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Virtual Learning Adventure – Nature Health Benefits LIVE

  • Virtual Learning Adventure
  • High School
  • Middle School
  • Upper Elementary
  • 2-3 Classroom Periods
  • 5 Classroom Periods
  • Recreation
  • Social Science
  • Community Involvement
  • Emotional Health
  • Mental health
  • Nature health benefits
  • Physical Health
  • Social Connection
  • Urban Communities
February 2, 2024 - February 23, 2024
Nature Health Benefits
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Hoping to learn more about the health benefits of nature? The Forest Service and Natural Inquirer have partnered to bring you Nature Health Benefits LIVE! Learn about a research study on greening vacant lots, the physical health benefits of being in nature, the mental health benefits of being in nature, and SO much more! Also watch a live Q&A with experts who answered all our viewer-submitted questions.

Our Schedule

  • Episode 1 explored how nature can improve our physical health — 2/2/2024
  • Episode 2 explored how nature can improve our mental/emotional health — 2/9/2024
  • Episode 3 presented a study that investigated the effects of greening vacant lots on residents' mental health — 2/16/2024
  • Episode 4 is a Q&A where our expert panel answered viewer questions live — 2/23/2024

Virtual Learning Adventure – Nature Health Benefits LIVE

Watch our Official Trailer

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Webcasts

  • Welcome to Nature Health Benefits LIVE, a virtual learning adventure brought to you by the USDA Forest Service and the Natural Inquirer! In this video of episode 1 of Nature...

    Video – Nature and Your Physical Health (Episode 1)

    • Video
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Upper Elementary
    • Less than 30 minutes
    • Recreation
    • Social Science
    • Nature health benefits
    • Physical Health
    Welcome to Nature Health Benefits LIVE, a virtual learning adventure brought to you by the USDA Forest Service and the Natural Inquirer! In this video of episode 1 of Nature...
    • Explore Video
    • Explore Video

    Part Of

    Virtual Learning Adventure - Nature Health Benefits LIVE

  • Welcome to Nature Health Benefits LIVE, an virtual learning adventure brought to you by the USDA Forest Service and the Natural Inquirer! In the second episode of the Nature Health...

    Video – Nature and Your Mental Health (Episode 2)

    • Video
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Upper Elementary
    • Less than 30 minutes
    • Recreation
    • Social Science
    • Mental health
    • Nature health benefits
    Welcome to Nature Health Benefits LIVE, an virtual learning adventure brought to you by the USDA Forest Service and the Natural Inquirer! In the second episode of the Nature Health...
    • Explore Video
    • Explore Video

    Part Of

    Virtual Learning Adventure - Nature Health Benefits LIVE

  • Welcome to Nature Health Benefits LIVE, a virtual learning adventure brought to you by the USDA Forest Service and the Natural Inquirer! In this 3rd episode of Nature Health Benefits...

    Video – Can Greening Vacant Lots Affect Mental Health? (Episode 3)

    • Video
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Upper Elementary
    • Less than 30 minutes
    • Recreation
    • Social Science
    • Community Involvement
    • Mental health
    • Nature health benefits
    • Vacant Lots
    Welcome to Nature Health Benefits LIVE, a virtual learning adventure brought to you by the USDA Forest Service and the Natural Inquirer! In this 3rd episode of Nature Health Benefits...
    • Explore Video
    • Explore Video

    Part Of

    Virtual Learning Adventure - Nature Health Benefits LIVE

  • Welcome to Nature Health Benefits LIVE, a virtual learning adventure brought to you by the USDA Forest Service and the Natural Inquirer! Episode 4 is all about YOU! Viewers sent...

    Video – Nature Health Benefits LIVE Q&A (Episode 4)

    • Video
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Upper Elementary
    • Less than 30 minutes
    • Recreation
    • Social Science
    • Careers
    • Emotional Health
    • Mental health
    • Nature health benefits
    • Physical Health
    • Scientists
    Welcome to Nature Health Benefits LIVE, a virtual learning adventure brought to you by the USDA Forest Service and the Natural Inquirer! Episode 4 is all about YOU! Viewers sent...
    • Explore Video
    • Explore Video

    Part Of

    Virtual Learning Adventure - Nature Health Benefits LIVE

  • Find 15 minutes this week to go outside and be active. For example, take a bike ride, throw a frisbee, or walk. If you can’t get outside this week, find...

    Activity – Outdoor Challenge 1

    • Activity
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • PreK - 2nd
    • Upper Elementary
    • Less than 30 minutes
    • Recreation
    • Social Science
    • Mental health
    • Nature health benefits
    • Outdoor Activity
    • Physical Health
    Find 15 minutes this week to go outside and be active. For example, take a bike ride, throw a frisbee, or walk. If you can’t get outside this week, find...
    • Explore Activity
    • Download Graphic Organizer
    • Explore Activity
    • Download Graphic Organizer

    Part Of

    Video - Nature and Your Physical Health (Episode 1)

  • Find 15 minutes at least twice a week to go outside. What do you hear, smell, and see? How do you feel after your observation time outside? If you can’t...

