Camilla de Bernhardt Lane runs Aquafolium, a social enterprise connecting people with nature in Devon, with her husband Mark.
In 2018, Aquafolium has been introducing carers and other groups to the Japanese practice of forest bathing. It is funded in part by Transform Ageing, a programme by Big Lottery, delivered with support from UnLtd and the Design Council.
What do you do?
I run a social enterprise my husband that aims to reconnect people with nature.
What is the point of the project?
Nature and our health and wellbeing are inextricably linked. This connection is often neglected in the industrialised world.
There is a growing body of evidence that nature therapies are good for mind and body. Some of the practices we are inspired by have their roots in Japan, America and even our own indigenous culture.
Over the past thirty years there has been a growing a body of clinical evidence demonstrating how good they are for us. For instance, a study in Japan showed that playing in soil can help cure depression. Going for a walk in the forest calms us all down and can even improve our memory. Connecting with nature can be transformative.
When was the moment you decided to do this?
It was more of an evolution. Mark is an experienced nature and wilderness guide and I have a background in being an outdoor leader.
We had worked together running skill based bushcraft courses – but realised that the benefits that our participants felt were much more about connecting with nature than rubbing sticks together! We ran a tailored course for veterans and found that being outside was beneficial for them, especially through mindfulness and sensory awareness activities. So we developed our offer to focus on maximising the benefits.
Mark and I went on a course together run by Harvard and MIT called Theory U, by Otto Scharmer. We went on that asking what to do with our lives, how to address the disconnect in ourselves and society and as part of that we rediscovered our mutual passion for this area of work.
It suddenly knitted together a lot of strands. There wasn’t a eureka moment, but walking that path felt, intuitively, more and more right.
We’ve been working with @designcouncil and @UnLtd again this summer on the Transform Ageing programme in the south-west of England. We had a wonderful time filming with the forest bathers Aquafolium and will be sharing the results soon @jaimetaylor @katieyoshizaki pic.twitter.com/CrdUwuxN33
— Postcode Films (@PostcodeFilms) September 21, 2018
What’s been your proudest moment?
When our eight-year-old daughter helped to run a forest bathing session with us and then designed a forest bathing trail all by herself for babies and new parents.
I think it was the reflection of our endeavours in her enthusiasm, that was a very proud mum moment!
What’s been the hardest thing?
I have a full time job on top of this and that’s challenging. Our biggest commodity is time.
We have been blown away by the positive reception to our work, and know that in the future we have to make some serious decisions.
Being a parent, an employee and a social entrepreneur certainly has it’s challenges.
What keeps you going when it gets hard?
Running a business with my husband means that we believe in each other and that in turn helps us when we have the inevitable low points.
I don’t think either of us would be in this position without the other one. We are also so lucky that we have had a great professional support network who have believed in us, our venture and securing a small amount of funding through Unltd has just helped to make it possible.
How did you vote in the EU referendum and why?
I have children and I fundamentally believe that they should have the opportunities that an open Europe brings.
I don’t believe that the referendum was conducted for any other reason than political manoeuvring and the result was an unhelpful single answer to a complex question.
The political discontent that was invited by the vote leave campaign was more about a rejection of a political class and the effects of austerity than about staying or leaving Europe and unfortunately leaving Europe looks more likely to exacerbate these issues. (I think you can probably guess which way I voted!)
How will the results of the referendum affect what you do?
It’s currently unclear, but with an uncertain political and economic future as a country I think securing investment will be harder.
Certainly expansion abroad or investment from abroad might be more challenging.
Learn how forest bathing is helping to #TransformAgeing in #Devon: https://t.co/RJvQ6lCqk0
Great piece on innovative #socent Aquafolium in the @Independent, by @hazelsheffield #mindfulness #socialchange pic.twitter.com/Wan78ST8NT— UnLtd (@UnLtd) September 6, 2018
What’s next for Aquafolium?
So many things! Our collective research results are mind-blowing – we didn’t expect them to be so positive.
Some of the individual testimonies have made me cry. Particularly hearing from people who have been touched by the experience of being in nature.
We have completed our trial forest bathing sessions for carers and are working on our next steps with the carer’s charity Westbank.
We are working on more open access sessions, having just had a great response to our contribution to Dartmoor walking week. We are also working with Memory cafes on Dartmoor to bring parts of the forest to them.
We are working on the Connecting Actively in Nature project to encourage people who are inactives to become more engaged in getting out for some fresh air and exercise – so watch this space. Our forest bathing leader course is also ready to go – and we are setting up our first cohort.
We are also running “forest fellas” project for men, an often overlooked group when it comes to mental health and loneliness. And inspired by our daughter we will be running “bush babies” sessions for new parents.
What would you say to someone looking to do something similar?
I think to anyone looking to start a social enterprise I would say – do it! But make sure you do your thinking first – understand your why.
My husband and I have worked on our Ikigai, another Japanese concept that is about matching what you love, what you are good at and what the world needs – essentially finding and understanding yourself and your purpose. Giving ourselves a life of meaning has pointed to our meaning of life.
What does community mean to you?
It is about connection. It is about belonging. It gives the opportunity for meaning and purpose.
It is also about love.
