Celebrating nature and its impact on our wellbeing, on World Wildlife Day

Today is World Wildlife Day, according to the WWF, and it's something I personally feel deeply passionate about. Having grown up in the Devon countryside, a connection to nature is something I value enormously.

I have huge respect for the natural world, I miss it when I am away from it, and I know how incredibly valuable it is for our wellbeing. My favourite moments are the ones spent running around on the grass without my shoes on, playing with the children and our dogs; my happy place is by the sea; and as a parent nothing pleases me more than seeing my kids outside, enjoying themselves rather than sitting glued to a screen.

Of course, it's no secret that as much as nature looks after us, we need to look after it as well - it's a symbiotic relationship that we need to protect. Many spas are acutely aware of that connectivity, and it's why we are so passionate about spa experiences that enhance that ability to embrace the great outdoors, from natural swimming pools to beautiful gardens and organic skincare products. There's also a concerted effort to ensure sustainability in spa experiences, which adds to the feel-good-factor.

Nature and our wellbeing

"Spending just 20 minutes connecting with nature can help lower stress hormone levels" according to a study in Frontiers in Psychology. I probably didn't need a study to tell me that, but it's always nice to have one's intuition backed up by research. We actually wrote an article recently which was about research that's showing that simply taking time to notice nature can boost your mood. I can certainly attest to that too.

Specific things that I love are knowing that getting your hands into the soil when you're gardening actually makes you happier, and swimming in cold water (like the sea) can also help to boost your mood as well.

Writing about blue spaces, described by the Government's Environment Agency as "outdoor environments – either natural or manmade–that prominently feature water and are accessible to people", Brighton University, also notes the mental and physical benefits of swimming in the open air. Personally I think natural pools are one of my favourite additions to modern spas.

Spas for getting back to nature

There are lots of spas that offer beautiful experiences for getting back to nature, and I would wholeheartedly encourage you to explore them, particularly with World Wildlife Day upon us.

Few things can beat the natural wild swimming pond at South Lodge in West Sussex. Surrounded by a hidden rockery, wildflower meadow and a sun deck, it's the ultimate, tranquil experience at an extremely luxurious destination hidden in the South Downs.

If you want to watch wildlife roam by as you swim in a bio-filtered pool, the Swinton Estate in North Yorkshire is spectacular. The ancestral seat of the Earl of Swinton, the estate stretches across 20,000 acres complete with woodland and lakes, and populated by fallow deer amongst other species.

Then again, one of my most joyful activities, whether I'm at a spa or not, is going for a walk, and there are some spa gardens that are beyond beautiful. Hoar Cross Hall, for example, has an exquisite Italian water garden as well as 30 acres of woodland, while Gaia Spa at Boringdon Hall is situated right on the edge of dramatic Dartmoor, inviting you to explore the National Park before you return for a spectacular spa experience. Grantley Hall has to be mentioned as well, with its famous Japanese gardens, originally created for Lord and Lady Furness.

There are so many ways that spas can help us reconnect with nature, and it's perhaps one of the lesser known aspects of a spa experience. I think many of us crave time in nature, and when we have it we realise how healing and valuable it is. Perhaps World Wildlife Day is a good reason to give yourself space to remember just how valuable nature is to our wellbeing and how we enjoy it.