Above all, though, we have seen how our animals provide uplifting and restorative emotional responses.
Offering a pathway to uncouple from distressing feelings of separation, the nervousness of entering a new environment; facing an academic challenge to providing a bridge for social connections and a sense of belonging.
From his book, Kellert goes on to note that “Our inborn affinity for the natural world is, in effect, a birthright that must be cultivated and earned… it is not a hard-wired outcome, but one that requires conscious and sustained engagement”