Page 6 - Natural World Spring 2018

people & wildlife

‘‘Nature makes
Isabel Hardman is familiar on our screens and airwaves as one of the UK’s top political journalists.

As a political journalist on radio Where did your love for wildflowers How exactly does that work?
and TV, and assistant editor of come from? When I was very sick, I started to go
The Spectator, Isabel As a kid I learnt the different garden for lots of walks and write down and
Hardman knows how to survive in plants. It was only this year that I got photograph every wildflower that I
the shark pool. What sets her apart really into botany. I was on sick leave. found. I didn’t know as many as I
from most other hard-nosed hacks is I have post-traumatic stress disorder,
a passion for wildflowers, and being and the symptoms are depression I didn’t even
completely open about suffering and anxiety, and lots of flashbacks. know a fly
from depression. Recently she made orchid existed!
two Radio 4 programmes about Focusing on nature makes you The next day
nature’s ability to improve mental attend to the now, rather than what I found one
health. Lucy McRobert from The has happened or might happen. It
Wildlife Trusts met Isabel on Walney helps take me away from the
Island in Cumbria, to talk about flashbacks, as well as the depression
nature, health and her love of botany. and the anxiety. It doesn’t solve it,
but it makes it a bit better.

leanne bolger Lucy McRobert is
Communications
Manager for The
Wildlife Trusts,
championing
Random Acts of
Wildness for all!
6 NATURAL WORLD spring 2018