How the smells of nature can affect human well-being

Whether it’s a walk in the park, hike in the forest or tending to a backyard garden, there’s ample subjective and scientific evidence that being in nature can have beneficial effects for us, from relieving stress to improving our mood. But less is known about what role the scents of nature, from the unmistakable odor of a pine tree to chemicals emitted by plants that are below our conscious awareness, influence human health and behavior. 

In a recently published paper, a team of scientists in the U.S., Europe and Asia make the case for more research to be done on the link between the rich olfactory environments of nature and human health. And as air pollution and habitat loss threaten biodiversity, they also threaten olfactory diversity in the natural world. Greg Bratman is the lead author of the paper, an assistant professor of environmental and forest sciences and the director of the Environment and Well-being Lab at the University of Washington. He joins us to share more about this effort, and how the olfactory pathway may open up new possibilities to better understand the benefits of experiencing – and smelling – nature.