“Spring was all about dandelions, nettles and lover (young shoots of hopbush). Summer was for blackberries and blackberries, autumn was the time for chestnuts, hazelnuts and a lot of edible mushrooms,” says environmental educator and artist Diego Bonetto as he recalls his childhood in Italy.
Bonetto has always been connected to nature and swears by the health benefits it can have on a human being.
the author of eat weeds, a book published this year, Mr. Bonetto conducts workshops on foraging, the ancient skill used by humans since time immemorial to gather healthy and abundant foods that grew in the wild. And the fun and relaxation that comes with it are a plus, he says.
Bonetto grew up on a dairy farm in northern Italy. After moving to Australia in the mid-1990s, he began working in the orchards of New South Wales.
“Seeing dandelions and nettles there allowed me to have a point of reference to understand the land I migrated to. He punished me,” he tells SBS Italian.
The weeds that he knew as a child became tools for his orientation in the new environment.
You start with what you know and grow from there.
“Growing up, we not only develop an attachment to our primary caregivers and other people, but also to places,” says Navjot Bhullar, research professor of psychology at Edith Cowan University in Perth.
Professor Bhullar’s research focuses on understanding environmental and psychological influences on mental health and well-being.
According to research, landscapes and places play an important role in the development of a sense of identity and are a source of security and a sense of belonging.
Foraging for food in the Australian bush with Diego Bonetto. Credit: Helena Algie
“Since our childhood, our sense of attachment to people, places and identity is closely related to our mental health and psychological well-being,” says Professor Bhullar.
“Humans co-evolved with everything around us.”
“Many of us have deep emotional ties to various plants or trees that act as gateways to how we position ourselves, as a species, in an environment,” adds Mr. Bonetto.
Urban foraging is even more important as we rarely interact with nature in our cities.
Bonetto adds that it gives interested people a way to rediscover their surroundings, street trees, local parks and gardens.
Understanding nature’s contributions to our mental health and well-being also helps raise awareness of the importance of natural environments.
“I think it motivates and encourages people to protect and preserve natural habitats and threatened ecosystems,” says Professor Bhullar.
To improve our psychological well-being, we must help protect and enhance our natural environments: everyone wins
“Places help develop our sense of identity. Growing up in a certain area, its landscape, leaves a mark on us forever,” adds Professor Bhullar.
Many cultures and ethnicities around the world have documented identity-shaping narratives built around specific plants and trees.
“The Irish and shamrocks, the Scots and thistles, the Greeks and wild fennel, the Italians and dandelions, the Poles and pine mushrooms, the Chinese and shepherd’s purse, the Mexicans and amaranth, etcetera”, ponders Bonetto with his knowledge of the importance of specific flora for certain communities.
Known as the Father of Biodiversity, renowned American biologist Edward Wilson coined the term ‘biophilia hypothesis’ to describe our innate desire and love to connect with the natural environment.
It proposes that experiencing nature can promote a sense of relaxation and reduce stress.
According to the Attention Restoration Theory, nature “restores our attention,” says Professor Bhullar.
“We can only focus our attention for a short period of time before we feel mentally fatigued.
A short break in natural surroundings helps to regain our attention and improves our sense of emotional and psychological well-being by offering us a respite from the routine of our daily lives.
Professor Bhullar also discusses stress reduction theory, which focuses on how nature promotes recovery from stress and reduces the impact of negative emotions.
“As humans, we have evolved to respond positively to non-threatening natural environments, as these would have provided a better chance of survival, such as better opportunities for feeding, sheltering and reproducing,” he explains.
I teach plants to people to help them reconnect with nature as active members of the ecosystem.
Diego Bonetto
Gino Antognetti moved to Australia more than 10 years ago. He works as a personal care and kitchen assistant for the elderly in Melbourne.
“For those of us who grew up in contact with nature like me, some herbs bring back many emotions and memories. For example, the first contact with nettle may have been dramatic, but then it turns out that it is very good in omelettes and useful in hair care”, he tells SBS Italian.
When Mr. Antognetti adds traditional herbs and products to his recipes, such as endive and radicchio, his Italian customers are particularly happy.
By foraging for food, you become reacquainted with seasonal plant growth cycles and growth patterns and rediscover a wilder version of you.
“In addition to having access to free healthy food and natural medicine, learning to recognize and use wild herbs is also a way to experience the abundance of nature,” says Mr. Bonetto.
“Foraging encourages care for our environment and grounds us, as inhabitants and honorable beings, in caring for our environment. Nature is full of abundance,” he adds.
A common comment Mr. Bonetto receives at the end of a class is, ‘Wow, I had no idea. Food is everywhere and we just don’t see it or respect it,’” he signs.
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