“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” – John Muir
Have you ever felt the quiet relief of standing beneath a vast open sky, the rustle of leaves only the mind can hear? Or the way your breath seems to soften if you’re lucky enough to watch a herd of elephants move gracefully across the plains, their massive forms swaying with serene certainty?
Nature, in all its rhythms and silences, has an extraordinary ability to soothe a restless mind, a truth that becomes even more relevant as we observe International Stress Awareness Day, 2025, on Wednesday, November 5th, during International Stress Awareness Week (November 3-7). This year’s theme, “Optimizing Employee Wellbeing through Strategic Stress Management,” reminds us that sometimes, the most strategic step we can take for our well-being is to pause and reconnect with the living world around us.
Understanding What Stress Is
Stress is often described as the price we pay for progress; a by-product of the fast-paced, hyperconnected lives we lead. The modern world thrives on urgency. From overflowing inboxes to constant notifications, from urban noise to the invisible weight of deadlines, our days are filled with stimuli that keep our nervous systems on high alert. A little stress can motivate us; it’s part of our biology. But when pressure becomes constant, it begins to erode our peace, cloud our focus, and affect our physical health.
According to psychologists, stress triggers a cascade of hormones, primarily cortisol and adrenaline, designed to prepare us for “fight or flight.” In ancient times, this response helped our ancestors survive immediate threats. But today, most of our battles are not with predators; they’re with time, expectations, and self-imposed demands. The body, however, doesn’t differentiate. It keeps sounding the alarm, even when we’re just sitting at a desk, thinking about unfinished tasks.
So how do we silence that internal alarm? How do we invite calm back into our lives?
The Healing Power of Nature
Nature has always been humanity’s oldest remedy, long before therapy sessions, wellness apps, or motivational podcasts. The Japanese call it “Shinrin-yoku” or “forest bathing”; the practice of immersing oneself in nature to reduce stress and improve overall well-being. Scientists have found that spending time in green spaces lowers blood pressure, reduces heart rate, and boosts serotonin, the “feel-good” neurotransmitter responsible for mood balance.
Even brief exposure to nature, a 10-minute walk in a park, tending to plants, or sitting under a tree, can reset the body’s stress response.
The sensory richness of the natural world engages our attention gently, without demanding it. The soft rustle of leaves, birdsong in the distance, the earthy scent after rain, these are nature’s ways of grounding us, pulling us away from stressful worries. But among the many wonders of the wild, there’s something unique about elephants, creatures that seem to embody calm, empathy, and quiet wisdom.
When Elephants Teach Us to Breathe
Watching elephants in their natural habitat is like witnessing mindfulness in motion. They move with a grace that seems to defy their size, every step deliberate and steady, as if time bends around them.
The sight of animals in their natural rhythms, feeding, playing, or caring for their young, activates a sense of connection and awe, reducing mental fatigue. In particular, elephants, with their intricate social bonds and quiet communication, remind us of the beauty of coexistence and patience.
At Udawalawe National Park in Sri Lanka, where the Udawalawe Elephant Research Project (UWERP) conducts its long-term studies, these moments are part of everyday life. To sit quietly as the park wakes, watching a matriarch slowly lead her herd to the waterhole, both you and the elephants bathed in the same soft morning light; it’s more than research; it’s a meditation. Gazing at elephants, from a respectful distance, can be deeply restorative. The slow movements, the gentle rumble of communication, the way they nurture their calves, it all reminds us that life doesn’t need to be rushed. In the elephants’ world, there are no deadlines, only the steady pace of survival, connection, and care.
UWERP team connecting with nature
Nature as a Counterbalance
Modern psychology often emphasizes mindfulness as an antidote to stress, the act of being fully present. Nature, in her infinite wisdom, offers mindfulness effortlessly. When we immerse ourselves in natural environments, we’re invited to notice: the play of light on leaves, the pattern of ripples across a lake, the sound of wind weaving through grass. These details capture our attention just enough to quiet inner noise.
Moreover, being outdoors encourages physical movement, which releases endorphins and relieves tension stored in the body. It strengthens the immune system, improves sleep, and even enhances creativity. For those constantly surrounded by screens and concrete, stepping into nature is not a luxury; it’s a necessity.
