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Croissants, Crepes and Concrete
By Lauretta Young

How do our surroundings affect our mood and our health? This critical question is the subject of one of my recent set of readings. A personal favorite is Healing Spaces—The Science of Place and Well Being, by Esther Sternberg, MD. This fascinating book explores the effects of our physical surroundings on health from a biological, psychological and social lens. (And yes, our own Cedar Mill library carries this book, so get on the wait list!)

Having traveled to Montreal for a conference, I noted striking differences between the Pacific Northwest and Northeastern Quebec. One of the most immediate is the language—French is the first language of Quebec. I expected to hear French, but what I didn’t expect was the lack of greenery.

Many of the studies referenced in the Sternberg book speak to the healing effect of seeing green plants on our bodies. Our immune systems seem to work more effectively when we are surrounded by lush plantings. The exact opposite was what I found in Montreal, where there was an abundance of hardscape—glass, metal and concrete. Even the “parks” were paved, with a few concrete planters containing small grasses or flowers or small trees. Certainly the climate there is harsh in the winter but this area is also known—outside of the city—for dense forests of sugar maples from which maple syrup is harvested.

There was one street with a few trees in a strip down the middle, but otherwise one could walk for miles without seeing a tree or other plants. The waterfront along the St. Lawrence River was very industrial, where the only green to be seen were weedy patches and even then not that many! When I got back to Cedar Mill, I noticed the exuberant variety of plants even in apartment complexes. There is the old wisteria at the corner of 147 and Cornell; there are huge Sweet Gum trees lining Science Park Drive; there are blooming rhododendrons in the Sunset Athletic Club parking lot. Literally EVERY business, every street, every home, every apartment is landscaped with interesting plants.

Black Headed Grosbeak in Cedar Mill ©2014 by Jeff Young

Nature with its profusion of plants is linked to our personal health and sense of ease. We have solid evidence that patients with views of natural areas heal more quickly after surgery than those who have a brick wall view. While I greatly enjoyed my French food and hearing the French language, I also missed the landscape features I sometimes take for granted. One of my bird watching tour clients from the East Coast spent a lot of time marveling in the fall about, “how many leaves are on the sidewalks,” as she took photo after photo of the colorful foliage. Now I more fully understand her sense of wonder and amazement about “our” urban planning and our values about how the place influences our lives.

Since most of my reflections are about birds, did I see any birds in Montreal? Certainly I packed my binoculars around with me on the long walks in the city and to the “parks.”  Very few birds, as one might imagine. What would they eat? Where would they nest? So not even starlings appear to like concrete. This should be a message.

The attached picture is a summer migrant to our area from our own back yard. Notice the lush greenery as this Black Headed Grosbeak enjoys his perch on the willows. The female is about the same size and the beak is similarly very large, but she is almost pale yellow where his coloration is bright orange. Listen for the distinctive song of this newly arrived migrant who will nest here—it’s similar to a Robin song but much more complex with more notes and trills. I recently took a flutist out on a bird tour and she said, “it sounds like a Robin who took opera lessons.” Get outside into the greenery, listen for the new sounds of our migrants and improve your health!

Lauretta Young MD is the current Director of the Medical Student resiliency program at OHSU School of Medicine, and the Chief Medical Officer at Health Republic Insurance. She also does private customized guided bird tours in Cedar Mill and beyond—check out her web site at portlandbirdwatching.com and see more of her husband’s photos at www.flicker.com/photos/youngbirders.

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