tag:theconversation.com,2011:/id/topics/outdoors-29547/articlesOutdoors – The Conversation2024-03-12T12:28:48Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2234272024-03-12T12:28:48Z2024-03-12T12:28:48ZNational parks teach students about environmental issues in this course<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580259/original/file-20240306-31-8rw98h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=23%2C7%2C5259%2C2613&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">TK</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/scenes-from-maggie-valley-north-carolina-and-great-royalty-free-image/1346013285?phrase=great+smoky+mountains&adppopup=true">John Hudson Photography via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Text saying: Uncommon Courses, from The Conversation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/uncommon-courses-130908">Uncommon Courses</a> is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching.</em> </p>
<h2>Title of course:</h2>
<p>Environmental Issues in National Parks</p>
<h2>What prompted the idea for the course?</h2>
<p>The University of Tennessee is a natural fit for this course, with the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm">Great Smoky Mountains National Park</a> and all the learning opportunities it offers being only a one-hour drive away. </p>
<p>Although I did not create this course, I jumped at the opportunity to serve as an instructor for it. Growing up as a Boy Scout, and later a merit badge counselor, I found a love for place-based education. I have always valued using the outdoors to teach about the theoretical concepts shared in the classroom.</p>
<h2>What does the course explore?</h2>
<p>Each week of the semester we discuss an ongoing environmental issue and then dive into an applied case study in a different national park. For example, in one week students learn about fire regimes, or patterns of wildfires over time. Then, in the next class, we discuss how the fire regimes in <a href="https://www.nps.gov/seki/index.htm">Sequoia National Park</a> in California naturally <a href="https://www.nps.gov/seki/learn/nature/fire_ecology_research.htm">maintain the ecosystem</a> of the sequoia groves there.</p>
<p>The highlight of the semester is an in-person field trip to Look Rock in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Here, my students and I meet a park ranger who teaches them about how trees sequester carbon from the atmosphere and how to measure it. The group also enjoys a hike to <a href="https://www.pigeonforge.com/great-smoky-mountains-national-park/look-rock/">Look Rock Tower</a> to learn more about the local area and see awesome views all around.</p>
<h2>Why is this course relevant now?</h2>
<p>Visitation numbers at national parks <a href="https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/news/24004.htm">continue to rise each year</a>. Most of my students have been to at least one or two national parks and are exposed to their <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jort.2023.100682">increasing presence on social media</a>.</p>
<p>If this course was just titled Environmental Issues, I do not believe it would have the same kind of draw it has now. Typically, the course fills to capacity early on every semester.</p>
<p>Using the parks as teaching tools not only keeps students engaged and entertained in the class but also gives them real-life lessons about environmental issues. They get front-row seats in learning about how landscapes change and the physical factors that affect them, like climate, topography and vegetation.</p>
<h2>What’s a critical lesson from the course?</h2>
<p>I tell my students up front and repeatedly that the world is not black and white. Environmental issues are complex and difficult to solve. </p>
<p>For example, the bald eagle population in the U.S. fell drastically after World War II, and eventually they were <a href="https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/bald-eagle-fact-sheet.pdf">declared endangered</a>. This was a result of being poisoned by the insecticide DDT. </p>
<p>Upon quick reflection, it seems that <a href="https://www.epa.gov/caddis/case-ddt-revisiting-impairment">banning DDT</a> in the U.S. in 1972 was the obvious solution to save the bald eagle. Since then, there have also been <a href="https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/ddt-brief-history-and-status">international efforts to ban DDT</a> across the world for environmental reasons. But this leaves out the context that DDT kills mosquitoes, which spread the deadly disease malaria. In other parts of the world, DDT had saved an <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/40924603?saml_data=eyJzYW1sVG9rZW4iOiI1NjIyYWQ5NC1iZDMzLTRjZTAtYWE3Ni0wZDEzZTliNzk3NjMiLCJlbWFpbCI6ImNjNjA4NEBueXUuZWR1IiwiaW5zdGl0dXRpb25JZHMiOlsiYWZiYWM5MTYtMmExMS00OWYwLTk4NzctMzNiMzUyYmE5OTUyIl19">estimated 500 million lives</a> from malaria by the 1970s. </p>
<p>This example shows the nuance that’s required when thinking about environmental issues and solutions. Sometimes there is not an obvious right answer, and students visibly struggle to address ethical questions like these. </p>
<h2>What materials does the course feature?</h2>
<p>I do not use a central textbook or provide specific assigned readings. Instead, students participate in group activities, enjoy illustrated lecture slideshows and YouTube videos and work with online resources.</p>
<p>One assignment has students use Google Earth to create a guided tour of a national park of their choice. They play the role of a park ranger through their written descriptions of tour stops. Students enjoy getting to choose which national park they would like to explore and highlight for visitors.</p>
<h2>What will the course prepare students to do?</h2>
<p>Upon completing the course, I want students to become critical visitors of national parks and protected areas. I want them to be aware of the role they play in what happens in those spaces and of the complexities of the issues there. Examples could include the <a href="https://theconversation.com/us-national-parks-are-crowded-and-so-are-many-national-forests-wildlife-refuges-battlefields-and-seashores-206566">continual overcrowding</a> of national parks, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-america-national-parks-are-more-than-scenic-theyre-sacred-but-they-were-created-at-a-cost-to-native-americans-215344">removal of Indigenous peoples</a> from these lands or the <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-the-worst-of-americas-jim-crow-era-black-intellectual-w-e-b-du-bois-found-inspiration-and-hope-in-national-parks-218680">history of Black discrimination in our parks</a>.</p>
<p>Whether grappling with strictly environmental issues or the larger political and social struggles related to the national parks, I want students to open their minds to new perspectives. In a way, this course is an intervention for students to understand that they can make a difference and help shape an ever-changing world.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223427/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Seth is a member of the first cohort of the National Park Classroom Ranger program, led by James Fester. He also serves an a VIP (Volunteers-In-Parks) with the Education Branch of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.</span></em></p>Students are provided the opportunity to use America’s national parks as case studies for environmental issues and tough conversations in this course.Seth T. Kannarr, PhD Student in Geography, University of TennesseeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2154062023-12-14T13:10:42Z2023-12-14T13:10:42ZLighting a fire using friction requires an understanding of some physics principles − but there are ways to make the process easier<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565288/original/file-20231212-25-x4dxir.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=24%2C0%2C4001%2C3017&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Humans have been making fire by friction for centuries, but it's not easy.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/campfire-on-the-shores-of-the-chesapeake-bay-royalty-free-image/1402162981?phrase=campfire&adppopup=true">Cyndi Monaghan/Moment via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Humans have been making <a href="https://www.primitiveways.com/fire_Baugh.html">fire using friction</a> for <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/fire-combustion">thousands of years</a>, with evidence of its use found in archaeological records <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53531">across different cultures</a> worldwide. </p>
<p>Fire by friction is a testament to human ingenuity, contributing to the development of early technology and a later understanding of physics, chemistry and heat transfer.</p>
<p>Making fire, one of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/early-humans-used-fire-to-permanently-change-the-landscape-tens-of-thousands-of-years-ago-in-stone-age-africa-158574">key discoveries in human history</a>, has played a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/evan.20275">pivotal role in human evolution</a>, providing warmth, light, protection from predators, a <a href="https://youtu.be/qv6kcj6Uv2Y?si=xEV7rK-k2U9GXRtK">means to cook</a> and the ability to migrate into more hostile climates. </p>
<p>I’m an <a href="https://udayton.edu/directory/graduate/duncan_bradley.php">engineering professor</a>, avid outdoorsman and <a href="https://firecrafter38.wildapricot.org/">Minisino Firecrafter</a> who’s been studying and practicing fire by friction for many years. It’s a great way to explore <a href="https://ecommons.udayton.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1418&context=ece_fac_pub">key science concepts</a> while engaging in a practice that humans have been performing for millennia.</p>
<h2>Ember, flame, fire</h2>
<p>Fire by friction relies on <a href="https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Friction">the conversion of</a> mechanical energy into thermal energy through friction. Friction is the force <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/friction">of resistance</a> between two surfaces when they slide, or attempt to slide, past one another. </p>
<p>There are many ways to create fire by friction, but the most common and easiest to learn uses <a href="https://www.jonsbushcraft.com/bowdrill%20tutorial.htm">a bow drill set</a>.</p>
<p>A bow drill set consists of a thin spindle, a hearth board, a lightly curved bow, to which a bow cord is attached, and a “thunderhead” or bearing block, which is a stone or block of hard wood with a natural or carved divot used to press down on the top of the spindle. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565523/original/file-20231213-31-9q62ua.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A set of wood tools, including a long stick with a cord attached, a small stick, a piece of wood with grooves carved into it, a pile of dried grass, and a small, triangle-shaped stone." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565523/original/file-20231213-31-9q62ua.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565523/original/file-20231213-31-9q62ua.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565523/original/file-20231213-31-9q62ua.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565523/original/file-20231213-31-9q62ua.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565523/original/file-20231213-31-9q62ua.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565523/original/file-20231213-31-9q62ua.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565523/original/file-20231213-31-9q62ua.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A bow drill set, made entirely from materials found outdoors. From bottom left to top right is a tinder bundle, made from the inner bark of a cottonwood tree and some red cedar bark, a stone thunderhead, a honeysuckle bow with a cord made from dogbane fibers, a goldenrod spindle and a white pine hearth board.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Bradley Duncan</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>First, the firemaker wraps the bow cord tightly around the spindle and uses it to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5h5tSAYPcw">rapidly spin</a> the spindle against the hearth board, while simultaneously pressing down with the thunderhead. </p>
<p>Similar to how your hands become warmer when you vigorously rub them together, friction causes a rapid increase in temperature where the spindle meets the hearth board. This drives away any residual moisture. The wood also heats up mostly in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charcoal">absence of oxygen</a>, resulting in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charring">charring</a>, a chemical process from incomplete combustion. What’s left over is <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/charcoal">mostly carbon</a>. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S5h5tSAYPcw?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The friction of the spindle against the hearth board creates heat – kind of like how your hands warm up when you rub them together.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As the spindle continues to spin, it grinds away the charred wood to form a small pile of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzLvqCTvOQY">charcoal</a> dust. As the dust pile grows, it will eventually coalesce and ignite to form an ember. </p>
<p>The ember’s ignition point depends on a variety of factors, including the type of wood, the temperature and the humidity. <a href="https://www.primitiveways.com/fire_Baugh2.html">Experiments often yield</a> ignition temperatures in the range of 650-800 degrees Farenheit (340-430 degrees Celsius), with the most reliable estimates on the order of 700 degrees F (370 degrees C). Getting to this temperature is essential to create an ember and start the fire.</p>
<p>After an ember forms, the firemaker then transfers it to a tinder bundle made of dry leaves or grass, dead tree bark or other fibrous organic materials. The firemaker blows into the tinder bundle to further <a href="https://gearuphiking.com/why-does-blowing-on-a-fire-make-it-burn-better/">raise the temperature</a> by increasing oxygen flow. </p>
<p>Eventually, the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibaMy_WvhE0">tinder bursts into flame</a>, after which the firemaker can kindle it into a larger fire. Young fires are usually fragile – if the firemaker doesn’t provide them with enough fuel, air flow and protection from the wind and rain, they can go out.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B0E4PX3e3RE?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The smoke you see rising from a fire results from incomplete combustion.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Work smarter, not harder</h2>
<p>Understanding <a href="https://ecommons.udayton.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1418&context=ece_fac_pub">the physics of fire by friction</a> and the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zEC1qSjKjg">different variables involved</a> can make a big difference and help the fire start more quickly with less effort.</p>
<p>First, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnsDMEOVShQ">keep it small</a>. Firemakers should make bow drill sets carved from standing dead, dry tree limbs maybe an inch or so (2.5 centimeters) in diameter. Optimal spindles have diameters between three-eighths of an inch and a half-inch (1-1.25 cm). </p>
<p>How fast the friction force generates heat is directly proportional to how fast the firemaker bows, on average, and is independent of the diameter of the spindle. So, the faster you move the bow, the more heat you will create, <a href="https://ecommons.udayton.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1418&context=ece_fac_pub">regardless of the spindle’s size</a>. </p>
<p>But because they have smaller cross-sectional areas, thin spindles increase the heat density at the spindle-hearth board interface, which is where the ember forms and ignites. By concentrating the heat in a smaller area at this interface, thin spindles reduce the time and effort required to form and ignite an ember.</p>
<p>Dry, unpigmented, medium-density woods – elm, poplar and cottonwood are some examples – will work well for the spindle and the hearth board. I’ve tested lots of wood types and found that, with a few exceptions, wood hardness <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VleagqhZjU">mostly doesn’t matter</a>. </p>
<p>I’ve also found that mature wildflower stalks – harvested fresh and allowed to dry out – work well as spindles. Tall, woody wildflowers like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz_wiVyBG8c">goldenrod</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7hpmbdu2n0">ironweed</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sLKdif9BGQ">teasel</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q33d__UYZ8c">mullein</a> and the like can produce embers in seconds. If time permits, you can even make a bow cord with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R1wC_mLPVo">natural fibers</a> extracted from flax, dogbane or nettle plants commonly found in the woods.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565286/original/file-20231212-17-7tuxrb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A yellow goldenrod flower, with green leaves." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565286/original/file-20231212-17-7tuxrb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565286/original/file-20231212-17-7tuxrb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565286/original/file-20231212-17-7tuxrb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565286/original/file-20231212-17-7tuxrb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565286/original/file-20231212-17-7tuxrb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565286/original/file-20231212-17-7tuxrb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565286/original/file-20231212-17-7tuxrb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The thick, woody stalks from wildflowers like goldenrod can work as effective spindles.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/solidago-goldenrod-royalty-free-image/157186277?phrase=goldenrod&adppopup=true">Solidago/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The fire-making process</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zEC1qSjKjg">key variables</a> the firemaker can control during the bowing process are the speed at which they’re moving the bow and how much pressure they’re applying to the spindle via the thunderhead. Start by seating the spindle tip into a <a href="http://paulkirtley.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/notch.jpg">notched divot</a> carved into the hearth board. Then move the bow slowly until you get your balance. </p>
<p>Initially press down with the thunderhead just hard enough <a href="https://www.ars.usda.gov/northeast-area/wyndmoor-pa/eastern-regional-research-center/docs/biomass-pyrolysis-research-1/what-is-pyrolysis/">for pyrolysis to begin</a>. Pyrolysis happens when heat causes organic material to decompose without oxygen. You’ll know when pyrolysis starts because you’ll see smoke rising from the spindle-hearth board interface. </p>