Whether it’s the dense forests of Sinharaja, the golden plains of Udawalawe, or the tranquil shores of a hidden lake, every moment spent in nature becomes a small act of healing. And the best part? It costs nothing but time and attention.
The Office with No Walls
For most of us, stress management involves trying to carve moments of calm between office hours (or even brief pauses within them; research shows that short breaks actually enhance focus and well-being). But for the UWERP field team, nature is their office. Their days begin not with the buzz of alarms or emails, but with the call of an Indian-peafowl, the distant trumpeting of elephants, and the slow rise of sunlight over the forest canopy.
While demanding, with long hours in the field, unpredictable weather, and constant observation, this conservation work is also profoundly grounding. There are no concrete barriers or city noise, only open skies and wild company. The researchers’ “meetings” happen under trees, their “colleagues” are elephants, and their “reports” are written in tracks and behavior patterns across the dusty earth.
This patient work, understanding elephant behavior, documenting their social bonds, and supporting communities in coexistence, depends on long-term observations and dedication. It’s through this research that we learn not only how elephants navigate their world, but also how we might better navigate ours alongside them.
UWERP team in their ‘Office with No Walls’
A Call to Reconnect
As we observe International Stress Awareness Day, let’s pause to remember that well-being doesn’t always come from complex strategies. Sometimes, it’s as simple as listening to birdsong, watching clouds drift by, or, if you’re lucky enough, gazing at elephants wandering freely through the grasslands.
Stress is a part of life, but so is calm. Nature offers us both: challenges us and heals us, tests us and restores us.
So, the next time you feel the world pressing in, step outside. Find a patch of green, listen to the wind, breathe deeply. Even ten minutes can make a difference. Pull on an extra layer if you need to, but go – let the natural world remind you of its quiet rhythms.
This season, if you’re looking for a gift that gives back, consider supporting the work that keeps these moments of wonder possible. Our virtual elephant adoption kits connect you to a real calf in Udawalawe National Park, helping fund the research and community support that allows both elephants and people to thrive. Because when we protect nature, we protect our own well-being too.
References
Schilhab, Theresa & Esbensen, Gertrud. (2025). Wild animals connect us with nature: about awe, eco-pedagogy, and nature-connectedness. Frontiers in Psychology. 16. 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1523831.
Albulescu, Patricia & Macsinga, Irina & Rusu, Andrei & Sulea, Coralia & Bodnaru, Alexandra & Tulbure, Bogdan Tudor. (2022). “Give me a break!” A systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy of micro-breaks for increasing well-being and performance. PLOS ONE. 17. e0272460. 10.1371/journal.pone.0272460.
Ideno, Yuki & Hayashi, Kunihiko & Abe, Yukina & Ueda, Kayo & Iso, Hiroyasu & Noda, Mitsuhiko & Lee, Jung Su & Suzuki, Shosuke. (2017). Blood pressure-lowering effect of Shinrin-yoku (Forest bathing): A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 17. 409. 10.1186/s12906-017-1912-z.
Polina, Yashvi. (2025). When the Body Mimics Illness: Linking Psychological Stress to Bodily Symptoms. International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research. 7. 10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i04.53930.
It’s late evening in Ruam Thai village, just outside Kuiburi National Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, Thailand. On my laptop screen, camera trap videos flicker to life: an elephant (Elephas maximus) moving slowly across farmland, a farmer checking fields with a flashlight, the quiet tension of life lived at the forest’s edge.
Camera traps capture nighttime elephant movements through farmlands bordering Kuiburi National Park
This is what I have seen when assisting PhD researcher Sateesh Venkatesh to analyse camera trap footage from farms surrounding Ruam Thai. The village, established by the government, sits like an island, surrounded on three sides by national park. Families live clustered in the centre, while their fields spread outward, bordering the unfenced national park, it’s a layout that leaves farms vulnerable – and elephants know it.
From Pineapples to Elephants
Kuriburi was declared a national park in 1999, protecting around 169 km2 of forest and wildlife (Charuppat, T., 1998). Before that, much of the land had been cleared for pineapple plantations. Pineapple is one of Thailand’s major exports: it grows year-round and provides high returns for farmers. But it also proved irresistible to elephants. Sweet and abundant, pineapples drew elephants out of the forest and into people’s fields, setting the stage for human-elephant conflict that continues today (Srikrachang, M. and Srikosamatara, S., 2005)
Alternative crops (citronella and lemongrass) trialled in Ruam Thai farmland, beside Kuiburi National Park.
