Nature and Health Equity and Racial Justice Task Force

Naheed Gina Aaftaab, Sara Breslow, Sean M. Watts, and Isabel Carrera Zamanillo join the Nature and Health Equity and Racial Justice Task Force to build and strengthen our scholarly transdisciplinary relationships. 

Public Lands in Public Hands: Innovations in Outdoor Recreation Science and Stewardship

On December 2, 2020, four regional experts shared their wisdom with the Nature and Health community. This session explored innovative research and stewardship aimed at creating sustainable, welcoming, and well-maintained recreation opportunities for everyone to enjoy public lands. 

We Need a National Institute of Climate Change and Health

Howard Frumkin and Richard J. Jackson · Scientific American · November 22, 2020
Howard is a Nature and Health researcher and Steering Committee member
The climate catastrophes of 2020—wildfires, hurricanes, oppressive heat—left no doubt that climate change threatens health. 

A New Bill Could Provide Better Outdoor Recreation Programs for Veterans

Jenni Gritters · REI · November 10, 2020
Featuring Gregory Bratman, member of the Center’s Research Collaborative

Time in nature has been shown to help people of varying backgrounds with mental health issues by reducing depression and anxiety and increasing overall happiness. 

Our Evergreen Surrounds Can Help Us Weather Our Pandemic Blues

Christy Carley · Seattle Met · November 6, 2020
Featuring Kathleen Wolf, Nature and Health researcher
On the whole, Washingtonians are pretty good at spending time outdoors. But after months of attending Zoom meetings in pajamas (camera off), the temptation to stay hunkered down throughout the colder months might be hard to overcome. 

We’re so Nature-Deprived That Even Footage of Wilderness Lifts our Spirits

Adrienne Matei · The Guardian · October 26, 2020
Featuring Peter Kahn, Nature and Health researcher and Steering Committee member
In 2017, I spoke to Dr Peter Kahn, a psychology professor and director of the Human Interaction With Nature and Technological Systems Lab at the University of Washington, for the publication Quartz. 

As we heal ourselves, we heal the world. And vice versa.

Reciprocal Healing Roundtable
When: Oct 1, 2020 05:00 PM (Arizona)
This distinguished panel will explore how nature heals, and how we can participate in helping heal the world.
Panel members include Peter Kahn, Jr., Anna O’Malley, Laura Sewall, and Tom Fleischner.  

Getting Children & Teens Outside While Physical Distancing for COVID-19

Danette Glassy and Pooja Tandon · HealthyChildren · September, 17 2020
Co-authored by Dr. Pooja S. Tandon, Nature and Health researcher
Getting outside as a family is a great way to spend time together. 

Special Issue of Ecopsychology

Nature and Health’s Steering Committee Members Peter Kahn and Usha Varanasi recently contributed to the new issue of Ecopsychology! Peter Kahn was Editor-in-Chief for the special issue Reciprocal Healing: Nature, Health, and Wild Vitality and Usha Varanasi was published in Focusing Attention on Reciprocity Between Nature and Humans Can Be the Key to Reinvigorating Planetary Health. 

What Social Media Can Teach Us About Human-Environment Relationships

Aastha Uprety · State of the Planet · August 25, 2020
Featuring Spencer Wood, Nature and Health researcher
Recent ecological research used Instagram posts to analyze the preferences of visitors to natural areas around the world.