<p>Then, begin to increase your bow speed until you are bowing as rapidly as you can sustain for a minute or so. Don’t hold your breath, and use bow strokes as long as you can manage without compromising bow speed. The time it takes to form an ember decreases the faster you bow, though the length of your <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zEC1qSjKjg">stroke doesn’t matter</a>.</p>
<p>As speed increases, begin to increase the pressure you’re putting on the spindle, stopping when the increased friction begins to affect your ability to sustain a rapid bow speed. With good materials you’ll likely have a nice ember in well under a minute.</p>
<p>While modern technology has largely replaced primitive methods, fire by friction continues to be a source of fascination and a testament to human ingenuity. Understanding this process not only enriches humanity’s connection to the ancient past, but it also underscores how physics comes into play throughout daily life.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215406/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bradley Duncan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>You may have seen contestants on reality shows like “Survivor” make fire using friction, but do you know the physics behind the process?Bradley Duncan, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of DaytonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2187762023-12-04T13:26:50Z2023-12-04T13:26:50ZHere’s what happened when I taught a fly-fishing course in the waterways of New Orleans<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563041/original/file-20231201-21-oebp2a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=35%2C291%2C3929%2C2835&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Mae Bennett, a student in the author's class, practices fly-casting on Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Kyle Encar/Loyola University New Orleans </span></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Text saying: Uncommon Courses, from The Conversation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/uncommon-courses-130908">Uncommon Courses</a> is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching.</em> </p>
<h2>Title of course:</h2>
<p>“The Art of Fly-Fishing” </p>
<h2>What prompted the idea for the course?</h2>
<p>After two years of Zoom classes due to the pandemic, I thought it would be useful to offer a two-week intersession course at Loyola University New Orleans that got students away from their phones and computers. </p>
<p>I had just written <a href="https://www.dukeupress.edu/fly-fishing">a book on fly-fishing</a> and spent years practicing the activity as well as studying its literary representations. To teach the course, I drew on my prior experience as an outdoor guide leading river trips for the company <a href="https://www.oars.com/">OARS</a> in Wyoming.</p>
<p>My students welcomed the opportunity to learn a new skill: <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/489062840776806126/">how to cast a fly rod</a>, which is more active than other types of fishing. This is because the lure or “fly” at the end of the line does not weigh much; the cast is produced by using a weighted line that gains velocity through a carefully timed rhythm. None of the 10 students had previous fly-fishing experience, but took the course on a lark or at the urging of a friend or relative.</p>
<p>What I didn’t anticipate was how social dynamics would affect the course and what my students would get out of the experience by it being situated in our vibrant city. Our class became a roving public forum as we interacted with curious observers and passersby. I was teaching them how to fly-fish in urban bayous and park ponds, not exactly “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105265/">A River Runs Through It</a>.”</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man stands on rocks and casts a fly-fishing rod in a body of water surrounded by trees." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/562975/original/file-20231201-15-jdl9dq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/562975/original/file-20231201-15-jdl9dq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=315&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562975/original/file-20231201-15-jdl9dq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=315&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562975/original/file-20231201-15-jdl9dq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=315&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562975/original/file-20231201-15-jdl9dq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562975/original/file-20231201-15-jdl9dq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/562975/original/file-20231201-15-jdl9dq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">This photo was made into the cover for ‘A River Runs Through It,’ a 1992 film directed by Robert Redford.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Photography-A-River-Runs-Through-It/1071967/4415537/view?fbclid=IwAR02XSDdJeQUgUd50assfw7yMeTU4e2oEErSouiGstLo_Ae6d6bm5W7u8Wk">John Kelly</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What does the course explore?</h2>
<p>The course introduced the techniques of fly-fishing and explored what makes it different from other forms of fishing. We learned about different waters and fish species, and how fly-fishing can be used in a variety of conditions. We also discussed the <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/R/bo26756579.html">literary</a> and <a href="https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2017/10/10/philosophy-fly-fishing/">philosophical</a> aspects of fly-fishing.</p>
<p>I framed the course as a “field experience,” and it took place entirely off campus and around our city instead. This ended up making the course surprisingly effective. </p>
<p>We first met in a field in City Park, where we had plenty of room to form a wide circle: Casting a fly line requires a lot of space. The students practiced casting toward the center of our circle; this way they could see each other’s forms improve, and I could move around the circle giving tips, advice and encouragement. We used pieces of yarn on the ends of the line to reduce the risk of inadvertent ear-piercings. </p>
<p>Beside this field was a pond. As the students got the basics of casting down, they could head to the shoreline and cast flies – with hooks – into the water. A few students even caught fish: beautiful little bluegills, sunfish and bass.</p>
<p>After a few days in City Park, we fly-fished along the cement-lined Bayou St. John in the heart of Mid-City. Another day we met at Lake Pontchartrain. We spread out to fish, minding the obstacles and obstructions posed by the urban infrastructure, and being careful when joggers or dog walkers passed by.</p>
<p>We gathered occasionally to discuss the theory and practice of fly-fishing. All the while, people would linger and watch with bemusement. It was rare to see fly-fishing in urban New Orleans. </p>
<h2>Why is this course relevant now?</h2>
<p>This course tuned students into our region, ecosystem and environment through a focused activity. </p>
<h2>What’s a critical lesson from the course?</h2>
<p>My students did not just develop an outdoor skill – they interacted with people in the community, blurring the boundaries between their college lives and the social fabric of the city. </p>
<h2>What materials does the course feature?</h2>
<p>On the first day, each student chose a fly-fishing book from a stack I brought, from the <a href="https://www.upress.virginia.edu/title/3154/">literary</a> and <a href="https://www.graywolfpress.org/books/northern-waters">philosophical</a> to the more <a href="https://services.math.duke.edu/education/prep03/FermatsPond/FermatsPond/fish/fish.html">pragmatic</a> and <a href="https://www.patagonia.com/product/simple-fly-fishing-revised-second-edition-techniques-for-tenkara-and-rod-and-reel-book/BK709.html?cgid=books-fishing">instructional</a>. We started each morning by sharing insights and lessons we’d gleaned from our books. In the evenings, we wrote together on a Google Doc, creating a collaborative essay about the course. </p>
<p>I also used a series of <a href="https://farbank.com/pages/learn-fly-fishing-school-videos">online instructional videos on fly-fishing</a> created by outfitter <a href="https://farbank.com">Far Bank</a>, which provided fly rods for my class at a discount that they offer to educators. I purchased the equipment with my professorship funds to spare my students extra expenses. </p>
<h2>What will the course prepare students to do?</h2>
<p>Studies have shown that <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-social-change-movements-can-learn-from-fly-fishing-the-value-of-a-care-focused-message-207284">fly-fishing can foster collective purpose</a> around environmental justice movements. Our course demonstrated how fly-fishing can also translate to public, urban contexts and facilitate positive everyday social interactions. </p>
<p>As my students gained confidence with their fly rods, they also welcomed the questions posed by onlookers who wondered what they were doing. My students would explain what the class was and what fly-fishing entailed. My students were engaging with the public about their college experience.</p>
<p>This past summer I transitioned to another institution, Washington University in St. Louis, where I’m directing a new <a href="https://publicscholarship.wustl.edu">Program in Public Scholarship</a>. I’m not currently teaching, but if I have the chance to propose a course, I’ve been eyeing the lagoons in bustling Forest Park, a short walk from campus – the perfect setting for a redux version of my fly-fishing course.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218776/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christopher Schaberg does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Students learned not just a practical outdoor skill, but how to explain what they were learning to curious observers.Christopher Schaberg, Director of Public Scholarship, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. LouisLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2106162023-09-20T12:25:33Z2023-09-20T12:25:33ZTake a break from your screen and look at plants − botanizing is a great way to engage with life around you<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/548424/original/file-20230914-27-ilf6bk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">You may be surprised by what's growing on a familiar trail.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Benjamin Goulet-Scott</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When you hear about the abundance of life on Earth, what do you picture? For many people, it’s animals – but awareness of plant diversity is growing rapidly.</p>
<p>Our planet has <a href="https://www.mobot.org/mobot/research/apweb/">nearly 300,000 species of flowering plants</a>. Among animals, only beetles can compete with that number. There are more species of ferns than birds, more mints than mammals, and more beans than butterflies. Measured in total mass, plants make up <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1711842115">82% of all life on land across the globe</a>.</p>
<p>We are plant scientists and co-founders of <a href="https://www.letsbotanize.org/">Let’s Botanize</a>, an educational nonprofit that uses plant life to teach about ecology, evolution and biodiversity. In the past several years we have witnessed a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10257">botanical boom</a>, with <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-pandemics-gardening-boom-shows-how-gardens-can-cultivate-public-health-181426">participation in plant-based hobbies surging</a>. From cultivating houseplants to foraging for wild foods and <a href="https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/over-2-in-5-us-households-now-growing-food-following-pandemic-boom">outdoor gardening</a>, plant appreciation is on the rise.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/botanize">Botanizing</a> is spending time alongside plants in order to observe and appreciate them as living organisms – like birding, but with subjects that stay in place. When you botanize, a simple walk in the woods becomes an immersive experience shared with many species. Getting to know your nonhuman neighbors is a way to engage with a changing planet.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cw2xvLgO-u9/?hl=en","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<h2>Plant collecting and colonialism</h2>
<p>Botanizing has a deep and checkered history. Humans have been analyzing and classifying plants for <a href="https://huh.harvard.edu/book/chapter-2-brief-history">thousands of years</a>, often to figure out what they can safely eat or cultivate. </p>
<p>When Europeans began exploring and colonizing other parts of the world, they were interested in finding plants that were useful as food, medicine or for other purposes. For example, in the early 17th century, the Dutch East India Company <a href="https://historibersama.com/the-voc-genocide-historia/">forcibly colonized the Banda Islands</a> in what is now Indonesia in order to monopolize the cultivation and lucrative trade of nutmeg (<em>Myristica fragrans</em>).</p>
<p>In 19th-century England, Victorians became obsessed with plants, especially ferns. This craze came to be known as <a href="https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Pteridomania-Fern-Madness/">pteridomania, or fern fever</a>. It coincided with the height of European imperialism across the globe, which included widespread collection of valuable plants from faraway places. </p>
<p>Today, however, many botanic gardens and <a href="http://arbnet.org/whats-arboretum">arboreta</a> – gardens that focus on trees and shrubs – have shifted their mission to public education, scientific research and biodiversity conservation. They can be good resources for learning to botanize.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fTHKjZyuUos?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">An estimated 40% of the world’s plant species are at risk of extinction, including many that haven’t yet been identified.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Why botanize?</h2>
<p>Plants provide raw materials for the homes we live in, the food we eat and the oxygen we breathe. Without them, life as humans know it could not exist. </p>
<p>Nonetheless, many people think of plants more as a backdrop to life, rather than as a central part of it. Scientists and educators call this phenomenon <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10153">plant awareness disparity</a> – a widespread cognitive bias that leads people to underestimate the diversity and importance of plants. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545167/original/file-20230829-26-f0vm7l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Light glistening off orange staghorn sumac leaves covered in morning dew." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545167/original/file-20230829-26-f0vm7l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545167/original/file-20230829-26-f0vm7l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545167/original/file-20230829-26-f0vm7l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545167/original/file-20230829-26-f0vm7l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545167/original/file-20230829-26-f0vm7l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545167/original/file-20230829-26-f0vm7l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545167/original/file-20230829-26-f0vm7l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Staghorn sumac (<em>rhus typhina</em>) absorbing the last bits of nutrients from its dying leaves on a brisk fall morning as it prepares for winter dormancy.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Let's Botanize, Inc.</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Research has shown the value of being outside in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09638237.2020.1755027">natural green areas</a> or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.110420">around plants indoors</a>. Even traditional western doctors are starting to <a href="https://time.com/6171174/nature-stress-benefits-doctors/">prescribe nature walks</a> to reduce stress and improve physical well-being. Botanizing can provide a reason to get outdoors, and spending time closely observing plants’ minute structures is a great <a href="https://theconversation.com/mindfulness-meditation-and-self-compassion-a-clinical-psychologist-explains-how-these-science-backed-practices-can-improve-mental-health-198731">mindfulness practice</a>. </p>
<p>We also see botanizing as a valuable alternative to spending time on social media. As many experts have observed, online platforms have become so individually tailored by algorithms that each user participates in their own version of reality, a trend that has enabled increasingly <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s42001-020-00084-7">combative and antisocial behavior</a>. Botanizing is an opportunity to take a break from these tailored worlds and deeply engage with local human and nonhuman communities.</p>
<p>Finally, since plants form the foundation of life on Earth, caring for plants is a way of caring for our planet. Botanizing is one simple way to inspire change in other aspects of our lives that prioritizes sustainability. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545170/original/file-20230829-18-f0vm7l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Unfurling fiddlehead of the interrupted fern" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545170/original/file-20230829-18-f0vm7l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545170/original/file-20230829-18-f0vm7l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545170/original/file-20230829-18-f0vm7l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545170/original/file-20230829-18-f0vm7l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545170/original/file-20230829-18-f0vm7l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545170/original/file-20230829-18-f0vm7l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545170/original/file-20230829-18-f0vm7l.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ferns don’t produce flowers or fruits. Instead they reproduce by freely dispersing spores. Spores are produced in small structures called sporangia, which line the edges of the leaflets in this interrupted fern (<em>claytosmunda claytoniana</em>).</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Let's Botanize, Inc.</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Tools of the trade</h2>
<p>There are many ways to botanize. Typically it involves trying to identify a plant species, observing its form and structure or assessing how it survives in the landscape. Plants are everywhere and don’t move, so this can be done in virtually any setting, including your windowsill or sidewalk.</p>
<p>So, how do you start? You can focus on plant structure, ecology, interactions, colors, textures or scents – or tastes, if you’re bold. You don’t need to travel far or spend a lot of money. There’s much to learn from your houseplants, <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-spices-get-their-flavor-202591">the food you cook</a>, the wood grain of your furniture, the plants growing in your sidewalks, gardens or local green spaces. </p>
<p>Here are a few essential tools: </p>
