Why do forests make us feel good?

September 25, 2025
, 5:00 pm
, Blog for business, Blog for people, WOW, really?, WOW, really?

Walking in a forest, sitting in the shade of a tree, spending time in nature: it's not just a pleasure, but a real panacea for health. In our video, together with Gian Marco Mapelli, known on social media as Amico delle Piante, we explain why forests are essential for our well-being and how, with reforestation projects, we can bring them back even where they have disappeared. It is not enough to plant a few trees: regenerating an ecosystem requires knowledge, planning and the will to give back to nature a space that rewards us with numerous benefits.

The benefits of forests for our health

Even just 15 minutes in a forest can make a big difference. Several scientific studies have shown that being in nature:

– reduces stress, anxiety and depression (in 82% of cases analysed by 93 studies)
– lowers heart rate and cortisol levels
– strengthens the immune system
– improves blood pressure, blood oxygenation and even sleep

This is also thanks to terpenes, organic compounds released by trees that have a calming and beneficial effect on the body and mind. And you don’t need to spend a whole day in the mountains; nature close to home is already a great ally.

The disappearance of lowland forests

Until the Middle Ages, the Po Valley was covered with immense forests of deciduous trees such as oak, hornbeam, ash, willow and alder. Today, only small fragments remain, such as the Mesola Forest, because over the centuries most of the trees were cut down to make way for agriculture and cities.

Regenerating the lowland forests means restoring greater biodiversity, but also ensuring direct benefits for people. In ecology, we talk about ecosystem services, i.e. all those natural processes that offer us benefits that are often invisible but fundamental.

For example:
– CO₂ absorption and combating climate change
– oxygen production and air quality improvement
– protection against soil erosion
– regulation of the water cycle
– conservation of biodiversity
– creation of ecological corridors for wildlife

Bosco delle Origini: a new forest in Emilia-Romagna

Regenerating a forest is not just a symbolic gesture, but a concrete action. And that is what we are doing at Bosco delle Origini, in the province of Modena.

The project involves converting agricultural land into a real forest. We will plant over 1,300 native trees, shrubs and fruit trees to increase biodiversity. We will also sow a mix of around 50 herbaceous species that provide nectar for bees and butterflies and naturally enrich the soil with nutrients.

All this is possible thanks to the vision of Antonio, the owner, who has chosen to follow in his father’s footsteps and transform the family’s agricultural land into a forest rich in life and ecosystem services.