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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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Why Doctors Are Prescribing Nature Walks

Jillian Mock · TIME · APRIL 27, 2022
Featuring Gregory Bratman, Center co-director and researcher

When it comes to how nature exposure helps our stressed-out brains, researchers have two main theories, says Gregory Bratman, director of the environment and well-being lab at the University of Washington. 

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‘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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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

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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