2_1_ScanMag_80_Sep-Oct_2015_Q9_Scan Magazine 1 15/09/2015 19:39 Page 90
Attraction of the Month, Denmark
Mother Nature gets her own day On Mother’s Day you send flowers, but what about Mother Nature’s Day? In Denmark, nature now has its very own day for us to celebrate, cherish and enjoy it. What started out as small-scale concept has, thanks to financial support from Nordeafonden, grown into a national event attended by 180,000 Danes. This year’s theme is ‘nature outside your home’. By Signe Hansen | Photos: Ditte Valente
Organised by the Danish Society for Nature Conservation (Danmarks Naturfredningsforening) and the Outdoor Council (Danmarks Friluftsråd), Naturens Dag (Nature’s Day) encourages everyone to explore the unique nature of Denmark. The purpose is not only for people to get reacquainted with the often forgotten joy of being outside, but also to remind them how precious nature is. Ole Laursen from the Danish Society for Nature Conservation explains: “Apart from the well-known fact that being outside is good for you, both physically and mentally, what we
90 | Issue 80 | September 2015
have come to realise is that people who have enjoyable nature experiences will also become people who care more about
the natural world. And that’s part of the reason we invite all Danes to explore nature with us on Naturens Dag.” This year, it is expected that around 200,000 Danes will participate in Naturens Dag, which takes place on 13 September. Getting children back into the forest Though the annual day has had changing themes, a continuous focus has been on