<p>– A <a href="https://www.nhbs.com/blog/the-nhbs-guide-to-hand-lenses">hand lens</a> is a window into the minutia of the botanical world. It’s as essential for a botanist as binoculars are for a birder. We recommend one with 10x magnification – that is, one that magnifies what you’re looking at by a factor of 10.</p>
<p>– A local field guide is your reference textbook. A good field guide to your local plants will have images and detailed text that you can use to cross-reference your identifications. </p>
<p>– A plant identification app can help confirm your identifications. Machine learning algorithms are getting increasingly good at matching plant images with species. One popular choice is <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.inaturalist.seek&hl=en&gl=US">the Seek app</a>, which is <a href="https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/what+is+it">powered by iNaturalist</a>, an online social network where people share information about living species and get help with identifications.</p>
<p>– Almost every region of the U.S. has local botanical clubs that typically hold regular meetings and organize workshops, online groups, botanizing days and more. Joining one is a great way to meet and learn from people with similar interests. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545176/original/file-20230829-21-lde0bw.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Light passing through a white flower with red stamens." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545176/original/file-20230829-21-lde0bw.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545176/original/file-20230829-21-lde0bw.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545176/original/file-20230829-21-lde0bw.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545176/original/file-20230829-21-lde0bw.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545176/original/file-20230829-21-lde0bw.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545176/original/file-20230829-21-lde0bw.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545176/original/file-20230829-21-lde0bw.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Flowers like this magnolia (<em>magnolia sieboldii</em>) have evolved to entice insects and other pollinators visually. The magnolia’s blood-red stamens produce pollen, and its cream-colored column of fused carpels produces seeds.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Let's Botanize, Inc.</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>To germinate your initial interest, we recommend searching for a spark plant – one that excites, engages or is meaningful to you. It can be a plant that you are familiar with but haven’t seen growing in real life, one that is totally new to you, or one that you associate with a special moment. </p>
<p>If botanizing is to reclaim its place as a nature-based hobby, we believe it is important to reimagine it as a critically evolved 21st century pastime. That means looking at plants with appreciation – not simply as products for human use but as foundational and interconnected members of life on Earth.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210616/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jacob S. Suissa is co-founder of the educational not-for-profit Let's Botanize, Inc.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ben Goulet-Scott is co-founder of the educational not-for-profit Let's Botanize, Inc. </span></em></p>Botanizing is the practice of observing and appreciating plant life. Two plant scientists explain how it benefits people and the planet.Jacob S. Suissa, Assistant Professor of Plant Evolutionary Biology, University of TennesseeBen Goulet-Scott, Higher Education & Laboratory Coordinator at Harvard Forest, Harvard UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2072842023-08-28T12:03:27Z2023-08-28T12:03:27ZWhat social change movements can learn from fly fishing: The value of a care-focused message<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544486/original/file-20230824-17-xz9a9n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C2811%2C1863&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Fly-fishing in Alaska's Tongass National Forest.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://flic.kr/p/fB1dRF">Joseph/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Summer and fall are prime times for getting outdoors across the U.S. According to an annual survey produced by the outdoor industry, 55% of Americans age 6 and up participated in <a href="https://outdoorindustry.org/resource/2023-outdoor-participation-trends-report/">some kind of outdoor recreation</a> in 2022, and that number is on the rise. </p>
<p>However, the activities they choose are shifting. Over the past century, participation has declined in some activities, <a href="https://theconversation.com/fewer-americans-are-hunting-and-that-raises-hard-questions-about-funding-conservation-through-gun-sales-176220">such as hunting</a>, and increased in others, <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/could-a-boom-in-us-birding-help-fund-conservation">like bird-watching</a>. </p>
<p>These shifts reflect many factors, including demographic trends and urbanization. But outdoor activities also have their own cultures, which can powerfully affect how participants think about nature. </p>
<p>As scholars who think about <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=u6FOkIQAAAAJ&hl=en">organizational theory</a>, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=F1RxMTcAAAAJ&hl=en">management</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=hkKa8JcAAAAJ&hl=en">entrepreneurship</a>, we are interested in understanding effective ways to promote social change. In a recent study, we analyzed the work of the nonprofit group <a href="https://www.tu.org/">Trout Unlimited</a>, which centers on protecting rivers and streams across the U.S. that harbor wild and native trout and salmon. </p>
<p>We found that since its founding in 1959, Trout Unlimited has pursued a unique type of social change. Historically, people fished to obtain food – but Trout Unlimited has reframed the sport as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/01708406231159490">a vehicle for environmental conservation</a>. It did this by gradually shifting members from catch and keep practices to catch and release, with fish carefully returned to the water. In our view, this strategy offers a powerful example of energizing social change through care, rather than disruptive strategies that emphasize power, anger and fearmongering.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b_xdC5-G69c?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">John McMillan, science director for Trout Unlimited’s Wild Steelhead Initiative, walks through the proper technique to catch and release a type of coastal rainbow trout called steelhead.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A sport that inspires devotion</h2>
<p>Fishing is very popular in the U.S.: As of 2016, <a href="https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2018/demo/fhw16-nat.pdf">more then 35 million Americans fished</a>, mainly in fresh water. Trout Unlimited was <a href="https://www.tu.org/about/#:%7E:text=Founded%20in%20Michigan%20in%201959,coldwater%20fisheries%20and%20their%20watersheds.">founded in 1959</a> on the banks of Michigan’s Au Sable River with the aim of building a strong conservation ethic among anglers. Today, the group has more than 300,000 members spanning hundreds of local chapters across the U.S. </p>
<p>Many Trout Unlimited members prefer fly fishing, a technique that uses a rod, reel, specialized weighted fishing line and artificial flies designed to mimic trout’s natural food sources. Trout generally thrive in beautiful, fast-flowing, cold-water streams and rivers; to catch them, fly fishers repeatedly cast a line so that their lure moves like a flying insect landing and floating on the water. It’s a sport that combines deep knowledge of a specific location with time-honored techniques.</p>
<p>In the 1653 classic “<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/683">The Compleat Angler</a>,” English writer Izaak Walton called fly fishing “an art worthy the knowledge and practice of a wise man.” Norman Maclean’s 1976 book “<a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/R/bo3643831.html">A River Runs Through It</a>,” which recounts the author’s childhood experiences fishing Montana’s Big Blackfoot River, declares, “In our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing.” Changing the practices of devoted anglers is no small feat. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/CwRq_pAt9je/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\u0026igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<h2>Fly-fishing and stewardship</h2>
<p>The first stage of change that Trout Unlimited pursued in its interactions with members was what we call mending – fixing aspects of a practice that are seen as problematic or damaging. For Trout Unlimited, that meant subtly removing harvesting practice from images of fly fishing, while simultaneously reinforcing anglers’ deep connections to rivers. </p>
<p>This reframing began in the late 1960s and continues today, as we learned by analyzing cover images and editorials from “Trout,” the organization’s member magazine, and interviewing staffers at Trout Unlimited and others throughout the fly fishing industry. Editors of “Trout” scrubbed away images of harvesting gear, such as <a href="https://www.montanaoutdoor.com/2020/03/creels/">creels</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrp-r1iavHY">stringers</a> and spears. Instead, they featured photos of trout being safely released and of caught fish remaining underwater in their environment. </p>
<p>These changes did not directly speak to or challenge anglers’ practices. Instead, they worked more subtly. “Trout” editors also began to describe old harvesting artifacts like creels as “something of a curio” and “relics of the past.” </p>
<p>In another editorial shift, the magazine increasingly featured images of vast river landscapes rather than close-up photos of people fishing. This approach elevated the experience of being in nature above that of catching fish. </p>
<p>Editors included poetry and sermonettes in the magazine that modeled normative values of conservation and catch and release practices. Here’s one example: </p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>Carefully I reach out, and lift him in my net,</em></p>
<p><em>But I make sure not to touch him, until my hands are wet.</em></p>
<p><em>For not doing so would damage him, and that would not be right,</em></p>
<p><em>For this indeed I owe him, for such a noble fight.</em></p>
<p><em>As gently as I can, I remove the hook and set him free …</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Using words and images, the magazine sought to trigger positive emotions and a sense of deep connection and love for trout. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/CSouKfBB_IY/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\u0026igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<h2>Caring for fishing grounds</h2>
<p>As Trout Unlimited built momentum in the 1960s and ’70s, the organization made river and stream restoration a major priority. This period marked the birth of the modern environmental movement. Americans were recognizing that industrial development was harming precious natural resources, including fishing grounds. </p>
<p>Logging had <a href="https://www.nwcouncil.org/reports/columbia-river-history/logging/">ravaged wetlands and stream banks</a> along river corridors. Dam construction, particularly in Western states, was <a href="https://theconversation.com/removing-dams-from-the-klamath-river-is-a-step-toward-justice-for-native-americans-in-northern-california-196472">blocking fish passage</a>, preventing trout and salmon from swimming upstream to their spawning grounds. Acid drainage from mining operations was <a href="https://www.tu.org/conservation/conservation-areas/watershed-restoration/abandoned-mine-reclamation/">contaminating waterways</a>. And recreational and commercial fishers were over-harvesting many important species.</p>
<p>Trout Unlimited chapters organized events that ranged from local river cleanups to advocating for federal Wild and Scenic designation for free-flowing rivers and streams. This status <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/wild-scenic-rivers#">protects them from overuse and in-stream development</a>, such as dams and irrigation diversions.</p>
<p>Members also campaigned for dam removal to open up fish spawning habitat and for creating “<a href="https://riverreporter.com/stories/special-trout-fishing-regulations,43375">no-kill” zones</a> along stretches of rivers, where catch and release was required. Trout Unlimited framed these efforts as supporting fly fishing through positive change. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1669845059661881344"}"></div></p>
<h2>An inclusive message</h2>
<p>Today, Trout Unlimited <a href="https://www.tu.org/conservation/">centers conservation in its mission</a> of protecting, reconnecting, restoring and sustaining coldwater fisheries. We see the organization as an important model in a world driven by social media algorithms that <a href="https://theconversation.com/hate-cancel-culture-blame-algorithms-129402">amplify negative emotions</a>. In our view, driving change through actions that represent love and care, rather than <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2022.2143315">anger and shame</a>, could engage more people in tackling major social challenges.</p>
<p>This approach does have limitations. It is useful when a practice can be altered to be more sustainable, as was the case with catch and release. However, as recent research shows, <a href="https://therevelator.org/recreational-fishing-environmental-impact/">recreational fishing still has major environmental impacts</a>, especially on marine species. And sometimes social change requires ending widespread practices altogether. Nonetheless, the key takeaway for us from Trout Unlimited’s work is that social change doesn’t have to vilify in order to succeed.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207284/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Founded in 1959, the membership group Trout Unlimited has changed the culture of fly-fishing and mobilized members to support conservation. Could its approach work for other social problems?Brett Crawford, Associate Professor of Management, Grand Valley State University Erica Coslor, Senior Lecturer in Management, The University of MelbourneMadeline Toubiana, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Organization, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of OttawaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2105852023-08-09T21:49:27Z2023-08-09T21:49:27ZFrom outdoor classrooms to gardens, how Nova Scotia youth are creating healthier school communities<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540773/original/file-20230802-21-djfkjw.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C39%2C1200%2C808&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">School-community partnerships are empowering children and youth to lead projects like landscaping a new Tranquility Garden in Northport, N.S., in 2020. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(UpLift Partnership)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/from-outdoor-classrooms-to-gardens-how-nova-scotia-youth-are-creating-healthier-school-communities" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Youth and young adults hold unique, creative and diverse perspectives and approaches compared to their adult counterparts. Think about the advocacy of <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/02/09/1150729582/greta-thunbergs-the-climate-book-urges-world-to-keep-climate-justice-out-front#">Greta Thunberg</a> and <a href="https://www.mikaelaloach.com">Mikaela Loach</a> around climate change and climate justice or <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2014/yousafzai/facts/">Malala Yousafzai’s</a> advocacy for all children’s rights to receive an education.</p>
<p>While these advocates have challenged the marginalization of children’s and young people’s voices in the context of countries’ governance typically structured around adult participation, countries around the globe have ratified the <a href="https://www.unicef.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/UNCRC_summary-1_1.pdf">United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child</a> and many organizations work to amplify youth voices. </p>
<p>Our work with the <a href="https://www.upliftns.ca/">UpLift Partnership</a> in Nova Scotia, Canada, is aimed at supporting the health and learning of school-aged children and youth by empowering them to take the lead in making their school communities more supportive, healthy, sustainable and safe.</p>
<p>We share this work as part of observing <a href="https://www.iesalc.unesco.org/en/evento/international-youth-day/">International Youth Day</a> on Aug. 12, a day to celebrate, acknowledge and recognize the rights of young people to drive social change for themselves, their communities and the world. We also share it to support youth engagement in social change and healthier school communities year round.</p>
<h2>Health Promoting Schools</h2>
<p>The UpLift Partnership is rooted in a global movement and model of <a href="https://academic.oup.com/heapro/article/36/2/297/6179012">Health Promoting Schools</a>, first championed by <a href="https://www.who.int/teams/health-promotion/enhanced-wellbeing/first-global-conference">the World Health Organization</a> and driven by the insight that “health is created and lived by people within the settings of their everyday life.” </p>
<p>Involving youth in promoting health in schools can catalyze <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/4/1374">students’ ability to initiate and bring about positive change in the world</a> — what researchers call their “action competence.”</p>
<p>This includes building knowledge, motivation and competencies that align with this year’s <a href="https://www.un.org/en/observances/youth-day?gclid=CjwKCAjwt52mBhB5EiwA05YKo1geKsvek0dgDp6vKfIBN3kVfpODvIDb3ITBrHp529N01O_psmquFBoCsA8QAvD_BwE">International Youth Day theme, Green Skills for Youth</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Feet seen around a sheet of paper with ideas on grass." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540273/original/file-20230731-23-bl2g38.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540273/original/file-20230731-23-bl2g38.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540273/original/file-20230731-23-bl2g38.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540273/original/file-20230731-23-bl2g38.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540273/original/file-20230731-23-bl2g38.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540273/original/file-20230731-23-bl2g38.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540273/original/file-20230731-23-bl2g38.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Students brainstorm ideas to create healthier schools as part of a student action grant project.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(UpLift Partnership)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Building ‘green skills’</h2>
<p>The Uplift Partnership brings together different stakeholders such as school communities, government partners and not-for-profit organizations and is hosted at <a href="https://www.healthypopulationsinstitute.ca/">the Healthy Populations Institute at Dalhousie University</a>.</p>
