Science, Nature & Health
What researchers are discovering about how and why being outside is so good for us. By Allie Tripp
28 Washington Trails / Spring 2021 / wta.org
How did this group at the University of Washington come to be? Nature and Health is a group of researchers, practitioners, and policy makers—all interested in the positive health effects of time spent in nature. We work together to build our understanding of the linkages between nature contact and health and use it to develop better programs, policies and practices to improve health and conserve nature for all people. We began when a small group of UW researchers and members of the broader community got together to talk about how time spent in nature could positively affect health and what the implications of those effects are for urban planning, outdoor programs, school design, and myriad other plans, programs, and policies. We continued to meet at a local brew pub, meeting every few months to share research findings, program
Photo by Sepideh Sabet
Time 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.
