maine might be famous for their lobsters, but it has a lot more going for it. We’re talking abundant, uncrowded nature including 3,478 miles of (often jaw-dropping) coastline of which Acadia is the crown jewel. That’s more coast than California (3,427) and if you include all of Maine’s islands that number heads north of 5,000!
Our advice? Surround yourself with nature’s beauty, you’ll feel it - from your toes up.
Buy the book, in audio or print format: The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier and More Creative by Florence Williams.