<p>The partnership between these diverse parties is grounded in <a href="https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/from-research-to-action-a-short-research-story-on-the-uplift-partnership/">over a decade of research</a> designed to enhance youth engagement within the Health Promoting Schools model. </p>
<p>Over the past four years, youth have led projects through the support of UpLift student action grants. Building green skills helps them to understand the <a href="https://www.onechancens.ca/_files/ugd/db246d_4b7d33da61c34333a7bc6d6f3dc546d3.pdf?index=true">strong connection</a> between health, well-being and nature.</p>
<h2>Tranquility Garden</h2>
<p>In fall 2020, in the COVID-19 pandemic, a student group in Northport, N.S., created an outdoor space for their school community. Prior to this, the school did not have a physical outdoor seating area or place for the students and staff to connect with nature, despite its rural location. </p>
<p>The Tranquility Garden now provides students, staff and animals with a calming and enjoyable place to visit and play. Students and staff planted fruit trees, flowers and shrubs, and built benches for seating to create the garden. </p>
<p>This student-led initiative has given this school a place to learn, play and connect outdoors. </p>
<h2>Outdoor shelter, cooking by fire</h2>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="A peaked tent seen outdoors on grass against a blue sky." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540278/original/file-20230731-26489-f1aex5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540278/original/file-20230731-26489-f1aex5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=798&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540278/original/file-20230731-26489-f1aex5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=798&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540278/original/file-20230731-26489-f1aex5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=798&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540278/original/file-20230731-26489-f1aex5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1003&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540278/original/file-20230731-26489-f1aex5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1003&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540278/original/file-20230731-26489-f1aex5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1003&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An outdoor shelter is both a formal learning space, and a place for youth to socialize outdoors.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(UpLift Partnership)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Over 90 students worked on an UpLift student action grant to create an outdoor shelter with a stove at their school in Colchester, N.S. </p>
<p>Prior to installing the hot tent shelter and stove, few students at the school had the desire to learn outside due to the exposed nature of the outdoor space. </p>
<p>The outdoor shelter now serves as a space for multiple learning opportunities that connect the students to their environment, like stargazing, cooking by fire and building outdoor education skills. It is also a place for students to simply connect and socialize with peers outside.</p>
<h2>Farm-to-school movement</h2>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="Different compartments of vegetables chopped." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541273/original/file-20230804-23-jek0r5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541273/original/file-20230804-23-jek0r5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=812&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541273/original/file-20230804-23-jek0r5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=812&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541273/original/file-20230804-23-jek0r5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=812&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541273/original/file-20230804-23-jek0r5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1020&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541273/original/file-20230804-23-jek0r5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1020&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541273/original/file-20230804-23-jek0r5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1020&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Nutritious food is served at a school’s salad bar.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(UpLift Partnership)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A student action team in Tatamagouche, N.S., worked with UpLift to purchase salad bar infrastructure where they can prepare the food they grow and harvest in their school gardens. This <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5babce91d86cc97bc2f2771a/t/6092c87119fbab2b163853c8/1620232323139/Go+Fresh+Salad+Bar+Station+Framework-2.pdf">Go Fresh Salad Bar</a> station is the final piece of a growing <a href="https://theconversation.com/farm-to-school-movement-takes-root-in-canada-101635">farm-to-school movement</a> in their school. The school community already had plans to build a school garden and greenhouse. </p>
<p>This funding provided the salad bar infrastructure necessary to support more diverse and nutritious food options at the school cafeteria. This infrastructure also supports youth building green leadership skills through sustainable food processes such as menu development and food preparation.</p>
<h2>Healthier futures</h2>
<p>These are just a few examples of how youth have the capacity and potential to change their school community. As <a href="https://academic.oup.com/heapro/article/32/2/195/2950915?login=false">researchers have documented</a>, youth participation in school health promotion enhances youth knowledge, competence, motivation and commitments to health and well-being. This, in turn, will help young people become active citizens for a healthier future. </p>
<p>There is no day like today to advocate, highlight and build awareness of the transformative power of youth voices in making our world a more sustainable and healthy society. As famously quoted by Thunberg, “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAJuX7xed8o">You are never too small to make a difference</a>,” and a difference is never too small to impact the world. </p>
<p>Follow the #YouthLead initiative by the <a href="https://www.un.org/youthenvoy/2023/07/youthday2023/">United Nations</a> to celebrate International Youth Day. It is time for youth to have a lead role on the world’s stage, and for more adults to uplift them.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210585/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julia Kontak works for the UpLift Partnership and receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Public Health Agency of Canada and Heart and Stroke. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sara F.L. Kirk is the academic co-lead of the UpLift Partnership and receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Government of Nova Scotia.</span></em></p>Involving youth in promoting health in schools can catalyze students’ ability to bring about positive change. On International Youth Day and year round, more adults could lift up youth voices.Julia Kontak, PhD student, School of Health, Dalhousie UniversitySara F.L. Kirk, Professor of Health Promotion; Scientific Director of the Healthy Populations Institute, Dalhousie UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2023432023-05-02T20:42:18Z2023-05-02T20:42:18ZExercise can help prevent and treat mental health problems, and taking it outside adds another boost to those benefits<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523463/original/file-20230428-22-4jbvw5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=465%2C1008%2C4837%2C2819&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Levels of the stress hormone cortisol are reduced with as little as 20 minutes in a city park.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/exercise-can-help-prevent-and-treat-mental-health-problems--and-taking-it-outside-adds-another-boost-to-those-benefits" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Mental health problems affect <a href="https://cmha.ca/brochure/fast-facts-about-mental-illness/">one in five people every year</a>. The Canadian Mental Health Association estimates that by the age of 40, about half of people will either have had a mental illness or will currently be dealing with one. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.24095/hpcdp.37.5.04">Behavioural therapy and medications</a> are common first options for treatment. However, research has shown the importance of exercise in not only preventing mental illness, but also treating it. And when exercise is taken outdoors, the benefits can be even greater.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/about-mental-illness.html">Mental illnesses</a> include depression, addictions and anxiety, as well as personality disorders. Of these, anxiety and depression are the most common, with <a href="https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/254610">depression being the leading cause of disability worldwide</a>. Left untreated, these diseases can result in physical illness and premature death.</p>
<p>My research focuses on the benefits of physical activity to prevent and manage disease, and ways to make it easier for people to be active. In December 2021, I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder, and exercise and spending time in nature were vital to my recovery.</p>
<h2>Exercise can make you happy</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Female soccer players training on the field" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523464/original/file-20230428-18-ecf5ph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523464/original/file-20230428-18-ecf5ph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523464/original/file-20230428-18-ecf5ph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523464/original/file-20230428-18-ecf5ph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523464/original/file-20230428-18-ecf5ph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523464/original/file-20230428-18-ecf5ph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523464/original/file-20230428-18-ecf5ph.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">It also doesn’t matter what type of activity you do. Whether it’s team sports, cycling, walking, running or aerobics, all provide benefits.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Exercise and activity have long been known to improve mood. A study of more than 1.2 million adults in the United States reported those who exercised had <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30227-X">1.5 fewer days in the past month of poor mental health</a>. And the greatest benefits occurred in those people who exercised 45 minutes or more for three or more days per week.</p>
<p>But even shorter sessions can make a difference. As little as ten minutes of activity was enough to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-018-9976-0">improve happiness</a>. Over time, regular exercise can result in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.16111223">less likelihood for getting depression</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2019.05.012">anxiety</a>. It also doesn’t matter what type of activity you do. Whether it’s team sports, cycling, walking, running or aerobics, all provide benefits. Even <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30227-X">active household chores can reduce the chances for depression</a>.</p>
<h2>Exercise as treatment for mental illness</h2>
<p>Numerous studies indicate exercise as an effective treatment for people with existing depression and other mental illnesses. A meta-analysis revealed as little as four weeks of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22842">exercise reduced symptoms of depression</a> in people with major depressive disorder. This is less time than it takes for most antidepressant medications to work.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman in exercise gear outside, with a towel around her neck" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523657/original/file-20230501-1462-hmu9o0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523657/original/file-20230501-1462-hmu9o0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523657/original/file-20230501-1462-hmu9o0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523657/original/file-20230501-1462-hmu9o0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523657/original/file-20230501-1462-hmu9o0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523657/original/file-20230501-1462-hmu9o0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523657/original/file-20230501-1462-hmu9o0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Numerous studies indicate exercise as an effective treatment for people with existing depression and other mental illnesses.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>While exercise is beneficial at all intensity levels, it appears <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-106195">higher intensity exercise may be more effective than low intensity</a>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.0572">Strength training can also reduce symptoms</a> in people with depression. And a recent review of studies totalling 128,119 participants reported <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-105964">exercise is as effective as antidepressants</a> for treating non-severe depression. Exercise has also been found to reduce symptoms in people with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-018-3313-5">clinical anxiety</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00167">schizophrenia</a>.</p>
<h2>How exercise works to improve mental well-being</h2>
<p>Exercise may improve mental well-being due to the release of hormones and brain function. Exercise results in the release of <a href="https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-199724010-00002">endorphins</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/00001756-200312020-00015">endocannabinoids</a>. Endorphins are the feel-good hormones that reduce pain or discomfort associated with activity. Endocannabinoids work on the same system affected by marijuana, reducing pain and improving mood.</p>
<p>In the brain, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bj.2020.01.001">low levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)</a> and a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s12276-021-00587-x">smaller hippocampus</a> have been associated with a number of mental illnesses. BDNF is important for the growth of nerves in the brain and development of new neural connections, while the hippocampus is associated with learning, memory and mood. Exercise can <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00037">increase BDNF levels in people with depression</a>, as well as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.11.007">increase hippocampus volume</a>.</p>
<h2>Take it outside</h2>
<p>Exercising in nature can further improve mental well-being. <a href="https://dictionary.apa.org/rumination">Rumination</a> is a negative pattern of repetitive thinking and dwelling on things. It is associated with greater chances for mental illness, but can be reduced with a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1510459112">walk through a natural environment</a>. And people who spent at least two hours in nature over the course of a week reported <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44097-3">higher well-being</a> compared to those who had no contact with nature.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man with a backpack standing on a wooded trail." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523658/original/file-20230501-22-110x55.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523658/original/file-20230501-22-110x55.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523658/original/file-20230501-22-110x55.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523658/original/file-20230501-22-110x55.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523658/original/file-20230501-22-110x55.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523658/original/file-20230501-22-110x55.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523658/original/file-20230501-22-110x55.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Parks Canada recognized the benefits of exercising in nature by partnering with a health organization to allow doctors to prescribe Adult Parks Canada Discovery Passes to patients to enable them to spend time outdoors.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There are a number of reasons why nature is good for us. Trees are known to give off compounds called phytoncides, which have been associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12199-009-0086-9">multiple health benefits</a>. In addition, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00722">levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) are reduced</a> with as little as 20 minutes spent in a park.</p>
<p>The value of being outdoors to physical and mental health was recognized by Parks Canada in January 2022, when they <a href="https://www.parkprescriptions.ca/">partnered with PaRx</a>, an organization led by health professionals who prescribe time in nature to their patients, to allow <a href="https://www.parkprescriptions.ca/blogposts/announcing-a-new-collaboration-between-parx-and-parks-canada">doctors to prescribe Adult Parks Canada Discovery Passes</a>. </p>
<p>With these passes, patients can access Canada’s national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas. This follows <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/02/green-prescriptions-health-wellbeing/">similar programs in many other countries</a> such as New Zealand, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom.</p>
<p>With all the benefits of exercise and nature on mental health, it’s important to recognize some people with a mental illness can find simple daily tasks challenging. For these people taking an antidepressant and behavioural therapy may be more suitable. But for others, exercising in nature is a simple and cost-saving activity to maintain your mental health and treat mental illnesses.</p>
