The human longing to connect with nature is called biophilia, which literally means love of life. According to biologist E. O. Wilson, biophilia is a hardwired instinct that is key to human happiness. The human brain evolved in an environment that was defined by constant contact with and reliance on the natural world. The emotions that modern humans tend to feel in nature—awe, contentment, curiosity, wanderlust—contributed to early humans’ ability to thrive as a species that had to find its place in a complex and constantly changing landscape. These emotional responses to nature are still
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