    Activity – Outdoor Challenge 2

    • Activity
    • All Grade Levels
    • Less than 30 minutes
    • Recreation
    • Social Science
    • Emotional Health
    • Mental health
    • Nature health benefits
    • Outdoor Activity
    Find 15 minutes at least twice a week to go outside. What do you hear, smell, and see? How do you feel after your observation time outside? If you can’t...
    • Explore Activity
    • Download Graphic Organizer
    • Explore Activity
    • Download Graphic Organizer

    Part Of

    Video - Nature and Your Mental Health (Episode 2)

  • Make a list of types of things you currently do when you are outdoors. What types of activities would you like to add to the list? Make a plan to...

    Activity – Outdoor Challenge 3

    • Activity
    • All Grade Levels
    • Less than 30 minutes
    • Recreation
    • Social Science
    • Mental health
    • Nature health benefits
    • Outdoor Activity
    • Physical Health
    Make a list of types of things you currently do when you are outdoors. What types of activities would you like to add to the list? Make a plan to...
    • Explore Activity
    • Download Graphic Organizer
    • Explore Activity
    • Download Graphic Organizer

    Part Of

    Video - Can Greening Vacant Lots Affect Mental Health? (Episode 3)

  • In this challenge, we want you to think more about how much time you spend outdoors. As a class/group/family, you will track how much time you spend outdoors each day...

    Activity – Outdoor Group Challenge

    • Activity
    • All Grade Levels
    • 3-4 Weeks
    • Recreation
    • Social Science
    • Emotional Health
    • Group Activity
    • Mental health
    • Nature health benefits
    • Outdoor Activity
    • Physical Health
    In this challenge, we want you to think more about how much time you spend outdoors. As a class/group/family, you will track how much time you spend outdoors each day...
    • Explore Activity
    • Download Activity (PDF)
    • Explore Activity
    • Download Activity (PDF)

    Part Of

    Virtual Learning Adventure - Nature Health Benefits LIVE

Glossary

View All Glossary
  • Michelle Kondo

    Social Scientist

    My favorite science experiences have involved observing the positive things that can come from neighborhood greening. Greening can bring jobs to a community. In addition, learning about trees, participating in...
    View Profile
  • Christy Haas-Howard

    Program Director | Registered Nurse

    Christy Haas-Howard oversees the development, execution, and evaluation of health initiatives related to the environment. She collaborates with the conservation and K-12 education teams to identify priority areas of common...
    View Profile
  • Barbara Rolnick

    Barbara Rolnick is a pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and specializes in newborn, infant, and adolescent care. She is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine,...
    View Profile
  • Cassandra Johnson Gaither

    Sociologist

    My most memorable research experience was conducting interviews with rural residents living near the Francis Marion National Forest in South Carolina and asking them about how urban development might change...
    View Profile
  • Monika Derrien

    Social Scientist

    My favorite science experience is figuring out creative ways of collecting data that can help us understand interactions between people and nature. I enjoy working with people who have different...
    View Profile

Standards addressed in this Virtual Learning Adventure:

Social Studies Standards

Social Studies Standards are educational guidelines outlining the essential knowledge, skills, and concepts students should learn in subjects such as history, geography, civics, and economics, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of societal structures, historical events, and global perspectives.
  • Civic Ideals and Practices
  • Culture
  • Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
  • People, Places, and Environments
  • Science, Technology, and Society
  • Time, Continuity, and Change

Jump To

  • Related from Natural Inquirer
  • Additional Resources
  • USDA Forest Service
  • National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF)
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • Additional Resources

Related Resources from the Natural Inquirer

  • This is the first monograph in Natural Inquirer‘s Nature Health Benefits series. In “A Green Bill of Health,” students will learn about how different vacant lot treatments in Philadelphia impacted...

    A Green Bill of Health – Vol. 1 No. 26

    • Monograph
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Social Science
    • Green space
    • Mental health
    • Nature health benefits
    • Urban Communities
    • Urban Forests
    This is the first monograph in Natural Inquirer‘s Nature Health Benefits series. In “A Green Bill of Health,” students will learn about how different vacant lot treatments in Philadelphia impacted...
    • Explore Monograph
    • Download Monograph (PDF)
    • Explore Monograph
    • Download Monograph (PDF)
  • What are urban forests? Urban forests are the trees and other plants that grow where people live, go to school, work, and play. Even if you live in a rural...

