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For over two decades, Doro Bush Koch and Tricia Reilly Koch, through BB&R Wellness, have guided people toward greater well-being. Their work, through their podcasts and conferences, focused on the interconnectedness of wellness and the importance of nourishing our bodies and our minds. But in recent years, they’ve come to understand a third powerful connection: Beyond the connection of the health of our bodies and the health of our minds, we are intrinsically connected with the health of our planet.
This last connection may be the most important one. There are uncanny parallels between the health of our planet, our time in nature, and our personal health. As the world is in flames, our bodies are inflamed. As children spend less time in nature, we have generations suffering from record-breaking levels of anxiety. We have spent centuries damaging our planet and seeing ourselves as disconnected from nature and we are suffering the consequences.
It became clear that no matter how well we eat, how much we exercise, or how deeply we meditate, if the world that holds us is sick, so are we. Healthy ecosystems produce the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the pollinators we need, the cancer medicines we use, and much more. Healthy ecosystems rely on their native plants and animals to create a virtuous and self-sustaining cycle that keeps the ecosystem thriving and keeps us all alive. Unfortunately, the animals and plants we share this planet with are vanishing, which means these healthy ecosystems are unraveling, and the natural world — our oldest healer — is in distress.
Nature not only provides us with everything we need to sustain ourselves physically; it also provides us with what we need to sustain ourselves psychologically. Time in nature lowers cortisol and potentially heart disease, improves immune function, and even changes the brain — enhancing creativity, reducing anxiety, and fostering a sense of belonging.
All this is particularly true for children. Children are spending significantly less time in nature, and this is impacting their wellbeing. But when children have an awe-inspiring experience in nature — even just one experience — their perspective shifts. Even on a smaller scale, a visit to a local park to spend time in nature can have an enormous positive impact on a child. A recent NIH study proved that access to green spaces resulted in improved mental health of children, even those as young as two years old, resulting in less anxiety and cognitive improvements around memory and attention.
Nature heals us in ways nothing else can, and it’s our duty and responsibility to ensure this healing and wellness resource is around for all of us, and for our children to come. This is ultimately a story of possibility and hope.
And so, a new vision of wellness emerged that moved beyond individual health to include the health of the planet itself. This is why they joined forces with Lynn Mento to co-found Conservation Nation and complete this picture of well-being. Science supports what Indigenous wisdom has always taught: when we restore the Earth, we restore ourselves. We are intrinsically and inextricably linked.
This is the future of wellness. Where we understand we can’t pursue personal health without also pursuing planetary health. Where we understand deeply that conservation isn’t just an environmental issue, but a human one. Where we understand that we are not trying to fix a separate thing called ‘nature’; but that we are nature. Understanding this third, critical connection is the next frontier to supporting the health of our children and children to come.
How to Help
Want to help? Conservation Nation is taking action today to protect the natural world — the foundation of our health — and inspire the next generation of environmental problem-solvers. We support conservationists working on the front lines and bring STEM-focused education into schools through free classroom content, after-school clubs, and hands-on field trips that ignite curiosity and passion for nature. Your support fuels real change. Every dollar helps us empower students, educators, and conservationists to create a healthier future — for people and the planet.
More from Better Magazine
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- National Geographic Photo Ark: Joel Sartore’s Urgent Mission to Document and Protect Earth’s Vanishing Species
- Sustainable Travel: Disney Cruise Line’s Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point
About the Authors
Doro Bush Koch
After living in the public eye for many years as the daughter of one president and sister of another, Doro Bush Koch set out to explore what she needed to do to take care of herself. Her grounding path included an embrace of mindfulness, which she has infused throughout BB&R’s work. Doro’s kind nature and down-to-earth philosophy help beginners and experts alike to access tools for transformation and joyful living.
Author of the New York Times-bestselling My Father, My President, Doro is a connector, always on the lookout for opportunities to bring the wisdom of thought leaders such as the Dalai Lama, Amma, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Dan Harris and Sharon Salzberg to audiences. Listen to her guided meditations and interviews in the Health Gig podcast.
Tricia Reilly Koch
Having been introduced to the world of holistic health and meditation by her maternal grandmother, Tricia Reilly Koch decided in her early years of motherhood to blend her consulting expertise with health coaching. After training at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, she continued her study of the mind-body connection and obtained additional certifications in a variety of wellness fields, including in Ayurveda, raw foods and yoga.
Always tracking the latest health research, Tricia now uses her extensive knowledge base to create programs that help groups and businesses rethink health and wellness for the 21st century. She brings enthusiasm and passion to BB&R. An expert at distilling the wisdom of many modalities under the complementary medicine umbrella, Tricia empowers audiences with simple actions they can take in their everyday lives to nurture healthy relationships, minds, and bodies.