<p><em>Scott Lear writes a biweekly blog <a href="https://drscottlear.com/">Become Your Healthiest You</a> and co-hosts a monthly podcast <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1xsvY0F6qbBKDG8INVvy5T">How to Health</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/202343/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Scott Lear receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Hamilton Health Sciences, and has received funding from the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Novo Nordisk, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.</span></em></p>Numerous studies indicate exercise as an effective treatment for people with existing depression and other mental illnesses, and exercising in nature can further improve mental well-being.Scott Lear, Professor of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1971902023-01-10T22:02:33Z2023-01-10T22:02:33ZTaking fitness outside: 9 tips for becoming more active through the Canadian winter<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503753/original/file-20230110-14-gm9uml.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=97%2C516%2C4461%2C2806&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Thick snow covers tree branches as people walk along a street in Ottawa after a snowstorm.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you made a New Year’s resolution about physical activity, you are not alone. <a href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/canadians-quick-make-new-years-resolutions-slow-see-them-through">Many Canadians make resolutions, and most focus on moving more</a>. Despite best intentions, it can be difficult for people to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0234097">maintain New Year’s goals; in fact, nearly half fail to achieve their resolution</a>. There are many reasons for this, and one is that physical activity goals are hard to achieve, regardless of the time of year. </p>
<p>As researchers in the fields of behavioural medicine, physical activity and outdoor recreation, we have some ideas about how to make those resolutions stick.</p>
<p>Try to change up your physical activity and make it fun and enjoyable. Research shows that <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.577522">adherence to physical activity is improved when you mix things up and choose an activity that fills your cup</a>. </p>
<p>One way to increase variety and enjoyment might be choosing outdoor physical activities. And it seems Canadians (<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-020-05938-4">with</a> and <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1334779/share-canadians-engaging-outdoor-recreational-activities-by-frequency/">without</a> chronic conditions) desire outdoor activity, especially since the <a href="https://ccpr.parkpeople.ca/2021/overview/lessons">COVID-19 pandemic</a>. </p>
<h2>Outdoor benefits</h2>
<p>Taking your physical activity outside comes with some added benefits. We have found that a single trail walk can reduce participants’ reported levels of anxiety, and that after <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s41241-020-00094-x">eight weeks of trail walking two times per week, stress is decreased</a>. We also know that people who engage in physical activity <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2009.03.002">outdoors stick to it better and longer</a>, and may <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.06.016">work harder than when exercising indoors</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman in red snow-pants and a blue jacket holding a yellow snow shovel and tossing snow into the air while a dog leaps into the air" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503758/original/file-20230110-17-ar95nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503758/original/file-20230110-17-ar95nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503758/original/file-20230110-17-ar95nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503758/original/file-20230110-17-ar95nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503758/original/file-20230110-17-ar95nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503758/original/file-20230110-17-ar95nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503758/original/file-20230110-17-ar95nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Shovelling snow counts as intense physical activity. Be the neighbourly snow shoveller, just ensure that you are warmed up and don’t go too hard.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This may be explained in part by the shift in focus outwards, to the environment, rather than on inner bodily sensations, making the exercise feel easier. </p>
<p>In a recent study currently under peer review, we (Thomson and Lesser) found that individuals with both low and high functional capacity (a measure of aerobic fitness) were able to complete hikes of varied difficulty. Those who were less fit simply slowed down to be able to complete the same hike at the same level of effort as their fit counterparts. </p>
<p>This suggests that outdoor physical activity, such as hiking, is feasible from a fitness perspective and is perceived as easier.</p>
<h2>The great outdoors in winter</h2>
<p>If you live in a four-season climate, you may be wondering how to take physical activity outside during a Canadian winter. </p>
<p>First and foremost, if you are just getting started, determine your readiness to move more. You can try an online assessment like the <a href="https://csep.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GETACTIVEQUESTIONNAIRE_ENG.pdf">Get Active Questionnaire</a> to see if you need to talk to your doctor first. </p>
<p>Next, try some of these tips and considerations:</p>
<h2>1. Find a support system</h2>
<p>Research has shown that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2016.1183222">social support can promote sustained physical activity behaviour</a>, and may take on even greater importance when activity moves outdoors.</p>
<h2>2. Dress in layers</h2>
<p>Overdressing is always better than underdressing, and <a href="https://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/hiking/wool-when-wet.htm">wool is your best bet</a> to reduce moisture and keep in heat. Make sure you are covered from head to toe — that means wearing a scarf to help warm the incoming air when the temperatures plummet.</p>
<h2>3. Have a plan B</h2>
<p>Unfortunately, depending on where you live, it might be too cold or icy to be outdoors. In this case, take a break and move it inside for a bit. That way, you can continue your active lifestyle and build up some excitement about getting back outside when the weather improves.</p>
<h2>4. Safety First</h2>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503767/original/file-20230110-14-99arna.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Image of the bottoms of a pair of shoes with orange soles, displaying two types of external ice cleats" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503767/original/file-20230110-14-99arna.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503767/original/file-20230110-14-99arna.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503767/original/file-20230110-14-99arna.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503767/original/file-20230110-14-99arna.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503767/original/file-20230110-14-99arna.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503767/original/file-20230110-14-99arna.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503767/original/file-20230110-14-99arna.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Two kinds of exterior cleats attached to running shoes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Dan Joling)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>When it gets slippery outside, ensure that you have proper footwear. We love snow cleats that can be put over your shoes to enhance your grip. You can also consider using walking poles to improve your balance and reduce the risk of falls.</p>
<h2>5. Hydrate</h2>
<p>Even though you might not feel as warm and sweaty as you would in warmer months, you are still losing water and you need to stay hydrated.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cover-your-face-wear-a-hat-and-stay-hydrated-to-exercise-safely-through-the-winter-173807">Cover your face, wear a hat and stay hydrated to exercise safely through the winter</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>6. Make it part of your day</h2>
<p>Find different ways to incorporate the outdoors into your daily activities! Did you know that <a href="https://theconversation.com/snow-shovelling-healthy-exercise-or-deadly-activity-129183">shovelling snow</a> counts as intense physical activity? Be the neighbourly snow shoveller — just ensure that you are warmed up and don’t go too hard. If you love biking to work, try fat tires on your bike. They increase your traction on snow and ice. </p>
<p>If these sound a bit too strenuous, you can always park farther away at work, school or the grocery store to add some steps to your day, or consider taking a brief walk outside on your lunch break.</p>
<h2>7. Light it up</h2>
<p>With the days ending so early, it can be a challenge to fit in physical activity before the sun sets. A head lamp will allow you to be out early or past dark. Just ensure that you are in a safe location (and maybe bring someone from your support system along).</p>
<h2>8. Try something new</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A blue sign picturing a snowshoer on a tree trunk with snow in the background" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503762/original/file-20230110-12-k3nhwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503762/original/file-20230110-12-k3nhwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503762/original/file-20230110-12-k3nhwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503762/original/file-20230110-12-k3nhwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503762/original/file-20230110-12-k3nhwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503762/original/file-20230110-12-k3nhwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503762/original/file-20230110-12-k3nhwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">If you’re interested in trying snowshoeing, winter hiking or cross-country skiing, consider borrowing equipment from a friend, renting from your local recreation facility or purchasing used equipment from a sports trader.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This is a perfect time to break out of your routine. Ever tried snowshoeing, winter hiking or cross-country skiing? Now could be the time. Don’t have equipment? Consider borrowing from a friend, renting from your local recreation facility or purchasing used equipment from a sports trader.</p>
<h2>9. Enjoy the tranquillity</h2>
<p>Outdoor experiences in winter tend to be quieter and include more expansive terrain with different sounds, wildlife and colour experiences. Try taking advantage of it and notice how you feel.</p>
<p>We hope you will try taking it outside to reap the benefits of our beautiful Canadian winters. Who knows, maybe you will even increase the likelihood of sticking to those hard-to-meet New Year’s resolutions in the process!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197190/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Taking your physical activity outside comes with added benefits. Here are ways to pursue your fitness goals outdoors, even in the middle of a Canadian winter.Iris Lesser, Assistant professor in kinesiology, University of The Fraser ValleyAmanda Wurz, Assistant Professor, School of Kinesiology, University of The Fraser ValleyCynthia Thomson, Assistant Professor in Kinesiology, University of The Fraser ValleyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1739752022-03-03T13:27:09Z2022-03-03T13:27:09ZInfants need lots of active movement and play – and there are simple ways to help them get it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441827/original/file-20220120-9087-1togzru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=38%2C7%2C5075%2C3396&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Experts believe that infants should get some interactive floor-based physical activity two to three times a day.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/mother-watching-baby-playing-with-ball-royalty-free-image/135385235?adppopup=true">Sam Edwards/OJO Images via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When people set personal fitness goals and establish their physical exercise routines, there’s a group of cuddly individuals that is often left out – infants! </p>
<p>Historically, infant active movement has been perceived as a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4503-5">personality characteristic</a>. It’s assumed that infants are plenty active on their own, without needing adult intervention to encourage movement.</p>
<p>However, research is revealing that the choices, behaviors and everyday habits of adults have a big influence on how much infants move.</p>
<p>I’m a <a href="https://www.unomaha.edu/college-of-education-health-and-human-sciences/health-kinesiology/about-us/directory/danae-dinkel.php">physical activity teacher</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=T2U7pXkAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&alert_preview_top_rm=2&sortby=pubdate">researcher</a>. For the past five years I’ve conducted several studies exploring infant movement, seeking to identify what supports the development of lifelong physical activity habits. </p>
<p>I’ve learned that many parents and other caregivers want to encourage infants to actively play and move. However, they often don’t know for sure how much physical activity an infant needs, nor do they often recognize how their own behaviors might be limiting an infant’s physical activity. Fortunately, there are several easy – and fun – ways to add more physical activity to an infant’s daily life.</p>
<h2>Why infants need movement – and how much</h2>
<p>Study of infant movement is a relatively new field, so there is still a lot to learn. However, one of the field’s foundational studies was published in 1972, and it found that increased infant physical activity can <a href="https://journals.lww.com/nursingresearchonline/Abstract/1972/05000/THE_IMPACT_OF_PHYSICAL_PHYSIOLOGICAL_ACTIVITY_ON.3.aspx">improve motor development</a>. More recent research shows that increased infant movement can improve <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0082098">bone health</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-022-01248-6">personal-social development</a> – skills related to improving their independence or interacting with others, such as feeding themselves or waving goodbye.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/311664">World Health Organization</a> suggests that infants should be physically active several times a day, especially through interactive floor-based play. Similarly, the <a href="https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/fitness/Pages/Making-Fitness-a-Way-of-Life.aspx">American Academy of Pediatrics</a> recommends opportunities for interactive play throughout the day, along with at least 30 minutes of “tummy time” with an adult – which I’ll talk more about below.</p>
<p>Yet half the parents participating in our research reported that they <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jspn.12315">hadn’t heard</a> of these recommendations and did desire <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jspn.12315">more specific guidelines</a> on encouraging active play. </p>
<h2>What are the barriers?</h2>
<p>While research is ongoing, I and other researchers have identified three major barriers to infant active movement: screen time, restrictive devices and “gendered play” – gender-related stereotypes, beliefs and practices in relation to how children play. </p>
<p>The American Academy of Pediatrics and other organizations <a href="https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-2591">discourage allowing infants any screen time</a> other than video chatting. However, a recent review found that children ages 0 to 2 years may be getting <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.07.019">between 36 and 330 minutes of screen time per day</a>. A 2019 analysis of data gathered between 2008 and 2010 found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.4488">children’s screen time increased</a> from 53 minutes a day at age 1 to more than 150 minutes per day by age 3, which suggests that screen time habits begin taking shape at very early ages.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the <a href="https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/311664">World Health Organization</a> suggests that infants should spend no more than one hour at a time in a restrictive device. Yet many adults overuse car seats, strollers, high chairs or other “containers” that constrain movement. For instance, in a 2018 study of child care centers in the U.S., Canada and Australia, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2017.11.008">only 38% to 41% of the facilities</a> followed this WHO guideline.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Mother playing face to face with baby son on floor." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442392/original/file-20220124-13-aq1z6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442392/original/file-20220124-13-aq1z6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/442392/original/file-20220124-13-aq1z6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/442392/original/file-20220124-13-aq1z6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/442392/original/file-20220124-13-aq1z6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/442392/original/file-20220124-13-aq1z6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/442392/original/file-20220124-13-aq1z6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Researchers have found that when infants get increased tummy time, they move more overall, and their gross motor skills and development improve.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/mother-playing-face-to-face-with-baby-son-on-floor-royalty-free-image/672158475?adppopup=true">JGI/Jamie Grill via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Research into adult physical activity consistently shows that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/nature23018">males are more active than females</a>, regardless of age. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2020.101440">Our research suggests</a> this gap may begin during infancy and be related to gendered play. </p>
<p>In our 2020 study exploring infant motor development in relation to parents’ promotion of play, we found that parents of male infants more often encouraged play that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2020.101440">promoted gross motor skills</a>: movement involving the large muscles that support activities like walking, running or kicking. Parents of female infants more often made statements that promoted fine motor skills, which involve smaller movements of the hands and arms and support activities like reaching and grasping. We found that females had significantly higher fine motor skills than male.</p>
<p>We’ve documented <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10286-x">additional barriers as well</a>, including time spent eating, tending to the infant’s sleeping schedule or other care needs; a need to baby-proof surroundings; or weather and other environmental concerns.</p>
<h2>How to support infant movement</h2>
<p>Fortunately there are many ways to break down these barriers – and none requires buying expensive baby gear. </p>
<ul>
<li><p>Encourage tummy time: Two to three times a day, place an awake infant <a href="https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/sleep/Pages/Back-to-Sleep-Tummy-to-Play.aspx">on their tummy</a> for a few minutes, and then play and engage with them. This is the primary method of supporting movement for infants who are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-2168">not yet mobile</a>. </p></li>
