I was recently involved in a discussion about big cities and small towns. We didn’t have a lot of disagreement among us, even though some of us live in rural areas, some in small towns like Kingston, and some in the big cities of New York, San Francisco, and Seattle.

Some liked the conveniences and cultural advantages of the city, but everyone preferred the natural spaces and beauty of the small towns and rural life, or even the pockets of nature in the cities.

Then I read an article that showed why we love nature surrounding us. The city hurts your brain. It’s amazing the number of studies that have been done that show the improved cognitive function of humans when they are surrounded by, or even looking at, trees and other natural spaces.

We talk a lot about the importance of the natural environment for our physical health and wellbeing — how the plants clean our air, the soil filters our water, the trees buffer the wind, and the animals keep the whole thing going. But sometimes we forget to acknowledge the importance of our natural environment for our brain function. Our mind needs nature, and every little bit can help.

The reason, some think, why the city’s hustle depletes our mental powers is because there is so much stimulation that has to be processed by our brain. There is the constant need to make small decisions (like stepping out of someone’s way on the sidewalk, or deciding the route to drive or walk to get where you are going) and the constant need to take in information, all of which is distracting. This challenges the weakest part of our brain, which is our mental focus.

When there is constant noise, light and other human activity around us, we have to work very hard to stay focused on any one thing we are thinking about. The brain is like a computer, and the act of paying attention consumes much of its processing power.

Natural environments do not require the same kind of intensity to block out unimportant distractions. There may be a lot going on, like birds singing, trees blowing, or plants blooming. But those distractions do not, in most people, produce a negative or startling mental response. So our brains can relax.

A simple example: I was just outside doing a task with my rabbits and needed to stay focused on them, unless I wanted an escaped bunny to become a coyote’s lunch. When a flock of geese flew overhead, honking in full chorus, I was certainly mentally distracted, but I was smiling broadly and talked to my rabbits about the racket those crazy birds can make. How different that was than hearing a siren from an aid car zooming down Barber Cut Off and automatically wondering who was hurt.

Many studies have shown that children with attention-deficit disorder have fewer negative symptoms and can focus their attention better when in natural settings, surrounded by trees and animals. Even a small bit of nature, like seeing a tree outside the window, can improve the healing time for hospital patients.

Other studies show that people perform better at all sorts of cognitive tasks when in natural settings, or even after viewing pictures of natural settings.

There is a reason for designated parks in cities, but it’s even more important to have trees, plants, birds, and water features in all the various parts of our lives — along the streets and storefronts, outside every school or hospital window, and near every home. For instance, I love the plantings just outside the Kingston Dental windows, which always calm me with flowers, birds, and even an occasional deer.

We all have searched high and low for ways to improve our cognitive performance at times, even doping ourselves with caffeine or energy drinks, or redesigning the layout of our offices. Few of these options are as effective as just taking a walk in a natural space. So protect those natural spaces — we can’t live without them.

— Naomi Maasberg is director of Stillwaters Environmental Learning Center.