GeekWire Interview: Nature and Health studies link between environment and well-being
Josh Lawler, director of UW’s Nature and Health initiative which studies the connections between the environment and human health and wellbeing, recently connected with GeekWire for an interview. Two projects by Nature and Health researchers, Pooja Tandon and Spencer Wood are highlighted.
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BMC Public Health: Wildfire and Mental Health in Rural Communities
Anna Humphreys, Elizabeth G. Walker, Gregory N. Bratman & Nicole A. Errett published an article in BMC Public Health about wildfire and mental health in rural communities. Among proposed solutions, stress reduction, physical protection, and community cohesion have the opportunity to promote resilience.
Read the article in BMC Public Health
Seattle Times: REI Advocacy Director on Covid-19, Equity, and Mental Health
REI Co-op’s advocacy director, Marc Berejka shares the pandemic-time opportunities we have to work on accessibility in nature and spend time outside. UW’s Nature and Health initiative and our recent conference are highlighted as contributing to this national and global movement.
Read the interviewNature and Health researchers publish new paper on the beneficial impacts of nature exposure for Amazon employees; results suggest stress reduction benefits
In these winter times when staying indoors feels especially magnetic, it’s important to reflect on the myriad of benefits that nature exposure can provide for our physical, mental, and emotional well-being — especially as employees throughout the US and across industries continue to report elevated levels of work stress.
Learn more about the study’s findings here
2021 Nature and Health Conference Reaches a Global Audience
This past fall, over 300 attendees and speakers convened virtually for Nature & Health’s first ever three-day conference. Designed to span a variety of topics and times from October 12-14, UW’s Nature & Health team welcomed transdisciplinary experts from across the globe to share their findings on the importance of nature in human health and well-being.
Stayed connected
Nature and Health Researcher Kathleen Wolf featured in recent White House fact sheet
As the climate continues to change, so too must our response in how we address it. Cities in the Pacific Northwest and all across the United States experienced high heat events in summer 2021.
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When war leads to trauma, trails may lead the way out
Up until recently, there have been very few studies on how being outside and hiking might positively improve the functioning and quality of life for those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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What researchers are discovering about how and why being outside is so good for us.
Nature & Health director Josh Lawler shared this important takeaway in a recent feature article from @washingtontrails magazine. This quick read shares what researchers are discovering about how being outside is so good for us, examples of how this information can guide future public policy, and the ways that the pandemic has reshaped our relationship with the outdoors.
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Registration open
Registration is now open for our upcoming Nature & Health Virtual Conference! Over the course of three days, we will convene over 150 speakers who are engaged in nature and health across multiple communities and disciplines.
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UW Tri-campus Forest Bathing Map
The tri-campus Forest Bathing map represents the collective action of the UW Sustainability Action Plan Engagement Committee (Lauren Updyke, Lauren Brohawn, Toren Elste, Ellen Moore, Cheryl Wheeler, and Daimon Eklund). Daimon created the forest bathing map using Arc GIS StoryMap with site recommendations and photos provided by Alexa (UW Bothell), Cheryl (UW Seattle), and Ellen Moore (UW Tacoma).
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