The Great (Neighborhood) Outdoors: staying connected with nature during Coronavirus

Ah, the great outdoors. That intoxicating piney scent of an evergreen forest, the salty seawater glow on your skin after a swim, the parade of puffy clouds marching overhead while stretched out in a flowery meadow—being outside makes us happy and puts us at ease. In fact, an emerging body of research says just that, confirming what many of us already knew in our hearts.

But what if we need a dose of nature’s calming effect and we can’t get to that old-growth forest or Puget Sound shoreline? Amidst the Coronavirus pandemic where all of us are pent-up inside, are there other ways to reap the benefits of Mother Nature’s soothing ways?

IMPORTANT
Bratman and the authors stress that the current circumstances due to Coronavirus demand that we follow social distancing and other critical precautionary instructions from public health officials – including when spending time outdoors.