WA Scientists Plan to Publish Report on Nature That Trump Canceled

Written by

Lynda V. Mapes · Seattle Times · February 17, 2025

Featuring multiple members of the Nature and Health Steering Committee and Research Collaborative

From left, Tessa Francis, Howard Frumkin, Josh Lawler, Anne Guerry, and Phil Levin, part of a group of scientists that worked on the country’s first National Nature Assessment, pose together for a portrait in Seattle on Friday. Scientists across the country are going forward with the publication after it was cancelled by the Trump administration. (Ivy Ceballo / The Seattle Times)

After President Donald Trump canceled a report on the state of nature in the United States, the scientists working on it — many from the Seattle area — say they’ll continue their work and build on it.

The report, announced by President Joe Biden during a visit to Seattle’s Seward Park on Earth Day in 2022, was intended to be the country’s first nationwide assessment of the state of nature.

In all, more than 150 scientists were at work on the assessment across the country — and they had nearly completed the first draft of their work. Then Phil Levin, professor of practice in the University of Washington College of the Environment, and the national director for the report, was informed shortly after Trump took office that the assessment was being terminated.

Nature and Health Studies Link Between Environment and Well-Being

Written by

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

The Sol Duc Falls at Olympic National Park in Washington state. (Kevin Lisota Photo)
Kevin Lisota Photo
The Sol Duc Falls at Olympic National Park in Washington state. Credit: Kevin Lisota

It started as an idea between friends over beers. Now, the University of Washington’s Nature and Health initiative is helping government organizations land funding for multi-million dollar projects.

Take the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, or Snohomish County, for example. The two recently secured $18 million and $22 million in funding and grants, respectively, due in large part to data collected by Nature and Health researchers.

Nature and Health studies the link between the environment and human well-being. It has projects and studies in a myriad of fields as it aims to be a driver of environmental health and technology innovation for years to come.

Washington Trails: What Researchers are Discovering About how and why Being Outside is so Good for us.

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Words in white: Science, Nature & Health against an image of a hiker in a rainforestTime spent in nature is good for you. Whether you’ve known that consciously or not, it’s likely that the physical and mental benefits have played a role in why you get outside and hike. But there are plenty of questions about how much time or what type of nature gives people the greatest benefits. Thankfully, there is Nature and Health, an entire group of professors and students at the University of Washington dedicated to exploring these connections. Washington Trails Association (WTA) has been attending events and meetings with Nature and Health for several years, even presenting with GirlTrek and the U.S. Forest Service to other member organizations about our joint research. WTA talked with Josh Lawler, Nature and Health director and Denman Professor of Sustainable Resource Sciences, one of the group’s key organizers, to find out more about the group’s work and findings.

UW’s Nature and Health Group Talks Time Outside

Written by

Allie Tripp · Washington Trails Association · March 22, 2021

Featuring Josh Lawler, Nature and Health director and Spencer Wood, Nature and Health researcher

A person hiking on a grassy hillTime spent in nature is good for you. Whether you’ve known that consciously or not, it’s likely that the physical and mental benefits have played a role in why you get outside and hike. But there are plenty of questions about how much time or what type of nature gives people the greatest benefits. Thankfully, there is Nature and Health, an entire group of professors and students at the University of Washington dedicated to exploring these connections. WTA has been attending events and meetings with Nature and Health for several years, even presenting with GirlTrek and the U.S. Forest Service to other member organizations about our joint research. We talked with Josh Lawler, Nature and Health director and Denman Professor of Sustainable Resource Sciences, one of the group’s key organizers, to find out more about the group’s work and findings.

How Going Outside Can Benefit Your Health

Written by

Julian Smith · Right as Rain · July 18, 2019

Featuring Josh Lawler, director of Nature and Health, and Dr. Pooja Tandon, Nature and Health researcher

Two people kayaking on Lake Washington with Mount Rainier/Mount Tahoma in the backgroundResearch shows we’re spending more and more time cooped up indoors. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans spend an average of 87% of their time inside buildings.

The risks aren’t limited to the effects of a sedentary lifestyle: People indoors are exposed to levels of pollutants, like cleaning products and paint, that are 2 to 5 times higher than outdoors.

Time spent in nature, on the other hand, offers a long catalog of positive effects that can be surprising. According to one study, outdoor time can reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and preterm birth.

“We suspect that one of the routes for the physical benefits is through decreased stress and anxiety,” Lawler says.

Spend Time Outdoors This Summer to Reap Health Benefits

Written by

University of Washington · Seattle Times · June 27, 2019

Featuring Josh Lawler, director of Nature and Health, and Dr. Pooja S. Tandon, Nature and Health researcher

A sunny day with people walking and biking under the shade of trees Fresh air, lush foliage, open space, and sunshine. Time spent outdoors isn’t just good for the soul — research at UW EarthLab is showing it’s also good for the mind and body.

Even in the Pacific Northwest, where the weather is often, let’s say, less than optimal, getting out into nature brings with it a host of health benefits.

And there are plenty of options in the Seattle area, even in the heart of the city.

“There’s good evidence that spending time outside can reduce stress, depression levels, and anxiety,” says Josh Lawler, a UW environmental & forest sciences professor. Lawler is the director of the Nature and Health Initiative, a multidisciplinary research program launched last fall with funding from REI.