<li><p>Explore movement together: Doing activities that help infants <a href="https://doi.org/10.1123/krj.2.4.221">learn about movement</a>, such as bouncing the child on one’s lap and <a href="https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/healthystart/assets/PhysicalActivityPresentation.pdf">singing and playing patty-cake or peekaboo</a>, can encourage infants to move. Infants also watch what the adults around them do – including how active they are! In one of our studies, many mothers reported <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4503-5">being physically active themselves</a>, but few realized it was <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-020-00966-z">important to role-model</a> regular physical activity for infants. </p></li>
<li><p>Create safe play space: As infants <a href="https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Movement-4-to-7-Months.aspx">learn to move</a> and get better at controlling their feet and hands, even normal household objects, such as small items they can shove into their mouths and choke on, become potential hazards requiring adult intervention. Protect them by clearing clutter and removing potentially dangerous objects from a space that’s at least <a href="https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/growing-healthy/Pages/baby-activity.aspx">5 feet by 7 feet</a>.</p></li>
<li><p>No equipment? No problem!: It doesn’t take new or costly gear to encourage infant movement. Use things around the house: Pillows can be piled into a “mountain” to crawl over. Mixing bowls and measuring cups can double as toys. Adults can also turn their own bodies into an infant climbing gym. For example, sit on the floor with legs spread out and encourage the infant to pull themselves up or crawl over them.</p></li>
<li><p>Get outside: National guidelines recommend <a href="http://nrckids.org/CFOC/Database/3.1.3.1">taking infants outside two to three times per day</a>, weather permitting. Our research suggests children are more physically active <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2019.1579550">when they play in parks</a>, playgrounds and other open areas that allow for gross motor activities like crawling and walking. The <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00094056.2016.1251793">benefits of active outdoor play</a> may also include improved self-control, attention, communication and social development. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>To help motivate us, my family is taking the <a href="https://www.1000hoursoutside.com/">1,000 Hours Outside</a> challenge, a project encouraging both kids and adults to spend at least as much time outdoors as we do staring at screens.</p>
<p>[<em>Over 150,000 readers rely on The Conversation’s newsletters to understand the world.</em> <a href="https://memberservices.theconversation.com/newsletters/?source=inline-150ksignup">Sign up today</a>.]</p>
<p>Finally, it need not be up to parents alone. Research has linked social support by <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/6/10/115">siblings and peers</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X19835240">child care providers</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-10-68">teachers</a> with increased physical activity in children. </p>
<p>Trust me: As both a physical activity researcher and a working mother of three, including an 11-month-old just learning to walk, I can attest that when adults and older children play with my baby, it gives me an opportunity to accomplish something on my to-do list, and provides my infant with more opportunities to enjoy moving.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173975/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Danae Dinkel receives funding from the National Institutes of Health. </span></em></p>Even babies who are not yet standing or walking get lots of benefits from active movement – but most infants aren’t getting enough physical activity.Danae Dinkel, Associate Professor, Department of Health and Kinesiology, University of Nebraska OmahaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1635502021-07-18T12:28:06Z2021-07-18T12:28:06ZWhy the outdoors should be an integral part of every early learning and child-care program<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/410605/original/file-20210709-19-1emy3o7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=161%2C1041%2C5829%2C2928&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Beyond the many known benefits of outdoor education, COVID-19 has highlighted the outdoors as an environment which mitigates the risk of spreading airborne viruses. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pexels/Charles Parker)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Bilateral negotiations are underway to move the historic <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2021/04/budget-2021-a-canada-wide-early-learning-and-child-care-plan.html">federal commitment to a Canada-wide early learning and child-care system</a> from vision to reality. Expanding access for all young children in Canada will require creating and licensing more physical spaces where children learn and are cared for. But what kinds of spaces will these be? </p>
<p>In the face of the growing body of research that reveals how outdoor early learning has significant <a href="https://www.child-encyclopedia.com/outdoor-play/synthesis">developmental benefits for children</a>, early childhood educators across the country are reimagining early learning and care in the outdoors.</p>
<p>Governments need to take note of <a href="https://childnature.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Infographic-final-version.pdf">this burgeoning grassroots movement</a> because there are implications for capital infrastructure, regulations and early childhood educator training.</p>
<h2>Optimal conditions for learning</h2>
<p>In the outdoors children can <a href="https://www.outdoorplaycanada.ca/position-statement-on-active-outdoor-play">move freely, follow their interests, take risks and test their limits</a>. This translates into children who are happier, more active, curious, confident and collaborative. High-quality outdoor environments create <a href="https://www.child-encyclopedia.com/outdoor-play/according-experts/young-childrens-outdoor-play-based-learning">optimal conditions for learning</a>. </p>
<p>In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the <a href="https://www.lawson.ca/op-elcc-covid19.pdf">outdoors as a health-promoting environment that mitigates the risk of spreading airborne viruses</a> — something we can continue to benefit from in the future.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/from-obesity-to-allergies-outdoor-play-is-the-best-medicine-for-children-118031">From obesity to allergies, outdoor play is the best medicine for children</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>My doctoral research is about the philosophy, practice and policy of outdoor early learning in Ontario. I have become convinced that high-quality outdoor learning should be a significant part of every early learning and child-care program. </p>
<p>Here’s what governments should be contemplating as we begin to build a Canada-wide system that embraces and enables outdoor learning.</p>
<h2>Infrastructure must include outdoor spaces</h2>
<p>When we think of capital infrastructure costs for early learning and care, we tend to think about buildings, but we need to think carefully about outdoor spaces and reframe them as outdoor learning environments. Regulations across <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5292-1">the country currently do not require more than seven sq. m per child of outdoor space</a>. That is just <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781526402028">half the size of a parking space!</a></p>
<p>Fortunately <a href="https://www.outdoorplaycanada.ca/portfolio_page/seven-cs-an-informational-guide-to-young-childrens-outdoor-play-spaces">evidence-based design guidelines</a> already exist for planning high-quality outdoor learning environments. Criteria for early learning and care infrastructure funds to create new spaces should require high-quality outdoor learning environments as part of any new construction or renovation.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A natural playground built of logs." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/410840/original/file-20210712-71119-vx17y2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/410840/original/file-20210712-71119-vx17y2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410840/original/file-20210712-71119-vx17y2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410840/original/file-20210712-71119-vx17y2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410840/original/file-20210712-71119-vx17y2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410840/original/file-20210712-71119-vx17y2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410840/original/file-20210712-71119-vx17y2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Deciding how to invest in new infrastructure for early learning and care means considering how outdoor environments will be part of children’s learning.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Schools, local green spaces</h2>
<p>Of course, access to outdoor space is a challenge in many urban centres. However, accommodations can be made. </p>
<p>First, early childhood education programs can be delivered through schools, which tend to have outdoor space. This would maximize existing assets and benefit all children in a school. The Nova Scotia government has done so with its <a href="https://www.ednet.ns.ca/pre-primary">pre-primary program for four-year-olds</a>. The government recently announced <a href="https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20210413001">a new fund for outdoor learning environments</a> in partnership with the federal government. </p>
<p>Second, partnerships with municipalities and parks agencies can support access to local green spaces. Partnerships can help ensure access to infrastructure such as bathrooms and running water.</p>
<p>Investing in high-quality natural play spaces <a href="https://www.evergreen.ca/our-projects/school-board-collaborations-services/">in school yards</a> and local parks would also leverage benefits for everyone in the local community. This is especially important given that <a href="https://ccpr.parkpeople.ca/2020/themes/growth/stories/towards-equitable-parks">access to green space is not equitable in Canada</a>.</p>
<h2>Forest and nature schools</h2>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/410831/original/file-20210712-19-1u24d1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Young children in a colourful autumn leafy forest seen walking up a hill." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/410831/original/file-20210712-19-1u24d1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/410831/original/file-20210712-19-1u24d1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=672&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410831/original/file-20210712-19-1u24d1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=672&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410831/original/file-20210712-19-1u24d1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=672&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410831/original/file-20210712-19-1u24d1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=844&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410831/original/file-20210712-19-1u24d1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=844&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410831/original/file-20210712-19-1u24d1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=844&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Children seen at Cloudberry Forest School in St. John’s.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Cloudberry Forest School</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We also need to enable early learning programs in which children spend the majority of their day outdoors, such as <a href="https://childnature.ca/about-forest-and-nature-school/">forest and nature schools</a>.</p>
<p>Currently government regulations for early learning and care in every jurisdiction require an indoor facility in order to obtain a licence to operate. However, such buildings are a poor and unnecessary use of money when programs plan to be mostly outside. Community buildings, cabins and shelters can provide sufficient protective space during inclement weather. </p>
<p>In the U.S., <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WADEL/bulletins/2d8751e">Washington state recently licensed outdoor preschools</a>. <a href="https://dcyf.wa.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/reports/OutdoorPreschoolPilotFinal2020.pdf">Pilot program budgets</a> demonstrated that outdoor programs require around <a href="https://doi.org/10.24926/ijps.v4i3.181">30 per cent less in operating funds than traditional early learning and care programs</a>. </p>
<p>In St. John’s, N.L., <a href="https://www.obrienfarm.ca/cloudberry-forest-school">Cloudberry Forest School</a> has just started a three-year pilot project <a href="https://gazette.mun.ca/public-engagement/educational-beacon/">to explore the licensing of outdoor early learning and care programs</a>. Other jurisdictions will soon be able to benefit from their learning.</p>
<h2>Educator training</h2>
<p>Quality in early learning and care <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/early-learning-child-care/reports/2019-defining-measuring-quality.html">is influenced by the educational attainment of the staff who work with children</a>. Currently, the majority of post-secondary early childhood education programs across the country <a href="https://cjee.lakeheadu.ca/article/view/1653">do not explicitly prepare educators for outdoor teaching and learning</a>. However, this is changing rapidly.</p>
<p>There are new post-secondary transformations taking place in <a href="https://www.okanagan.bc.ca/news/from-colleges-to-communities-lawson-foundation-supports-early-childhood-education-project-at">Alberta, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick</a>. In Ontario, Humber College is embracing a “Two-Eyed Seeing” approach, <a href="https://theconversation.com/children-make-connections-to-aki-earth-through-anishinaabe-teachings-133669">whereby both Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspectives influence early land-based play and learning</a>. Their work is <a href="https://humber.ca/today/media-releases/humber-launch-land-based-play-and-co-learning-initiative">guided partly by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/children-make-connections-to-aki-earth-through-anishinaabe-teachings-133669">Children make connections to Aki (Earth) through Anishinaabe teachings</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Existing evidence-based <a href="https://outdoorplaytraining.com/about-the-project/">professional learning resources</a> and <a href="https://childnature.ca/forest-school-canada/">training programs</a> could be scaled and paired with apprenticeship approaches to educator training to help meet the urgent need for qualified educators.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Father and child fishing." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/410604/original/file-20210709-25-o5vtqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/410604/original/file-20210709-25-o5vtqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=638&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410604/original/file-20210709-25-o5vtqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=638&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410604/original/file-20210709-25-o5vtqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=638&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410604/original/file-20210709-25-o5vtqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=801&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410604/original/file-20210709-25-o5vtqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=801&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410604/original/file-20210709-25-o5vtqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=801&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Recruiting for outdoor programs may attract more males to work as early childhood educators.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Canada needs an additional <a href="https://centreforfuturework.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ELCC-Report-Formatted-FINAL-FINAL.pdf">20,000 staff each year to expand the early learning and care system, most of whom need to be educators who will work directly with children</a>. Outdoor early learning is a source of untapped potential for recruitment. </p>
<p>Passionate professionals in parks, conservation and outdoor education might reimagine their careers through early childhood education in outdoor learning environments if supported to make the transition. Recruiting for outdoor programs may also attract <a href="https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/strategy-plan/2017/03/blueprint-2020-expansion-early-learning-childcare-scotland-2017-18-action/documents/00515637-pdf/00515637-pdf/govscot%3Adocument/00515637.pdf">more males to early childhood education</a>. The fact that <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10409289.2020.1822079">educators report their own improved well-being and professional engagement outdoors</a> may help attract and retain more early childhood educators.</p>
<h2>Scotland as an international model</h2>
<p>Scotland recently expanded its early learning and care and <a href="https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/strategy-plan/2017/03/blueprint-2020-expansion-early-learning-childcare-scotland-2017-18-action/documents/00515637-pdf/00515637-pdf/govscot%3Adocument/00515637.pdf">emphasized the importance of outdoor play and learning in its policy</a>. <a href="https://theconversation.com/scotlands-outdoor-play-initiative-has-some-lessons-for-the-rest-of-the-world-132429">A grassroots movement led by early adopters, and then supported by champions within government</a>, laid the groundwork. </p>
<p>The Scottish government also developed a robust set of <a href="https://www.careandlearningalliance.co.uk/care-inspectorate-hub-outdoor-learning-guidance-tools/">resources for educator training, play space design and implementation guidelines to support outdoor programming</a>. <a href="https://www.gov.scot/policies/early-education-and-care/outdoor-play-and-learning/">Government, local authorities and non-profits in Scotland worked together</a> to enable early learning and care programs to use local green spaces. This is a model Canada should pay attention to.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/scotlands-outdoor-play-initiative-has-some-lessons-for-the-rest-of-the-world-132429">Scotland’s outdoor play initiative has some lessons for the rest of the world</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The <a href="https://ppforum.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/FromInvestmentToAction-May2021.pdf">Public Policy Forum recently recommended</a> that the federal government invest in an infrastructure fund for early learning and care as well as the expansion of post-secondary programs for early childhood educators. As government and educational plans unfold, children should not have to depend on the goodwill of an educator to access high-quality outdoor learning; good policy and investment are the solution, and all levels of government have roles to play.</p>