Exploring Alternatives
As part of the alternative crops project, Trunks & Leaves and Bring The Elephant Home partnered in 2021 to research crops unpalatable to elephants. PhD student Sateesh Venkatesh, under the guidance of Trunks & Leaves founder Dr. Shermin de Silva, researches elephant behavior using technologies such as drones to map farming areas, trail cameras to detect elephant presence and behavior, and audio recorders to monitor conflict as elephants enter agricultural lands at field sites in both Thailand’s Ruam Thai and around Udawalawe National Park in Sri Lanka.
The wonderful Bring the Elephant Home team in Ruam Thai with Lauren (holding BTEH sign) as she volunteered, analysing trail camera footage.
Owen and colleagues (2024) report that lemongrass and citronella are among the most promising alternative crops: elephants generally avoid them, and they offer multiple market opportunities – selling fresh at local markets, dried for higher prices (or processed in teas), or distilled into essential oils for premium pricing and products such as artisan soaps.
Yet challenges remain. Producing oil requires large volumes of raw material and costly equipment. To sell products internationally, farmers also need FDA (Food and Drug Administration – a U.S. regulatory agency) approval and stable buyers. Without reliable markets for these alternative crops, many farmers may feel pressure to return to pineapples, with their familiar low market prices and challenges such as hormone chemicals and pesticides that are hazardous to farmers’ health, even though pineapples increase the risk of crop raids as both the fruit and sweet leaf bases are highly attractive to elephants.
An Emerging Challenge: Gaur
While elephants remain the most visible and impactful species raiding crops, they are no longer the only concern alongside Kuiburi National Park. Farmers report that gaur – Bos gaurus, large wild cattle that also roam the park, listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red list – are becoming just as problematic, and in some cases more dangerous. Like elephants, gaur are drawn to easy calories in fields, trampling and consuming crops. But they can also be unpredictable and aggressive, posing direct safety risks to people who encounter them at night.
This widening conflict highlights a bigger truth: when farms border protected forest, it is not just one species but entire communities of wildlife that interact with people.
World Habitat Day: Lessons from the Forest Edge
This year’s World Habitat Day gives us the opportunity to reflect on the meaning of habitat. Too often, habitat is imagined as something separate – national parks and reserves over here, villages and farmland over there. But Ruam Thai shows that habitats overlap. The forest is home to elephants and gaur, but it is also the backdrop to farmers’ livelihoods. When the line between the two blurs, both sides feel the pressure.
Protecting wildlife habitat is not only about preserving forest inside park boundaries. It also means supporting the people who live alongside those boundaries – ensuring that their farms are viable, their families safe, and their economic futures secure. Without this balance, conservation becomes conflict, and coexistence slips further away.
Building paths to coexistence: What can help?
Science and monitoring: Camera traps and farmer observations provide crucial data where and when wildlife moves, helping to design better strategies.
Community leadership: Farmers must be central to decisions about land use, crop choices, and protection measures – as it is their livelihood that is impacted.
Support through donations and funding: Organisations such as Trunks & Leaves and their partners like Bring The Elephant Home are working directly with local communities to reduce conflict and promote coexistence. Supporting these initiatives – whether through donations, advocacy, or spreading awareness – provides the resources needed to expand research, farmer support programmes, and conflict-mitigation efforts.
A Call to Action
As I scroll through more videos from trail cameras, I see the daily balancing act in Ruam Thai: elephants searching for food, farmers striving to protect their fields. On this World Habitat Day, their story is a reminder that habitats are shared, not separate. The health of Kuiburi’s forests cannot be measured only by the wildlife within; it must also include the wellbeing of people at its edge.
If elephants and people are to coexist, we must commit to solutions that protect both wild habitats and human livelihoods. That means supporting alternative crops, strengthening community resilience, and recognising that thriving habitats are those where both people and wildlife can live.
