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.

Yet it’s vital to resist the lure of a total living room retreat, according to University of Washington social scientist Kathleen Wolf. Even a small dose of nature can have a lasting positive effect on one’s mental state, says Wolf, whose research in the School of Environmental and Forest Services focuses on the connection between the natural environment and mental health.

Scientists have long known of a correlation between exposure to nature and reductions in stress, anxiety, and depression. Recently, though, researchers have examined this connection more closely, conducting experimental studies that Wolf likens to vaccine or pharmaceutical trials. Volunteers are recruited, asked to adopt certain behaviors, and then evaluated at the end. Some primary care doctors in the U.S. have even begun handing out nature prescriptions to their patients, explaining the benefits of getting outside and sharing information about nearby parks.