The Daily Journal has a fascinating article that illustrates the shrinking radius we give our children to explore over the years by looking at the childhoods of four members of a British family. Great Grandfather was allowed to roam some six miles away from home to go fishing at the age of eight. Grandfather had about a mile radius of freedom, Mother about half a mile, and the now eight-year-old-child can only wander to the end of his block.

In what I consider a ringing endorsement of “druidic values,” psychologists are concerned about the mental health of the current and future generations due to lack of exposure to the natural world.

The report’s author, Dr William Bird, the health adviser to Natural England and the organiser of a conference on nature and health on Monday, believes children’s long-term mental health is at risk.

He has compiled evidence that people are healthier and better adjusted if they get out into the countryside, parks or gardens.

Stress levels fall within minutes of seeing green spaces, he says. Even filling a home with flowers and plants can improve concentration and lower stress.

“If children haven’t had contact with nature, they never develop a relationship with natural environment and they are unable to use it to cope with stress,” he said.

“Studies have shown that people deprived of contact with nature were at greater risk of depression and anxiety. Children are getting less and less unsupervised time in the natural environment.

“They need time playing in the countryside, in parks and in gardens where they can explore, dig up the ground and build dens.”