<p>Building a new Canada-wide early learning and care system will be one of the most significant social investments in decades. With the goal of serving every young child in Canada, it is incumbent upon us to imagine and build a system that reflects children’s innate needs and desires to learn outdoors in order to enhance child-care quality as well as child and educator well-being.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/163550/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christine Alden is affiliated with the Lawson Foundation, a funder of The Conversation Canada. </span></em></p>Planning outdoor early learning and child care has implications for training and recruiting educators as well as for planning, developing and funding physical spaces.Christine Alden, PhD Candidate, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of TorontoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1511612021-01-05T17:31:42Z2021-01-05T17:31:42ZHow to connect with nature and improve your mental health this winter<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373924/original/file-20201209-21-1jr6xbx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=33%2C0%2C3657%2C2240&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-man-standing-winter-frozen-nature-533320168">kovop58/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>This past year more than any other we’ve been reminded that access to <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-make-your-house-and-garden-more-tranquil-tips-from-an-acoustics-expert-140208">outdoor private space</a> is a privilege – not all of us have a home with a garden. But many of us have also spent more time outdoors in nature and felt a greater sense of connection with the trees, plants and the natural world.</p>
<p>With this in mind, I’ve pulled together some tips on how you can nurture your mental health through nature. These ideas will work for all gardens (both public and private) – from the smallest patch to a stately home. </p>
<h2>Reflect</h2>
<p>Nature connects us in complex ways. And stopping to think about this connection is one way you can get in tune with the natural world around you. In your garden or local park, walk a path that has been walked before, you could choose an ancient path and consider all the people that have walked that way before. Or choose a route you have walked with <a href="https://research.brighton.ac.uk/en/publications/rambling-on-exploring-the-complexity-of-walking-as-a-meaningful-a">someone you care about</a>. </p>
<p>If you have a garden, think about <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14649360802553202">people</a> who have contributed to it, take a slow careful tour, focus on each plant – how did it come into the garden? Show appreciation for it and its story, send a mental message of thanks to the person who gifted it, or inspired <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0308022616666844?etoc=">its adoption</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two sheds in a frosty sunlit allotment garden." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373929/original/file-20201209-24-14qw4v8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373929/original/file-20201209-24-14qw4v8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373929/original/file-20201209-24-14qw4v8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373929/original/file-20201209-24-14qw4v8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373929/original/file-20201209-24-14qw4v8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373929/original/file-20201209-24-14qw4v8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373929/original/file-20201209-24-14qw4v8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Reflect on what you can see around you.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/landscape-view-on-autumn-morning-frost-778311625">Carmina_Photography</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The certainty of the rhythmic cycle of the seasons can also help to connect us to a better future. Gardening is inherently related to nature’s cycles. Gardening is continuous and can be characterised as “<a href="http://oro.open.ac.uk/37717/3/858B4C75.pdf">quiet sustainability</a>” or <a href="https://rgs-ibg.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/area.12318">quiet activism</a>. Through the act of willing things to grow we are imagining that spring and summer will come and there will be renewal. Don’t worry about the <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0308022616666844?etoc=">look of the garden</a>, just focus on what it means to you in this season of bare branches and empty flowerbeds.</p>
<h2>Harvest and tidy</h2>
<p><a href="http://oro.open.ac.uk/37717/3/858B4C75.pdf">Gardeners often share</a> and gift their surplus vegetables, plants and seeds with family, friends and neighbours. In this sense then, gardening doesn’t have to be an expensive hobby – many gardeners base their acquisition of plants and seeds on <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02614367.2020.1731841">mutual exchange</a> with other gardening enthusiasts within their community. </p>
<p>If you bear the responsibility of a garden, then you will also appreciate the pleasure of a newly <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-08141-0_58">cleared patch</a>. So, whether there is obvious produce or not, get to work. Tidy, weed and collect up seed pods and cases, use paper bags or envelopes to store them. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Gardener tending garden in winter." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373926/original/file-20201209-23-1kz48q0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373926/original/file-20201209-23-1kz48q0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373926/original/file-20201209-23-1kz48q0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373926/original/file-20201209-23-1kz48q0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373926/original/file-20201209-23-1kz48q0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373926/original/file-20201209-23-1kz48q0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373926/original/file-20201209-23-1kz48q0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">There’s still plenty you can do in the garden during winter.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/gardener-tending-garden-356080496">Image Conscious/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Don’t worry if you are unsure which plant they came from, take a picture or draw a map of the spot. You can return to it in the spring if your seedlings start to sprout and you’re still not sure what they are. Allow your seeds to dry thoroughly and spend time on rainy afternoons trying to identify them. Reflect on the <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-08141-0_58">wonder that each tiny speck</a> will become the producer of thousands of new seeds.</p>
<h2>Nurture</h2>
<p>Gardening is experienced as both a long-term project – transformations of the garden may take years to achieve – <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02614367.2020.1731841">and as a spontaneous</a> and intrinsically rewarding activity. Many gardeners endure <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0267303042000152168">chore-like</a> aspects such as weeding as part of their overall project of caring for the garden – which reciprocally appears to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02614367.2020.1731841">care for them</a>. </p>
<p>Nurturing acts can include transforming pine-cones into bird feeders by squeezing <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-kids/games-and-activities/activities/make-a-speedy-bird-cake/?channel=paidsearch&gclid=CjwKCAiAwrf-BRA9EiwAUWwKXs87cBfO3KDoeef06_v7BOh8xv9x8QcdatehvWhdXyfI8-cqFjhnBhoCHvMQAvD_BwE">fats and seeds</a> into their spaces and hanging them where you can see them. Piles of dry twigs can also be made into <a href="https://www.edenproject.com/learn/for-everyone/how-to-build-an-insect-home?gclid=CjwKCAiAwrf-BRA9EiwAUWwKXhUI9b8-R7lfrb2i1Sk_hD1w4NT4dS9oeIepXDgNUGwHcby3jwxgsRoCKXEQAvD_BwE">excellent hotels</a> for beneficial garden insects and bigger piles may attract <a href="https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/hedgehog-homes/">hedgehogs</a>. </p>
<h2>Play</h2>
<p>In a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02614367.2020.1731841">recent study</a> of Danish allotment gardening, people thought of going to their garden patch as an “escape” – and used terms such as “refuge”, “oasis” and “haven” to describe their plot. Many gardeners also highlighted the sense of freedom access to outdoor space gave them – along with a chance to relax and mentally unwind. </p>
<p>So give yourself permission to play and disconnect. Get muddy, dig and weed, move and organise, have fun, get sweaty. If something catches your eye – a strange insect or curious seed case – stop and stare. Be in the moment, <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-08141-0_58">allow wonder</a> and childlike feelings and sensory experiences, colours and smells, to fill your mind. Even when it’s not fun, it’s satisfying.</p>
<p>Though many garden tasks can be enjoyable in their own right, sometimes it can be a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02614367.2020.1731841">bit of chore</a> – like outdoors housework. But letting your imagination roam while doing those necessary, but boring jobs can add a layer of meaning and help to create a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02614367.2020.1731841">sense of purpose</a> in the overall project of tending the garden.</p>
<p>For example you could plan your next holiday while raking leaves, or imagine a beautiful spring border when planting bulbs. Allowing the imagination to roam allows you to create enjoyment in a mundane task. And this sense of delayed gratification is an essential feature of gardening. It doesn’t matter if the enjoyment is in the task itself or in the freedom it gives to let the mind wander – just the fact you’re doing it is enough.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/151161/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tania Wiseman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Even if you don’t have a garden, there are still ways you can benefit and connect with the nature on your doorstep.Tania Wiseman, Principal Lecturer, School of Health Sciences, University of BrightonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1469572020-10-05T12:10:36Z2020-10-05T12:10:36ZA proposed mine threatens Minnesota’s Boundary Waters, the most popular wilderness in the US<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361429/original/file-20201002-24-1qfz2fx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4096%2C2683&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness draws thousands of visitors yearly.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://flic.kr/p/2jodLTk">Andy Witchger/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>President Trump has worked aggressively to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/climate/trump-environment-rollbacks.html">dismantle the environmental legacy</a> of his predecessor Barack Obama since taking office in 2017. The latest example is a mining project that could affect the most heavily visited wilderness area in the United States: the <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/superior/specialplaces/?cid=fseprd555184">Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness</a>, which stretches over a million acres in the <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/superior/home">Superior National Forest</a> in remote northern Minnesota. </p>
<p>This <a href="https://www.fieldandstream.com/place-to-escape-boundary-waters-canoe-area-wilderness/">bucket-list destination for paddling, fishing and camping</a> contains more than 1,200 miles of canoe routes among thousands of lakes and streams, drawing some 250,000 visitors yearly. Just to its southwest are large metal deposits – part of Minnesota’s Iron Ranges, which have been a major mining region <a href="https://www.minnpost.com/mnopedia/2020/05/a-brief-history-of-minnesotas-mesabi-iron-range/">since the mid-1800s</a>. </p>
<p>For <a href="https://www.twin-metals.com/meet-twin-metals/about-the-project/">over a decade</a> a company called <a href="https://www.twin-metals.com/meet-twin-metals/">Twin Metals</a> has been seeking permission to build and run an underground copper, nickel, cobalt and platinum mine there. Opponents, including local residents, conservation groups and outdoor businesses, argue that this operation could <a href="https://www.savetheboundarywaters.org/the-threat">release toxic contaminants</a> that would wash into the Boundary Waters and adjoining parks, poisoning wildlife and contaminating soils.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361432/original/file-20201002-23-1awhgdk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Map of parks near proposed mine site" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361432/original/file-20201002-23-1awhgdk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361432/original/file-20201002-23-1awhgdk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=460&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361432/original/file-20201002-23-1awhgdk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=460&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361432/original/file-20201002-23-1awhgdk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=460&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361432/original/file-20201002-23-1awhgdk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=578&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361432/original/file-20201002-23-1awhgdk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=578&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361432/original/file-20201002-23-1awhgdk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=578&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Critics of the Twin Metals mine proposal argue that pollution from sulfide-ore copper mining could flow into the Boundary Waters, and from there into Voyageurs National Park and Ontario’s Quetico Provincial Park.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.voyageurs.org/advocacy/sulfide-mining">Voyageurs National Park Association</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Obama administration opposed the project and declined to renew expiring leases for Twin Metals in 2016. But the Trump administration <a href="https://www.minnpost.com/environment/2019/05/feds-renew-twin-metals-mineral-leases-what-it-means-for-the-companys-proposed-copper-nickel-mine-near-the-bwca/">granted new leases</a> in May 2019. As a scholar who <a href="https://www.rizzoliusa.com/book/9780847849154/">studies public land management</a>, I see this controversy as a classic debate over environmental protection versus job creation, with a twist: There’s a compelling economic argument for conservation. </p>
<h2>Short- and long-term benefits</h2>
<p>U.S. national forests are managed with multiple uses in mind, including logging, livestock grazing, biodiversity, air and water quality and recreation. Designating part of a national forest as wilderness is a big step that prohibits some of those uses. It means, in the language of the 1964 <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5313909.pdf">Wilderness Act</a>, that “there shall be no commercial enterprise and no permanent road within any wilderness area,” nor any motorized vehicles that would mar the land’s “primeval character,” its “outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation.”</p>
<p>The Boundary Waters first received protection as a roadless wilderness area in <a href="https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hrd/pubs/bwcawild.pdf">1926</a> at the recommendation of the Forest Service’s first landscape architect, Arthur Carhart. “There is one outstanding feature found in the Superior National Forest which is not present in any other nationally owned property,” Carhart asserted. “This is a lake type of recreation. The Superior is unquestionably <a href="https://apnews.com/c8df154479754f77b4dfe31edeb19bd8/can-nature-advocates-save-threatened-boundary-waters">one of the few great canoe countries of the world</a>.”</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361410/original/file-20201002-22-ulk39r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Lynda Bird Johnson portaging a canoe" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361410/original/file-20201002-22-ulk39r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/361410/original/file-20201002-22-ulk39r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=607&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361410/original/file-20201002-22-ulk39r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=607&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361410/original/file-20201002-22-ulk39r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=607&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361410/original/file-20201002-22-ulk39r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=763&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361410/original/file-20201002-22-ulk39r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=763&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/361410/original/file-20201002-22-ulk39r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=763&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Lynda Bird Johnson, daughter of president Lyndon Johnson, on a visit to the Boundary Waters in 1965.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://flic.kr/p/8UpFwX">USFS/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This was just the <a href="http://bwca.cc/historical/history.htm">second officially protected U.S. wilderness area</a> at the time. Today Northeast Minnesota’s outdoor recreation economy generates more than <a href="https://mn.gov/tourism-industry/assets/01222019-rsc-nll-tourism-and-the-economy-fact-sheet-2019_tcm1135-370472.pdf">US$900 million in annual revenues and sustains over 17,000 jobs</a>. </p>
<p>A 2016 study estimated that the Boundary Waters alone accounts for <a href="https://recpro.memberclicks.net/assets/Library/Economic_Impact/Boundary_Waters_Economics_Report-2016.pdf">1,000 jobs and $77 million in annual economic output</a>. “Outdoor recreation is an export industry for northeastern Minnesota, providing for stable employment and sustainable jobs year after year,” the report observed. </p>
<p>For comparison, Twin Metals projects that its mine would <a href="https://www.twin-metals.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TMM-Mine-Plan-of-Operations_2019-1218-R.pdf">operate for 25 years</a> and <a href="https://www.twin-metals.com/meet-twin-metals/about-the-project/">generate more than 2,250 jobs</a>. A Harvard economist who assessed these two options in 2018 concluded that over 20 years, protecting the Boundary Waters would provide <a href="https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/stock/files/snf_withdrawal_ea_stock_and_bradt_aug6_2018.pdf">greater economic benefits than approving the mine</a>.</p>
<p>Critics of the proposed mine are worried because mining generates large quantities of waste rock. Metals in these rocks can produce highly acidic runoff that <a href="https://theconversation.com/mining-powers-modern-life-but-can-leave-scarred-lands-and-polluted-waters-behind-119453">pollutes rivers, streams and groundwater</a>. </p>