    Urban Forest – Vol. 6 No. 1

    • Journal
    • Middle School
    • Climate
    • Pollution
    • Recreation
    • Social Science
    • Carbon Cycle
    • Economics
    • Fossil Fuels
    • Freshwater
    • Photosynthesis
    • Recreation
    • Urban parks
    • Urban trees
    What are urban forests? Urban forests are the trees and other plants that grow where people live, go to school, work, and play. Even if you live in a rural...
    • Explore Journal
    • Download Journal (PDF)
    • Explore Journal
    • Download Journal (PDF)
  • The scientists in this study wanted to know three things: (1) Do visitors’ activities and reasons for using urban parks vary between landscaped and natural areas of New York City...

    Where the Sidewalk Ends – Visitor Use of Natural and Landscaped Areas in Urban Parks

    • Article
    • Middle School
    • 1 Classroom Period
    • Recreation
    • Social Science
    • Wilderness
    • Human Uses
    • Inclusion
    • Interview
    • Nature health benefits
    • Random Sample
    • Safety
    • Survey
    • Urban parks
    The scientists in this study wanted to know three things: (1) Do visitors’ activities and reasons for using urban parks vary between landscaped and natural areas of New York City...
    • Explore Article
    • Download Article (PDF)
    • Read Distraction Free
    • Explore Article
    • Download Article (PDF)
    • Read Distraction Free

    Part Of

    The Woodsy Owl Edition - Vol. 1 No. 22

  • This monograph is one of two Wilderness 50 monographs. These two monographs were created to honor the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act of 1964. This act established the U.S....

    Wilderness 2.0 (Wilderness 50 Monograph Series) – Vol. 1 No. 10

    • Monograph
    • Middle School
    • Recreation
    • Wilderness
    • Case Study
    • Ecosystem Services
    • Social Science
    • U.S. National Preservation System
    • Wilderness Act
    • Wilderness Benefits
    • Wilderness Experiences
    This monograph is one of two Wilderness 50 monographs. These two monographs were created to honor the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act of 1964. This act established the U.S....
    • Explore Monograph
    • Download Monograph (PDF)
    • Explore Monograph
    • Download Monograph (PDF)
  • Have you ever been to a memorial garden? Memorial gardens are areas planted for a specific purpose. This monograph explores how memorial gardens help people and communities after a tragedy....

    Flower Power – Vol. 1 No. 7

    • Monograph
    • Middle School
    • Social Science
    • Case Study
    • Community
    • Literature Review
    • Living Memorials Project
    • Memorial Garden
    • Social Science
    Have you ever been to a memorial garden? Memorial gardens are areas planted for a specific purpose. This monograph explores how memorial gardens help people and communities after a tragedy....
    • Explore Monograph
    • Download Monograph (PDF)
    • Explore Monograph
    • Download Monograph (PDF)

USDA Forest Service

  • Urban Nature for Human Health and Well-Being

    Download PDF
  • "Soothing the soul: Forest bathing in the tranquility of nature"

    Last summer, a military veteran seeking solace experienced tranquility in an unexpected way. He visited the Bankhead National Forest in Alabama for a guided tour to experience “forest bathing.”  Joel Cruz, a retired U.S. Marine who served two tours in Iraq, didn’t know what forest bathing was and wondered if he should pack his swim trunks.

    Read Article
  • "The healing power of nature: Facing a wildfire's past"

    Nature can be damaging and cause fear. Natural disasters like wildfires can change landscapes, communities and lives. But nature can also help us heal — instilling a calmness and peace in a sometimes-chaotic world.

    Read Article
  • "The wellness benefits of the great outdoors"

    Read Article

National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF)

  • The Mental Health Benefits of Spending Time in Nature

    Read more about the research on the relationship between nature and mental health.

    Visit Website
  • Health Benefits of Parks

    Visit Website
  • Health & Environment

    Visit Website
  • Children's Health and Nature Fact Sheet

    Visit Website
  • Environmental Education Activities to Keep Your Students Engaged This Winter

    Visit Website

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

  • Nature’s Benefits: The Card Game

    Visit Website
  • EnviroAtlas Educational Materials

    Visit Website

Additional Resources

  • Philadelphia Horticultural Society: LandCare Program

    Visit Website
  • Human Health Vibrant Cities Lab: Resources for Urban Forestry, Trees, and Green Infrastructure

    Visit Website
  • Healthy Trees, Healthy Lives

    Visit Website
  • The Nature of Cities- Reverberations Project

    Visit Website
  • 3 Ways Getting Outside into Nature Helps Improve Your Health

    From UC Davis

    Visit Website
  • Nurtured by Nature

    From American Psychological Association

    Visit Website
  • Immerse Yourself in a Forest for Better Health

    From New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

    Visit Website
  • Nature in the Classroom

    Visit Website
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