Dear Green Places: Nature and our Health 

Dear Green Places: Nature and our Health 

Nature is essential for our health – it not only provides the food we eat, the air we breathe and the medicines that treat us but also supports our mental health and wellbeing

In this new exhibition we use the rich archival and book collections of The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow to explore how we have been utilising the power of nature for millennia.  

The exhibition features the writings of ancient Greeks such as Galen and Hippocrates, and covers a broad range of subjects, including the development of medieval physic gardens and botanical gardens, highlighting the importance of Glasgow’s extensive Victorian parks which function as the city’s green lungs. We also explore the therapeutic benefits of water from thermal springs to wild swimming. 

On display you will see some of our many herbal books focused on medicines made from plants. We use these to shed light on the development of medicines as well as on the environmental changes humans are causing to our planet, from climate change and habitat loss to a decline in biodiversity now threatening the delicate balance of nature. 

If we are to continue to thrive, survive, and lead healthy lives, we must protect our dear green places.