The UW Medicinal Herb Garden: More Than Just a Pretty Space

Cassi Flint · The Daily · Oct 21, 2015

Featuring Kathleen Wolf, Nature and Health researcher

The garden, just a few minutes’ walk south of Drumheller Fountain, offers a welcome break for people who spend their days in cubicles or windowless offices, said Keith Possee, the gardener single-handedly responsible for the beautification and upkeep of the garden.

People have talked about the relaxation value of gardens for centuries, according to Kathleen Wolf, a researcher in the social sciences at UW’s School of Environmental and Forest Sciences. But now there is scientific evidence that confirms the importance of parks and gardens to urban spaces.

As director of the Green Cities: Good Health project at the UW, Wolf is responsible for curating this evidence from research institutes around the globe and publishing it online for the public to access.

“Parks and gardens aren’t just pretty,” she said. “They’re essential.”