Caroline Clements is a travel writer, editor, and co-author of the acclaimed Places We Swim series. Along with her partner, Dillon Seitchik-Reardon, she has explored the world's most inspiring aquatic destinations, publishing three books that celebrate the joy of swimming in stunning natural settings. Their latest release, Places We Swim: California (2024), continues their journey of showcasing how water connects us to nature.
Based in Sydney, Caroline embraces the city's vibrant, nature-filled lifestyle. In our latest Hour in Nature profile, she shares how even brief moments in nature can transform our mindset and deepen our connection to the environment.
What’s your favourite thing to do in nature?
Swim, hike, run, lay down, sit, wander, explore, stargaze.
What role do natural environments play in shaping human identity and sense of self?
Getting out into nature is revitalising. It’s stimulating and grounding. It’s healing and calming. It’s full of wonder and awe. It’s something you cannot always find in the built environment. For these reasons, it can stimulate us. Our environments often do that. I find being out in nature can change the way you work creatively, the way you interact with others, and the way you feel within yourself.
In what ways can ecotherapy practices be integrated into mainstream mental health treatments? What benefits could this bring?
In many places, psychotherapy treatments can be taken while in nature rather than inside. These include walking in nature while talking to a therapist, being with animals such as equine therapy (with horses), swimming with a group in the ocean, and practising individual mindfulness in nature. These experiential therapies continue to help many people with various mental health conditions and challenges with emotional regulation, anxiety, and self-confidence. Even a small dose of nature daily can impact our mental health by reframing our environment and focusing our thoughts on the natural world. It allows us to be present, untethered and not distracted by the requirements and requests of the digital world.
What is your favourite natural scent, and why?
Nightblooming honeysuckles. These fragrant nocturnal flowers are known for their sweet smell, especially at night. But the blooms are also open during the day. There are lots around Sydney, it reminds me of home.
Is there a sound in nature that you believe everyone should hear at least once in their lifetime?
Cicadas in the summer. Their vibrant hum can wake you up or ease you into sleep. It becomes the backdrop to long, hot summer days (and nights). I often find visitors to Sydney really hear them. By January, I’ve got so used to their song as they communicate, find a mate, and synchronise their call to establish territory. Their chorus can be as loud as a lawnmower – the natural world is incredible.
