Updated Mission and Vision
In 2014, Nature and Health began as a collaboration of researchers, healthcare providers, community organizations, outdoor schools, the outdoor gear industry, and local, state, and federal agencies who wanted to understand how time in nature affected human well-being.
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Nature and Health Director and Researchers Featured on Highly Cited Researchers 2023 list
Gregory Bratman, Nature and Health co-director, and Spencer Wood, a Nature and Health researcher and Steering Committee member, are recognized in the annual Highly Cited Researchers 2023 list from Clarivate. They join more than 40 UW researchers who received the honor this year.
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Nature May Be Key to Strengthening Our Attention
Gregory Bratman, co-director of Nature and Health is featured in this three-part series from Psychiatric News.
Nature May Be Key to Strengthening Our Attention
Katie O’Connor · Psychiatric News · Volume 58, Number 12
There are various theories on why nature exposure improves cognitive function.
Making Green Space Available to All
Trust for Public Land · Seattle Times · October 18, 2023
Featuring Howard Frumkin, Nature and Health researcher and Steering Committee member
Nature invites you to discover the many benefits it offers.
Expanding Access and Welcoming Spaces in the Natural World for Underrepresented Communities
During our October 2023 dinner, Carter A. McBride, MBA, PDC shared his wisdom on expanding access and welcoming spaces in the natural world for underrepresented communities. Carter is an avid outdoors person and has been so fortunate to have had an opportunity to reconnect with his soul in natural spaces and places at the wonderful age of 66 years.
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Welcoming our new Director, Gregory Bratman, PhD
Gregory Bratman has stepped up to become our new director. He is also the director of the Environment and Well-Being Lab, a Senior JPB Harvard Environmental Health Fellow, and the Doug Walker Endowed Professor.
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Interlinkages Between Mental health, Nature and Our Changing Climate
This panel session described the ways in which mental health and the natural world are related. It began with brief framing remarks from the moderator, noting how time spent in nature is a protective factor for mental health, before segueing into two sets of panel discussions that touch on how climate change is affecting our mental health.
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Connect to Nature at UW
This page providing resources for connecting with nature around the UW was created as a collaboration with UW Sustainability, UW Nature & Health, and the UW Sustainability Action Plan’s Engagement working group.
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How Environmental Generational Amnesia Affects Our Mental Health
Robin Tricoles · BrainFacts · July 24, 2023
Interview with Peter Kahn, Nature and Health researcher and Steering Committee member
Most people are familiar with amnesia, the inability to recall events that happen before or after a significant incident, such as a head injury.
Can Virtual Reality Mimic Nature’s Power to Make Us Healthier?
Meghan Bartels · Scientific American · July 14, 2023
Featuring Gregory Bratman, Nature and Health researcher and Steering Committee member
For decades, scientists have been exploring how exposing humans to nature—by planting trees along urban streets, visiting forests or even just growing houseplants—may improve physical and psychological health.