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Time In Nature And Its Bene!ts By #22406 Mollie Farnham-Stratton

Camp is in many ways synonymous with the land it inhabits. It seems impossible to imagine what Camp would be like without the shorelines, trees, ¿HOGVDQGKLGGHQJHPVRISHDFHDWERWK.LQL\DDQG'XGOH\

Whether or not you have spent time recently by Lake Champlain, taking in views RIWKH*UHHQDQG$GLURQGDFNPRXQWDLQVDW$OEDQ\,VODQG6WDF\%URRNRUWKH 0RVFRZ3URSHUW\RURQWKHXSSHU¿HOGV1RUWK3RLQWRU-XQLRU%HDFKPD\EHMXVW KHDULQJWKHVHQDWXUDOVSDFHV¶QDPHVEULQJVDSOHDVDQWH[SHULHQFHWRPLQG3HUKDSV \RXFDQLPDJLQHWKHZDUPVXQ¿OWHULQJWKURXJKWKHOHDYHVRUWKHJHQWOHODSSLQJRI water on a calm day.

If you notice a sense of decreased tension in your body, improved mood, or increased physical activity when spending time in nature, you are not alone. Indeed, the value of time immersed in natural environments has caught the attention of psychologists and medical professionals. A growing body of research SRLQWVWRVWURQJFRQQHFWLRQVWRPHQWDOHPRWLRQDODQGSK\VLFDOEHQH¿WV

Books like Last Child in The Woods by journalist Richard Louv detail the GH¿FLHQF\FKLOGUHQQRZH[SHULHQFHLQWKHLUFRQQHFWLRQVZLWKQDWXUHUHSODFHG largely with screen time). Nature RX: Improve College Student Mental Health by 'RQDOG5DNRZ *UHJRU\(OOVGLVFXVVHVKRZWLPHLQQDWXUDOVSDFHLVEHJLQQLQJ to be prescribed to battle mental health issues on college campuses. These and PDQ\RWKHUFURVVFXOWXUDOVWXGLHVVWDWHZKDWZHPLJKWDOOVXVSHFWKXPDQVEHQH¿W from time in open air and natural landscapes. From boosting networks of attention, WRLPSURYLQJPRRGSK\VLFDO¿WQHVVDQGFRQFHQWUDWLRQWLPHLQQDWXUHLVDZD\WR enhance overall health and mental wellbeing.

This is not lost on those of us who are lucky enough to spend time at Camp! A conservative estimate would place campers outside an average of ten hours a day, adding up to around 260 hours each summer session. According to the New York TimesDUWLFOH³+RZ0XFK7LPHLQ1DWXUHLV(QRXJK"0LQXWHV D:HHN'RFWRUV6D\´LQGLFDWHVWKDWWZRRUPRUHKRXUVDZHHNVSHQWRXWVLGH SURYLGHVQRWDEOHKHDOWKDQGZHOOQHVVEHQH¿WVIRUERWKFKLOGUHQDQGDGXOWVDFURVV DOOGHPRJUDSKLFVHFWRUV6RWDNHWKDWH[WUDVWUROORQGURSRIIGD\EUHDWKHGHHSO\ OLQJHUDWWKHZDWHU¶VHGJHDQGZKHQ\RXUHWXUQKRPH¿QG\RXUORFDOSDUNRUJUHHQ VSDFHDQGJHWWRNQRZLW<RXUKHDUWDQGPLQGZLOOWKDQN\RX