As Outdoor Preschools Gain Traction After COVID-19 Pandemic, States Work to Unlock Funding
Leigh Giangreco · USA Today · January 3, 2023
Featuring Dr. Amber Fyfe-Johnson, Nature and Health researcher
At least one researcher is probing whether being outdoors helps children or whether those participating in outdoor preschool benefit from other types of privilege.
New York Times: Holidays. What to do When Stressed? Nature.
The New York Times offers healthy tips to ease stress during the holidays. Gregory N. Bratman, Nature and Health researcher and Steering Committee member, reminds us of the many benefits that nature has on our health and well-being:
“Benefits can range from increased feelings of happiness and emotional well-being to positive social interaction to decreased stress and anxiety.”
– Gregory N.
REI Cooperative Action Fund Celebrates First Year with Nearly $2 Million in new Investments in Nonprofits
REI Co-op · PR Newswire · November 28, 2022
The REI Cooperative Action Fund is announcing a new $1.98 million investment in 34 nonprofit organizations promoting justice, equity and belonging in the outdoors—including Nature and Health.
Can Hiking Help Heal Veterans with PTSD? Researchers Seek to Find Out
Suzanne O’Brien · REI · October 25, 2022
Featuring Gregory Bratman, member of the Center’s Research Collaborative and Steering Committee
One fall day on Washington’s Mount Rainier, Josh Brandon and a group of fellow active duty platoon leaders discovered something about the outdoors that could improve the lives of veterans.
UW Magazine: Why we walk
We were bipedal before we were human. But science still has much to explore about how we evolved—body and brain—to be walkers.
The benefits of walking include healthy aging and extend beyond the body to the brain—playing a role in staving off cognitive decline.
It’s ‘Kids to Parks Day’: Get Out, Get Active
Robert Preidt · HealthDay · May 21, 2022
Featuring Dr. Pooja S. Tandon, Nature and Health researcher
It’s a good idea to get children outside every day, but especially on Kids to Parks Day, a national day of outdoor play on May 21.
‘Yes, Black People Do Hike’: Overcoming the Diversity Gap in Outdoor Recreation
Deedee Sun · KIRO 7 News · January 21, 2022
Featuring Kathleen Wolf, Nature and Health researcher
A big draw of the Pacific Northwest for many is the unparalleled natural beauty available here.
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 interview
Nature and Health Studies Link Between Environment and Well-Being
Henry Wilhelm · GeekWire · December 30, 2021
Featuring Josh Lawler, director of Nature and Health and
Dr. Pooja Tandon and Spencer Wood, Nature and Health researchers
It started as an idea between friends over beers.