In a recent visit to a prominent local physician’s office, I noticed a sign which seemed oddly out of place. It pronounced that the “6 Best Doctors Anywhere” had nothing to do with modern medical practice. The sign, pictured next to this article, boldly asserted that the best doctors were found in nature, not in a hospital.

With more than 30 miles of trails on two dozen preserves, Boothbay Region Land Trust (BRLT) can provide you with five of these doctors: sunshine, water, rest, air and exercise. Better still, there are no appointments, waiting rooms, insurance forms or co-pays to have these “doctors” treat you. They are accessible every day on the Boothbay peninsula for no cost simply by visiting one of BRLT’s preserves.

A quick internet search turned up many scientific studies that support the thesis in my doctor’s office. London’s Guardian newspaper reported on doctors in the Shetland Islands formally prescribing “bird watching rambles” for patients suffering from stress, diabetes, heart disease or mental health problems. The paper noted that these Shetland doctors “are only the latest in a growing number of healthcare providers incorporating nature into their treatment plans as evidence mounts for the health benefits of time spent in wild places.”

Last September, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reported on a study examining how even moderate exercise could improve brain function. The study showed that exercise can result in immediate improvements to brain function without requiring weeks of working out to see change. Furthermore, the exertion required can be slight, allowing almost anyone, including those who are out of shape and possibly disabled, to experience benefits. Exercise as simple as a 10-minute walk can have an impact.

In stark contrast to these findings, another report cites that even though the EPA has found indoor air to be 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air, a full 25% of Americans spend almost their entire day indoors without going outside, creating a new “indoor generation.” Seldom does a week pass without seeing reports in the news about children spending harmful amounts of time in front of screens on computers and smartphones. The Children and Nature Network has compiled more 700 studies which collectively find that “time outside helped mental and physical health, and too much time spent away from nature caused harm.”

If the foregoing does not persuade you that taking a walk in the woods is good for your health, consider a report issued in January by The International Journal of Environmental Health Research. It found that just a 20-minute visit to an urban park immediately improved the visitor’s “subjective well-being” and “life satisfaction.”

Should you need more encouragement or some company to take a walk in the woods, then Boothbay Region Land Trust’s Environmental Educator, Tracey Hall, has a program for you and your children. Hall, who is also the first certified Forest Therapy Guide in Maine, conducts outdoor classes for all ages, ranging from Babes in the Woods for kids from 0 to 5 years old, weekly nature hikes, classes and camps for youth and school groups, and relaxing Forest Bathing walks which immerse you in the sights, sounds and smells of the forest. A calendar for these events can be found on BRLT’s website at bbrlt.org.

If you would like to improve both your health and life satisfaction, please take advantage of a free consultation with “5 of the 6 Best Doctors Anywhere” by visiting a BRLT preserve near you for a walk and a rest at a scenic overlook. Alas, a consultation with the 6th doctor --- diet --- must be arranged on your own.