References
Charuppat, T. (1998). Using LANDSAT Imagery for Monitoring the Changes of Forest Area in Thailand. Royal Forest Department Bangkok. 121 pp.
Owen, A., van de Water, A., Sutthiboriban, N., Tantipisanuh, N., Sangthong, S., Rajbhandari, A. and Matteson, K. (2024). The Role of Alternative Crop Cultivation in Promoting Human-Elephant Coexistence: A Multidisciplinary Investigation in Thailand. Diversity, 16(9), pp.519–519. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/d16090519.
Srikrachang, M. and Srikosamatara, S. (2005). Elephant crop raiding problems and their solutions at Kui Buri National Park, southwestern Thailand. Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society, 53(1), pp.87-109.
October brings welcome rain for the people and the wildlife. This year the monsoon started as early as August, so by now everything is a luxurious green. The elephants are having an easier time because it has been wetter than usual. Perhaps for this reason, there have been a lot of babies born this year.
The rains follow a typical pattern over the course of the day – sunny and hot in the morning, showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Udawalawe sits at the intersection of two climate zones, which makes for strange and beautiful cloud formations with at times surreal atmospheric conditions. In the park we play games of cat and mouse with the rain clouds, trying to dodge the hyper-local downpours that are visibly framed against the brilliant sunlight. Pro tip – elephant viewing is best when there is a little bit of drizzle to cool us all off. Continue reading →
Picture taken in 2011 shows scattered trees and grass species in between
If your garden is left unattended it grows wild after several seasons. Eventually, there will be a mini-forest of a few species carefully chosen by a natural process. This is an ecological succession. The same takes place in the wild. Once a habitat is disturbed but then left undisturbed by humans, it goes through a series of structural changes in the vegetation with time. Continue reading →
[174], [036] and their calves spotted at Teak Reservoir
Sometimes it’s easy to become so focused on elephants that I forget about the other fascinating creatures that share their habitat. This afternoon, we were watching [174], [036], and their calves at the edge of the Teak Reservoir when a large gaggle of tourist jeeps frightened them off.
We decided to stay put for a few minutes after the tourists left, in the hope that the elephants might return. No such luck, but our patience was rewarded with something else. Continue reading →
We’ve been on a roll this last week. Or maybe the elephants have. Either way, I’ve heard far more vocalizing in the past week than in both of my first two weeks combined, and have managed to record some of it as well. I hope for our luck to continue as we gather our equipment this morning and pile into the jeep.
Before long we see [474]’s group, and almost immediately hear a rumble. Unfortunately Kumara and I are still busy setting up the recording equipment, but I wait in the hopes of catching another call. As I watch the elephants, I notice that they seem unusually “touchy-feely” today, for lack of a better word. Continue reading →
There are at least two kinds of science today – a) the kind that requires millions of dollars, a small army of techs and postdocs, and many fancy doo-dats or whatsits and b)everything else. The latter doesn’t do too well in today’s funding climate, which is geared toward funding BIG EXPENSIVE science. A small group of scientists – mostly students – are trying to change all that by appealing directly to the public to fund small, very cool, science projects and earn a nifty little reward of thanks. The projects are diverse – everything from zombie fish to next-generation algae technology. The result: The #SciFund Challenge! Help us help elephants – and help science along the way!
It’s October, and the monsoon is in full force. As we wrote in an earlier post the elephants love mud. They’re just oversized piggies with big floppy ears. Here’s a video for your amusement:
Why do they love mud so much? As anyone who has seen or enjoyed a muddy spa retreat can tell you, it’s good for the skin and helps with thermoregulation. Because elephants don’t sweat, when it’s hot outside the evaporating mud cools them off. Rudyard Kipling so mischievously wrote in ‘The Elephant’s Child’:
‘Don’t you think the sun is very hot here?’ [says the Rock Python]
‘It is,’ said the Elephant’s Child, and before he thought what he was doing he schlooped up a schloop of mud from the banks of the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo, and slapped it on his head, where it made a cool schloopy-sloshy mud-cap all trickly behind his ears. Continue reading →
October brings welcome rain for the people and the wildlife. This year the monsoon started as early as August, so by now everything is a luxurious green. The elephants are having an easier time because it has been wetter than usual. Perhaps for this reason, there have been a lot of babies born this year.
Maximus 