People in Israel are hugging trees to beat COVID-19 lockdown blues

“In this unpleasant corona period we recommend to people around the world to go out to nature, take a deep breath, hug a tree, express your love and get love,” Orit Steinfeld, the authority’s marketing director, said in Apollonia National Park.

A woman takes part in a campaign by Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority calling on people to join sightseeing tours and find comfort in tree-hugging. (Picture credit: Reuters)

At the park, about 15 km (nine miles) north of Tel Aviv, tree-huggers such as Barbara Grant heeded the advice during a tour arranged by the Authority.

At a time when people are practicing social distancing and cannot get too close to family and friends, Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority is encouraging them to hug trees to overcome the sense of detachment https://t.co/noALlWwJaB pic.twitter.com/AtSXehA7ab

— Reuters (@Reuters) July 14, 2020

“The most basic human need is for connection, for touching, for hugging,” she said, lamenting that, as a health precaution, she can’t hug her grandchildren.

Also out in the park, Moshe Hazan said he wanted to widen his embrace beyond his partner, Pat Arthur, who accompanied him to the forest.

A couple takes part in a campaign by Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority calling on Israelis to join sightseeing tours and find comfort in tree-hugging amid a spike in the coronavirus disease. (Picture credit: Reuters)

“We are not hugging too many people these days – not our children, not our grandchildren – and hugging a tree is quite a nice thing to do,” Hazan said.

After flattening a coronavirus infection curve in May, Israel has experienced a spike in new cases over the past several weeks.

A couple poses for the camera as they take part in a campaign by Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority calling on Israelis to join sightseeing tours and find comfort in tree-hugging. (Picture credit: Reuters)

Protective masks are mandatory outdoors and Israelis are advised to avoid close physical contact with elderly relatives, with visits at nursing homes held only in the open air.

Israel’s tree-hugging campaign follows a similar endeavour launched in April by Iceland’s forestry service.