55-year-old Michael Smith spotted an injured baby bird lying on the roadside as he cycled home one evening in May. He picked up the tiny bird, now named Patch, and took him home, where he made him a little nest and fed him boiled eggs. Now he has recovered and is about 16 weeks old. Patch has spread his wings but comes back to his rescuer when Michael calls.

Bird and man have such a close relationship that Patch gives his friend little beaky kisses and hitches lifts（搭便车）on his bike rides and walks. Michael loves Patch so much that he even slept in the open air one night when his feathered friend didn't come out of a tree.

Michael, an ex-builder from Malvern in Worcestershire, said,"I love nature and animals, so I couldn't leave him injured in the wild. He's like my best friend now, and I spend as much time with him as possible. He is the talk of the town, and if I am not with him, everyone is asking after him."

Michael thought Patch, who he thinks is a boy, had been attacked by another animal when he found him with a broken wing. After living in an old pigeon box Michael got from a friend, and being fed boiled eggs, bread and milk, Patch took four weeks to recover the use of his wing. Michael still feeds Patch worms, and fruit like cherries and grapes, but the now-recovered bird catches moths for himself.

Patch lives in a nest that Michael built in the garden, but comes in for playmates and occasional sleepovers （在外过夜）in the house Michael shares with his 78-year-old mother Mary.

Michael said,"People call me the bird whisper, or birdman of Malvern. It came quite naturally to me. And I remember all these tales I've heard about people rescuing birds and forming a bond. I was quite well known around here but I am even more so now: it's a lovely thing to be known for it. Having him is such a lovely thing to happen."

At times my mom has been uncomfortable seeing these qualities in me. For example, when I was 12, I went to Puerto Rico all by myself to stay with my grandmother for the summer. My mom was very nervous (紧张的）about it. She kept telling me how things were different in Puerto Rico, to always put on sunglasses, not to walk away from my grandmother, and other warnings. She helped me pack and did not leave the airport until she saw my plane take off.

But despite(尽管)her worries, she let me go on my own. As I moved into my teens, she continued to give me space to grow and learn, even when it might have been difficult for her. When I reached my senior year, I decided to move away for college. Once again I found that I differed from my peers(同伴): While many of them wanted to close to home, I couldn't wait to be out in the world on my own. While my mom may not have been happy at the thought of my going away, she was supportive (支持的) and excited for me.

One big thing I realized during my senior year, as my mom allowed me more freedom, was that she actually believes in me and trusts me. That means a lot. Most of my life, and especially when I was little, the main person I tried to impress in my schoolwork or other things was my mother. I knew she expected nothing but the best from me. Sometimes it was hard to live up to her standards (标准); getting a single B on my report card would make her feel bad because I knew she wanted me to have all A's.

I know that her high standards have helped me stay focused (集中注意力的) on what is important , like education, and made me who I am. I am thankful for her support and involvement (参与) in my life. Most of all I respect her. She is the strongest woman I know and that's why I have turned out so strong and independent.

Many of the psychological benefits of outdoor play are already well established. Our brains evolved in natural landscapes, and our perceptual(感知的)systems are particularly well suited to wild outdoor spaces. 

This means that natural scenes provide the perfect level of stimulation, which is thought to help recharge the brain when it is tired and easily distractible. Supporting this theory, one study found that children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were better able to concentrate following a 20-minute walk in the park, compared to a 20-minute walk on the streets of a well-kept urban area. Being exposed to grass and trees seemed to have had a beneficial effect on their minds. The authors recommended using such "doses(剂量)of nature" as a safe and accessible way of supporting children with ADHD, alongside other tools.

Besides these restorative effects, outdoor play can offer valuable learning experiences. For example, playing with mud or sand can help children develop the way their senses and movement interact, which allows the child to gradually understand his or her body signals. 

Such activities — away from the house or classroom — may also help children to find ways to cope with emotions that maybe hard to explore in other environments. So-called "sand tray therapy", which involves using sand and clay to express one's thoughts and feelings, is an accepted form of counselling for children who are struggling to verbalise their emotional state.

When it comes to the child's physical health, the most obvious advantage of outdoor play maybe the exercise A child may find it easier to buildup strength and endurance in a large open space resulting in a reduced risk of overweight, according to one study led by Elizabeth Gershoff, professor of human development and family sciences at the University of Texas at Austin, US.

The latest findings, however, suggest there could be a host of other advantages to playing in natural environments — and the secret maybe alive in the mud itself.