Idina Menzel Goes Into the Trees with “Redwood”

Ever Meister · REI · March 3, 2025

At REI Co-op, we know that time spent outside is more than just recreation: It’s pivotal for our well-being. To better study the correlation between nature and health, the REI Cooperative Action Fund has partnered with research and academic institutions exploring how and why and time outdoors can benefit us all. Since 2018, REI has partnered with the University of Washington’s Center for Nature and Health, providing grants to fund research like a 2024 study about the outdoors’ ability to improve a person’s emotional regulation and overall well-being. Similar work by another REI Cooperative Action Fund grant partner, the University of California’s Center for Nature and Health, has shown that nature can be an effective community health tool, with study participants displaying lower blood pressure and decreased rumination after spending an additional hour a week outside.