A passing comment about a Japanese ancient calendar has led to an innovative wellbeing project involving hundreds of people encouraging them to slow down and take notice of what was happening around them in the natural world.
The project based in Lancashire helped prove that dividing our British calendar of four seasons into smaller micro seasons of a few days helped people connect more to nature. This in turn helped improve wellbeing and mental health.
The ancient Japanese 72Seasons calendar divides the main seasons of the year into 72 micro seasons, each lasting about five days. This system is deeply rooted in Japanese culture and is based on noting the subtle changes in nature and the environment throughout the year.
Inspired by this, a project was launched which 'borrows' the Japanese micro seasons approach to see if people’s connection to the small changes in the natural world would have an effect on health, happiness, and wellbeing.
The idea was first conceived by economist Kirsty Rose Parker who suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder and struggles through the winter months. She found that the Japanese concept of breaking down each month into smaller sections and noting the subtle changes in the natural world had helped her through the dark days at the year's end.
Kirsty, who runs a project evaluation company based her 72Seasons idea around her local landmark of Pendle Hill. The aim was to gauge what Pendle Hill itself could contribute to the health and wellbeing of residents in the area.
The year-long project launched in 2020 was supported by The Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership and funded with National Lottery monies. It drew on the input of 310 volunteers guiding them through the weeks and months and noting their responses to the minute aspects of the changing seasons in that part of the country.
The volunteers, who answered detailed questionnaires on their health and wellbeing at the start and end of the project, were given facts about the natural world, and were encouraged to look closer, pay more attention, slow down to notice details and subtle changes, and to listen.
Some suggestions included, for example - to sniff snowdrops, stamp on frosty puddles, listen to birds, match the colours of the earth and trees to a colour chart, read information sent to them about older festivals and animal behaviour, note when roses first smell, when winds blow, when harvest starts, and when the snow fell.
Volunteers were encouraged to ‘think about the wind on your skin, or the softness of snow or the voice of thunder, to look again at the sky and find the rainbows hiding,’ said Kirsty.
The result of part of the the Pendle Hill project found volunteers’ wellbeing and mental health had improved considerably.
‘Connecting with nature definitely helps boost mood and wellbeing,’ said one volunteer with 94 per cent agreeing with the statement ‘being connected to nature brings me joy’.
The work of the Pendle Hill project continues with its aim to encourage wider participation and analysis of the benefits of bringing together people and their natural environment.
All cultures around the world have their own ways of marking and observing seasonal changes. The UK follows the traditional four-season model: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. We'll celebrate the changing seasons with traditional festivals, agricultural practices, and cultural events reflecting the rhythms of nature through the year.
However, within these broad categories, there are numerous micro seasonal changes that occur, such as the blooming of specific flowers, the migration of birds, and the ripening of certain fruits. But our 'usual' calendars fail to reflect these tiny changes which occur within each week of the year.
The Pendle Hill group broke these broad seasonal categories into smaller segments such as Bluebells Carpet the Wood, Morning Grass Glistens, Birds Song Fills the Sky, Blossom Petals Scatter the Ground, The Swallows Leave, The Trees are Bare, Snow Creates Silence. Suddenly the tiny rhythms of nature become so much more noticeable.
Artist Cath Ford drew images to reflect the 72 micro seasons of Pendle Hill which were chosen by a vote.
Similarly inspired by the Japanese 72Seasons approach were four authors Kiera Chapman, Lulah Ellender, Rowan Jaines, and Rebecca Warren whose book Nature's Calendar: The British Year in 72 Seasons was published in 2023.
It is a book of micro- season essays on nature, facts and information drawing on folklore and tradition, herbal medicine and natural history.
Again, with the Japanese 72Seasons philosophy, it encourages the reader to notice and be part of the ebb and flow of nature's seasons. It is a book that encourages us to stop, consider, and deepen our connection with the natural world almost moment by moment.
These 72 seasons are often depicted in traditional Japanese art and literature and are also associated with various seasonal events, festivals, and customs which reflect the deep connection between the Japanese people and the natural world.
Examples of Japan’s 72 seasons include:
Fish Emerge from the Ice, Tree Frogs start Singing in the Fields, First Cherry Blossoms, Wild Geese Fly North, Cotton Flowers Bloom, Bears start Hibernating.
These micro seasons - whether Japanese or British - allow people to appreciate the rhythms of nature throughout the year.
They enhance an awareness of nature, of cultural connections, artistic expression, mindfulness and wellbeing, and encourage environmental and conservation efforts. Studies have also found that people more aware of their surroundings tend to be more motivated to protect and preserve the natural world.
Further information on the Pendle Hill 72Seasons Project: Details of the project
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Japan's micro-season calendar:
Nature's Calendar: The British Year in 72 Seasons is by Kiera Chapman, Lulah Ellender, Rowan Jaines, and Rebecca Warren is published by Granta Books.
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