There is a growing number of studies that show that spending time in nature can improve your well-being. A new Cal Poly study has shed some light on why being in nature elevates our mood. According to their research, the sounds of nature and birds elevate our mood. To determine this, the researchers played bird songs on speakers along trails, and the hikers who heard the songs reported a greater sense of well-being than hikers who did not hear extra bird songs. But why?