Past Program
Virtual Learning Adventure – Nature Health Benefits LIVE
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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
Webcasts
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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)
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... -
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)
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... -
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)
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... -
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)
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...
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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
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... -
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
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... -
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
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... -
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
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...
Glossary
View All Glossary-
Michelle Kondo
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
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
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
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
Related Resources from the Natural Inquirer
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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
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... -
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
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... -
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
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... -
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
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.... -
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
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....
USDA Forest Service
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Urban Nature for Human Health and Well-Being
Download PDF
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"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
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"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
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"The wellness benefits of the great outdoors"
Read Article
National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF)
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The Mental Health Benefits of Spending Time in Nature
Read more about the research on the relationship between nature and mental health.
Visit Website
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Health Benefits of Parks
Visit Website
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Health & Environment
Visit Website
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Children's Health and Nature Fact Sheet
Visit Website
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Environmental Education Activities to Keep Your Students Engaged This Winter
Visit Website
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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Nature’s Benefits: The Card Game
Visit Website
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EnviroAtlas Educational Materials
Visit Website
Additional Resources
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Philadelphia Horticultural Society: LandCare Program
Visit Website
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Human Health Vibrant Cities Lab: Resources for Urban Forestry, Trees, and Green Infrastructure
Visit Website
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Healthy Trees, Healthy Lives
Visit Website
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The Nature of Cities- Reverberations Project
Visit Website
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3 Ways Getting Outside into Nature Helps Improve Your Health
From UC Davis
Visit Website
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Nurtured by Nature
From American Psychological Association
Visit Website
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Immerse Yourself in a Forest for Better Health
From New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Visit Website
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Nature in the Classroom
Visit Website
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.
"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.
"The wellness benefits of the great outdoors"
Read Article-
The Mental Health Benefits of Spending Time in Nature
Visit WebsiteRead more about the research on the relationship between nature and mental health.
-
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
Nature’s Benefits: The Card Game
Visit WebsiteEnviroAtlas Educational Materials
Visit Website-
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
Visit WebsiteFrom UC Davis
-
Nurtured by Nature
Visit WebsiteFrom American Psychological Association
-
Immerse Yourself in a Forest for Better Health
Visit WebsiteFrom New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
-
Nature in the Classroom
Visit Website