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Growing up in Toronto and studying Forestry, I’ve come across the term “Greenspace” often. Greenspaces can be described as: An area of grass, trees, or other vegetation set apart for recreational or aesthetic purposes in an otherwise urban environment. Research has shown that greenspaces are beneficial to people and can help improve mental health, physical fitness, cognitive function, and more. The necessity and importance of greenspaces has become blatantly obvious during the recent global COVID-19 lockdowns, as Canadians swarmed to parks.
I also love greenspaces and believe that we need more, especially in areas with high population density; however, my internship with the Howe Sound/Átl’ka7tsem Marine Reference Guide has made me think about the importance of “Bluespace”. I’d never heard the term, but after a bit of Googling, found a general definition: An area with visible water such as Harbour front parks, rivers, ponds, lakes, fountains, etc.
My internship is (unfortunately) virtual, but I have seen many photos and watched numerous videos of the beautiful Howe Sound/Átl’ka7tsem. If these views on my small laptop screen are this beautiful, how stunning would the real view be, I wondered. Something about that thought made me smile, close my eyes, and breathe deeply, as if trying to smell the salty wind I imagined would be there.
I contemplated these thoughts as I was camping in Ontario a couple of weeks ago. The view of the lake made me feel grateful and calm, and swimming in the warm water made me feel relaxed and peaceful. Research shows that being in water can be therapeutic, and bluespaces are known to have benefits to mental and physical health.
I wondered why there seemed to be so little research on bluespaces. The term is nowhere near as popular as its green counterpart, which I found to be curious. Perhaps it is because many bluespaces can be found within greenspaces, such as a pond inside a park, that people may have not given it its own designation. Perhaps it is because many places in the world do not have access to bluespaces the way that Canada does.
Whatever the reason may be, I believe it is a concept that should be further studied and incorporated into environmental and conservation policy. Bluespaces deserve the same attention, recognition, and protection that greenspaces have come to receive.
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4 Comment(s)
Well said, Amy! I just finished reading the book Blue Mind. It's a very interesting read and I think you might find it interesting. It talks about how being around, in, on water can lead to healthier, happier lives.
Couldn't agree more with this and the comments from Caleigh and Simon, that bluespaces should be talked about more as they are just as important on all scales as green spaces. I took Ecological Design, one of my favorite classes throughout my undergrad - learning how we use urban spaces, the potential and the history and all the benefits trees and plants provide to urban spaces such as lowering temperature, acting as sound buffers and limiting pollution, taking in carbon etc.. TREES ARE AWESOME. But interestingly, as you mentioned your unfamiliarity with the concept, I too am in the same boat as even this course did not really touch on bluespaces as it did green spaces. I feel like we are on the right track with starting more conversations and bringing forth more attention to bluespaces, specifically more marine parks and protected areas. It is astounding that only 5.3% of the global ocean is marine protected, this year marks the deadline for reaching global target for protecting 10% of the world's coastal and marine waters - and unfortunately due to differing goals and regulations a marine area may be termed MPA but places no restrictions on some or all destructive activities, which results in limited environmental change. According to Atlas Marine Protection, only 2.5% of the world's oceans are actually within MPAs that prohibit significant human disturbance and extraction. I believe bluespaces are very important to human health and well-being and hopefully soon it will be as popular and protected as green spaces.
Very interesting and I totally agree with Bluespaces deserving the same attention!
For the past 4 years, I've been running a Forest School for children where we gather weekly in our local forest. Its always been a dream of mine to add a Beach component and with enough effort, I implemented the program last fall with much success!
My sister is a certified Forest Therapist and we offer Forest Therapy sessions as well, but we have yet to add a water component- hoping to add a session this fall :). And too add to Simon's comment, I think Ocean Therapy getting some attention!
That's very interesting and I also believe that spending time in Bluespaces is at least just as important as going to Greenspaces to improve your mental health.
For our project with EcoSuperior, we're learning a lot about the concept of Forest Therapy while tying it to our experience on Porphyry Island. And what's interesting is that we were asked to find a ''Heart Spot'' on the island where we could relax and experience nature through all our senses. But instead of finding a spot in the forest, Kelsey and I both found spots along the shore with a view of the water.
There is definitely something that draws us towards water so it would be very interesting to see how forest therapy concepts could be used or linked to bluespaces.
Kelsey Herglotz
Sep 9, 2020