How Nature Heals People, Rainforests & Conservation — with Merlin Hanbury-Tenison
How Nature Heals People, Rainforests & Conservation
With Merlin Hanbury-Tenison
Merlin Hanbury-Tenison is a conservationist, author of Our Oaken Bones, and founder of the Thousand Year Trust. His mission: restore Britain’s lost Atlantic temperate rainforest and change how we understand our relationship with nature.
In this conversation, Merlin shares:
How nature regulates the nervous system
Why modern life increases stress and burnout
What makes ancient rainforests biologically unique
Why restoring nature is both a mental health and policy issue
Practical ways anyone can reconnect
1. Humans Are Not Separate From Nature
One of Merlin’s central points is simple but powerful:
The problem isn’t that nature “heals” us.
It’s that being separated from nature makes us unwell.
Modern Western culture often frames humans as separate from — or dominant over — nature. Merlin argues this mindset contributes to:
Climate change
Biodiversity loss
Ecosystem collapse
Everyday behaviours like littering and environmental neglect
Instead of asking “How can nature benefit humans?”, he suggests reframing the question:
What happens when a rainforest species (us) is removed from its natural habitat?
2. PTSD, Burnout & The Nervous System
Merlin served eight years in the military, including three tours in Afghanistan. Nearly 10 years after surviving a roadside bomb explosion, he experienced a breakdown and was diagnosed with complex PTSD.
Importantly, he does not attribute this solely to combat.
He highlights a combination of factors:
Trauma exposure
High-pressure corporate work in central London
Fast-paced urban living
Lack of psychological safety
Minimal exposure to nature
The Nervous System Effect
Humans evolved to enter fight-or-flight (sympathetic nervous state) briefly — for example, escaping danger.
Modern life keeps many people in this state continuously.
This can lead to:
Burnout
Chronic stress
Anxiety
Fatigue
Autoimmune problems
Measurable Effects of Forest Exposure
Research shows:
30 minutes in an old-growth forest can reduce cortisol levels
The reduction can still be measured up to two weeks later
Exposure to ancient woodland may increase T-killer cells (important in immune function)
Studies link forest exposure to improvements in:
Attention span
Memory retention
Depression symptoms
Sense of awe and emotional regulation
Merlin’s view: nature does not “add” health — it restores baseline regulation.
3. What Is Britain’s Atlantic Temperate Rainforest?
When people hear “rainforest,” they think tropical. But Britain once had vast Atlantic temperate rainforests.
Key Facts
Once covered ~20% of the UK
Now reduced by 98–99%
Currently around 300,000 acres remain
Merlin’s goal: restore to 1 million acres
These rainforests historically stretched from:
Southwest Norway
Down through western Britain
To northern Portugal
What Makes Them Unique?
Rainforest status depends on:
1,400mm+ annual rainfall
Rain spread across the year (not seasonal monsoons)
High levels of epiphytes (life growing on life)
Examples:
Mosses
Lichens
Ferns
Fungi
A single mature oak can host up to 600 species.
4. The “Wood Wide Web”
Much of a forest’s intelligence lies underground.
Scientists estimate we have identified only about 4% of fungal species globally.
Mycelial networks connect trees beneath the soil, allowing them to:
Share nutrients
Send chemical signals
Transfer electrical signals
Coordinate resilience
This underground system is often called the “wood wide web.”
Merlin explains the difference simply:
A young forest = thousands of individual trees in soil
An ancient rainforest = one interconnected organism
During recent severe storms, Merlin’s rainforest lost zero trees, while nearby isolated trees were flattened.
Interconnection equals resilience.
5. Cabilla Cornwall: Nature-Based Retreats
At Cabilla Cornwall, Merlin and his wife Lizzie host 3-day nature-based retreats.
Participants include:
Military veterans with PTSD
NHS staff with burnout
Corporate professionals
Individuals experiencing stress
Retreat elements include:
Somatic therapy
Yoga & Pilates
Breathwork
Sound therapy
Cold water immersion
Guided time in rainforest
So far:
168 retreats delivered
~4,000 participants
~65% experience emotional release (“tear rate”)
Merlin sees emotional release as a sign of nervous system recalibration.
6. Restoration Is Not Just Emotional — It’s Systemic
The Thousand Year Trust focuses on research as the lever for change.
Merlin believes:
Science → Policy → Funding → Education → Cultural Shift
Last year alone:
20 MSc dissertations
6 PhD theses
Partnerships with multiple UK universities
The Trust is building Europe’s first Atlantic temperate rainforest research station, due for completion in 2027.
Why this matters:
There are dozens of tropical rainforest research centres worldwide
There are currently zero dedicated Atlantic temperate rainforest research stations
Without research infrastructure:
No data
No funding
No policy change
No school curriculum inclusion
7. Farming, Food & Efficiency
Merlin challenges assumptions around:
“Food security”
Agricultural efficiency
Rural economies
Key facts:
22% of UK farmland is used for sheep
Sheep provide <1% of UK calories
UK produces ~58% of its own food
~1/3 of UK food is wasted
He argues the issue is not food security — it is choice security.
True resilience may require:
Seasonal eating
Reduced waste
Support for regenerative farming
Policy shifts in subsidies
He cites works such as:
Ravenous by Henry Dimbleby
Dirt to Soil by Gabe Brown
8. Practical Ways To Reconnect (Starting Now)
You do not need 4,000-year-old woodland to begin.
1. Spend 30 minutes in real woodland
Ancient if possible — but any biodiverse green space helps.
2. Volunteer
National charities offer local programs:
National Trust
Woodland Trust
RSPB
Participation is more powerful than passive exposure.
3. Reduce digital stimulation
Cabins like Unplugged remove screens to reset dopamine cycles.
4. Bring plants indoors
Photosynthesis makes life possible. Even small plant exposure changes air quality and connection perception.
5. Write to your MP
Policy follows public pressure. If 50–1,000 constituents write, politicians must respond.
9. Joy, Optimism & Long-Term Thinking
Merlin’s inspirations include:
Margaret Mead
Jane Goodall
Arnold Schwarzenegger
His core belief:
In 1,000 years, Britain will live in harmony with nature again.
The only question is how difficult the journey will be.
Why This Matters
This conversation reframes conservation as:
A mental health issue
A systems design issue
A food system issue
A political engagement issue
A cultural mindset issue
Nature restoration is not separate from human restoration.
They are the same process.
🎧 Listen to the Full Episode
How Nature Heals People, Rainforests & Conservation — with Merlin Hanbury-Tenison
