We've all taken a walk in nature and experienced the relaxing and often regenerating, healing impact it can have on us, right?

There's no going back to simpler times, but our survival does depend on respecting our place in this miraculous world. To heal the disconnection, we must reconnect. It's fitting, then, that the theme of this year's World Environment Day on June 5 is "Connecting People to Nature."

Microbes in the air and soils of natural environments can be unique. Microbial differences on the skin of those living in close proximity to more diverse vegetation may directly influence immune function throughout the body and may even influence mood.

For the most part, our brains didn't evolve in cities. But in a few decades, almost 70 per cent of the world's people will live in urban environments. Despite the prosperity we associate with cities, urbanization presents a major health challenge. Cities, with their accelerated pace of life, can be stressful. The results are seen in the brains and behaviour of those raised in cities or currently living in one.