Being outdoors can really benefit those with mental health issues. Visitor Experience Assistant Sophie Wilson, spoke to a recent visitor to the cliff tops who has direct experience of this. Our thanks go to Jackie Pluck for speaking to us about his difficult subject.
This week, one of our lovely visitors was kind enough to share her story with us in honour of Mental Health Awareness Week. Jacqueline Pluck was born with arthritis, which has progressively worsened throughout her life; this led to Jackie suffering from depression as a young adult. Having always loved nature as a result of her father’s interest and her grandfather’s passion for painting wildlife, Jackie (along with her father, Ken) got into wildlife photography around twelve years ago as a form of distraction therapy. Recently, after attending a talk by our resident photographer Steve Race to the Photographic Society, their passion was reignited.
Jackie and Ken enjoy wildlife photography as it is something that they can do together. Jackie enjoys visiting the RSPB Bempton Cliffs reserve as she likes watching the seabirds and, by hiring one of our mobility scooters, she is able to access all of the viewpoints on site. She says “I use a Tramper hired from the reserve and not only does it give me the opportunity to see everything but it also means I’m independent. I love that us wheelchair users can get just as up-close to the birdlife as everyone else. I’m not at a lower level, I get the same view as everybody else.”
I asked Jackie about what she likes so much about the seabirds; she replied that she loves watching the soap operas taking place in the different colonies, as does Ken who was overwhelmed by the noise and drama of the cliffs on his first visit. Jackie’s favourite seabird changes with each visit – it is currently the gannet due to her recent success in capturing some great shots of this magnificent bird. Despite her love of the seabirds, Jackie says she is just as happy amongst the peace and tranquillity of the Nature Trail; she enjoys patiently waiting for her favourite garden bird, the common whitethroat, to put in an appearance.
Research has shown that two thirds of us experience problems with mental health in our lifetimes. Remarkably, studies have shown that the number of people who reported their health as “excellent” after spending time in nature every day for 30 days increased by an impressive 30%. With it being clear that time spent outdoors plays such a major role in our mental health, we at RSPB Bempton Cliffs believe that it is essential that everyone should have the opportunity to spend time with nature. It’s great to hear about people like Jackie, for whom time spent at our reserve has helped.