<p>A 2012 study of 15 U.S. sulfide-ore copper mines, published by the environmental advocacy organization Earthworks, found that 14 of the projects experienced accidental releases that resulted in <a href="https://www.earthworks.org/publications/u-s-operating-copper-mines-failure-to-capture-treat-wastewater/">significant water contamination</a>. Since the Boundary Waters exists within a vast network of interconnected lakes and streams, toxic mining pollution upstream could be disastrous for fish, wildlife and wilderness values. </p>
<p>Polls show that an overwhelming majority of Minnesotans, including residents of the northern counties, want to <a href="https://www.startribune.com/minnesotans-opposed-to-new-mining-near-boundary-waters-poll-shows/568158962/?refresh=true">protect the Boundary Waters</a> and the jobs and revenues that the wilderness generates. On the other side, unions, business organizations and <a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/02/13/in-northern-minn-neighbors-navigate-the-bitter-fight-over-coppernickel-mining">local elected officials</a> argue that the mine will <a href="http://jobsforminnesotans.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Twin-Metals-Support-Letter.pdf">boost the regional economy</a> while producing “strategic minerals critical to the transition to a green economy and our national security.” </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QtWqjhD6TeM?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Follow a family paddling, camping and fishing in the Boundary Waters.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Fast-tracking development</h2>
<p>As often is true of mining proposals, several agencies are involved. The Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management controls all minerals on U.S. public lands. Because 400 acres of the proposed mine’s 1,156-acre footprint is <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/06/30/2020-14051/notice-of-intent-to-prepare-an-environmental-impact-statement-for-the-twin-metals-project-in-the">within the Superior National Forest</a>, the bureau <a href="https://apnews.com/c8df154479754f77b4dfe31edeb19bd8/can-nature-advocates-save-threatened-boundary-waters">needs the Forest Service’s consent</a> to approve the project.</p>
<p>In 2016, after analyzing the mine’s potential impacts, the Forest Service refused to consent to the lease, and the Obama administration imposed a 20-year moratorium on mining near the Boundary Waters. But things changed a year later, shortly after President Trump’s inauguration, when his daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner rented a District of Columbia mansion from a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/reliable-source/wp/2017/03/08/report-ivanka-and-jared-kushners-mysterious-landlord-is-a-chilean-billionaire/">Chilean businessman named Andrónico Luksic</a>. </p>
<p>[<em><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=experts">Expertise in your inbox. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter and get expert takes on today’s news, every day.</a></em>]</p>
<p>Luksic was the chief executive officer of Antofagasta, a Chilean conglomerate that owned Twin Metals. Within weeks, senior U.S. officials were meeting with Antofagasta leaders and reexamining the leases. Company representatives and a spokesperson for the Kushners said there was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/25/climate/trump-minnesota-mine.html">no link between the rental and action on the mine</a>, but ethics experts said even the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/ivanka-trumps-landlord-is-a-chilean-billionaire-suing-the-u-s-government-1489000307">appearance of a conflict</a> was troubling.</p>
<p>Administration officials have sought to weaken the Forest Service’s <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/04/01/2020-06791/locatable-minerals">authority over mineral leases</a> across its 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands. On June 12, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, whose agency includes the Forest Service, issued a memo that directed the Forest Service to “streamline processes and identify new opportunities to increase America’s energy dominance and <a href="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/oil-logging-mining-ordered-as-new-focus-for-forest-service">reduce reliance on foreign countries for critical minerals</a>.” And the agency has signaled its willingness to do so. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1311452870710104066"}"></div></p>
<h2>Ecological value</h2>
<p>Trump has claimed credit on the campaign trail for saving Minnesota’s mining economy from stifling environmental regulation. “Our miners are back on the job and wages have increased by as much as 50%…. But if Biden wins the Iron Range we’ll be shut down forever, you know that,” he told an <a href="https://www.fox21online.com/2020/08/17/president-trump-focuses-on-farming-iron-range-mining-during-minnesota-campaign-stop/">audience in Mankato, Minnesota</a>, on Aug. 17.</p>
<p>Ironically, just a few days later the Trump administration <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/08/22/trump-administration-pause-permit-alaskas-pebble-mine-monday/">hit the pause button</a> on another large mining project: the proposed Pebble Mine in Alaska, which critics assert would <a href="http://www.savebristolbay.org/">pollute Bristol Bay</a>, the site of several lucrative wild salmon fisheries. The administration reportedly reversed course after Donald Trump Jr. and other prominent conservatives who are <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/08/reversal-trump-kills-huge-alaskan-gold-mine-here-s-why">avid hunters and anglers</a> objected to it. </p>
<p>While jobs and economic impacts loom large in this debate, they aren’t the only issues at stake. At an <a href="https://www.un.org/pga/75/united-nations-summit-on-biodiversity/">international biodiversity summit</a> on Sept. 30, United Nations officials issued a call to action to protect nature from degradation. With biodiversity declining “at rates unprecedented in human history, with growing impacts on people and our planet,” they specifically pointed out that some 85% of global wetlands have been lost to development, with <a href="https://www.unwater.org/the-global-wetland-outlook/">35% of that total</a> disappearing between 1970 and 2015. </p>
<p>That makes the Boundary Waters, with its 1,000 glacier-gouged lakes, both a relic and an opportunity for Minnesotans, Americans and the planet.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/146957/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Char Miller is a board member at the National Museum of Forest Service History and a senior fellow at the Pinchot Institute for Conservation.
</span></em></p>Conservation or copper? A proposed mine in northern Minnesota pits industrial jobs against a thriving outdoor economy.Char Miller, W. M. Keck Professor of Environmental Analysis and History, Pomona CollegeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1399532020-08-06T12:25:15Z2020-08-06T12:25:15ZTwitter posts show that people are profoundly sad – and are visiting parks to cheer up<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/351165/original/file-20200804-18-1tqnitx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5463%2C3645&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Central Park, New York City, on Memorial Day weekend, May 24, 2020. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/on-memorial-day-weekend-a-man-and-woman-with-masks-practice-news-photo/1226848754?adppopup=true">Ira L. Black/Corbis via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States is the deepest and longest period of malaise in a dozen years. Our colleagues at the University of Vermont have concluded this by analyzing posts on Twitter. The <a href="https://vermontcomplexsystems.org/">Vermont Complex Systems Center</a> studies 50 million tweets a day, scoring the “happiness” of people’s words to monitor the national mood. That mood today is at its lowest point since 2008 when they started this project.</p>
<p>They call the tweet analysis the <a href="https://hedonometer.org/timeseries/en_all/">Hedonometer</a>. It relies on surveys of thousands of people who rate words indicating happiness. “Laughter” gets an 8.50 while “jail” gets a 1.76. They use these scores to measure the mood of Twitter traffic. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/348999/original/file-20200722-26-1u7hs0l.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/348999/original/file-20200722-26-1u7hs0l.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/348999/original/file-20200722-26-1u7hs0l.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=331&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348999/original/file-20200722-26-1u7hs0l.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=331&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348999/original/file-20200722-26-1u7hs0l.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=331&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348999/original/file-20200722-26-1u7hs0l.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348999/original/file-20200722-26-1u7hs0l.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/348999/original/file-20200722-26-1u7hs0l.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Hedonometer measures happiness through analysis of key words on Twitter, which is now used by one in five Americans. This chart covers 18 months from early 2019 to July 2020, showing major dips in 2020.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">hedonometer.org</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These same tweets also indicate a potential salve. Before pandemic lockdowns began, doctoral student <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=0P0ZYbIAAAAJ&hl=en">Aaron Schwartz</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10045">compared tweets before, during, and after visits to 150 parks, playgrounds and plazas</a> in San Francisco. He found that park visits corresponded with a spike in happiness, followed by an afterglow lasting up to four hours. </p>
<p>Tweets from parks contained fewer negative words such as “no,” “not” and “can’t,” and fewer first-person pronouns like “I” and “me.” It seems that nature makes people more positive and less self-obsessed.</p>
<p>Parks keep people happy in times of global crisis, economic shutdown and public anger. Research has also shown that transmission rates for COVID-19 are <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/Is-risk-of-coronavirus-transmission-lower-15287602.php">much lower outdoors than inside</a>. As scholars who study <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=yFzb2EUAAAAJ&hl=en">conservation</a> and how nature <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=CCnUeN8AAAAJ&hl=en">contributes to human well-being</a>, we see opening up parks and creating new ones as a straightforward remedy for Americans’ current blues.</p>
<h2>Park visits are up during the pandemic</h2>
<p>According to the Hedonometer, sentiments expressed online started trending lower in mid-March as the impacts of the pandemic became clear. As lockdowns continued, they registered the lowest sentiment scores on record. Then in late May, effects from George Floyd’s death in police custody and the following protests and police response once again could be seen on Twitter. May 31, 2020 was the saddest day of the project. </p>
<p>Recent surveys of park visitors around the University of Vermont have shown people <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/sd3h6">using green spaces more</a> since COVID-19 lockdowns began. Many people reported that parks were highly important to their well-being during the pandemic. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1289428912879964160"}"></div></p>
<p>The powerful effects of nature are strongest in large parks with more trees, but smaller neighborhood parks also provide a significant boost. Their impact on happiness is real, measurable and lasting. </p>
<p>Twitter records show that parks increase happiness to a level similar to the bounce at Christmas, which typically is the happiest day of the year. Schwartz has since expanded his <a href="https://arxiv.org/pdf/2006.10658.pdf">Twitter study</a> to the 25 largest cities in the U.S. and found this bounce everywhere.</p>
<p>Parks and public spaces won’t cure COVID-19 or stop police brutality, but they are far more than playgrounds. There is growing evidence that parks contribute to mental and physical health in a range of communities. </p>
<p>In a 2015 study, for example, Stanford researchers sent people out for one of two walks: through a local park or on a busy street. Those who walked in nature showed <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2015.02.005">improved moods and better memory performance</a> compared to the urban group. And a team led by <a href="https://penniur.upenn.edu/people/eugenia-gina-south">Gina South</a> of the University of Pennsylvania showed in a 2018 study that greening and cleaning up blighted vacant lots in Philadelphia <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.0298">reduced local residents’ feelings of depression, worthlessness and poor mental health</a>. </p>
<h2>Creative strategies</h2>
<p>It isn’t easy to create new parks on the scale of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park or the Washington Mall, but smaller projects can expand outdoor space. Options include greening vacant lots, closing streets and investing in existing parks to make them safer, greener and shadier and support wildlife. </p>
<p>These initiatives don’t have to be capital-intensive. In the University of Pennsylvania study, for example, renovating a vacant lot by removing trash, planting grass and trees and installing a low fence cost only about US$1,600.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/351170/original/file-20200804-14-1qshxh4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Small manmade waterfall park in Seattle, Wash." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/351170/original/file-20200804-14-1qshxh4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/351170/original/file-20200804-14-1qshxh4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/351170/original/file-20200804-14-1qshxh4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/351170/original/file-20200804-14-1qshxh4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/351170/original/file-20200804-14-1qshxh4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/351170/original/file-20200804-14-1qshxh4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/351170/original/file-20200804-14-1qshxh4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Waterfall Garden Park, a pocket park in Seattle built and maintained by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocket_park#/media/File:Seattle_Waterfall_Garden_03.jpg">Joe Mabel/Wikipedia</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Urban green space is most needed in neighborhoods that have lacked funding for parks, especially given <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/nyregion/coronavirus-race-deaths.html">COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on Black and Latinx people</a>. </p>
<p>Cities can also create parklike spaces by <a href="https://theconversation.com/with-fewer-cars-on-us-streets-now-is-the-time-to-reinvent-roadways-and-how-we-use-them-140408">closing streets to cars</a>. Many cities worldwide are currently retooling their transportation systems for the post-COVID-19 world in order to <a href="https://thecityfix.com/blog/bicycles-slower-speeds-livable-city-paris-mayor-anne-hidalgo-plans-ambitious-second-term-dario-hidalgo/">reallocate public space</a>, widen sidewalks and make more space for nature. </p>
<p>Urban designers, artists, ecologists and other citizens can play a direct role, too, creating pop-up parks and green spaces. Some advocates <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-15/a-brief-history-of-park-ing-day">transform parking spaces into mini-parks</a> with grass, potted trees and seating for just the time on the meter, to make a larger point about turning so much public space over to cars.</p>
<p>Or cities can invest a little more. Minneapolis, Cincinnati and Arlington, Virginia, have won <a href="https://www.tpl.org/parkscore">national recognition</a> for their ambitious investments in public park systems. These areas could serve as models for neighborhoods that lack access to parks. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1276558744835379201"}"></div></p>
<h2>A New Park Deal?</h2>
<p>The United States has historically driven economic recovery with major infrastructure investments, like the New Deal in the 1930s and the 2009 <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/american-recovery-and-reinvestment-act.asp">American Reinvestment and Recovery Act</a>. Such investments could easily include nature-positive spaces. </p>
<p>[<em>Deep knowledge, daily.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=deepknowledge">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter</a>.]</p>
<p>Parks are not panaceas, as evidenced by the widely publicized <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/06/nyregion/amy-cooper-false-report-charge.html">racist confrontation between a white woman and a Black birder</a> in New York’s Central Park in early July. But Hedonometer data add to a <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/7/eaax0903?utm_source=miragenews&utm_medium=miragenews&utm_campaign=news">growing body of evidence</a> that they provide <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1807504116">clear mental health benefits</a>. Creating and expanding parks also <a href="https://www.nrpa.org/contentassets/f568e0ca499743a08148e3593c860fc5/economic-impact-study-summary.pdf">generates jobs and economic activity</a>, with much of the money spent locally. </p>
<p>We believe investments in nature are well worth it, offering both short-term solace in difficult times and long-term benefits to health, economies and communities.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/139953/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Taylor Ricketts has received relevant funding from the National Science Foundation, US Agency for International Development, and Johnson & Johnson. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joe Roman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Research that measures the public mood based on Twitter posts shows that it’s currently at its lowest point in a decade. One exception: when people visit parks and green spaces.Joe Roman, Fellow, Gund Institute for Environment, University of VermontTaylor Ricketts, Professor and Director, Gund Institute for Environment, University of VermontLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1411622020-08-04T12:02:57Z2020-08-04T12:02:57ZMuddy knees and climbing trees: how a summer playing outdoors can help children recharge<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/350508/original/file-20200730-31-x79pp9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=80%2C53%2C5903%2C3911&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-girl-standing-on-rock-raising-her-hands-1368213/">Pexels</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Most adults will remember spending much of their childhood playing outdoors without much parental supervision. But fears for children’s safety plus the demands of modern life mean many parents don’t allow their children the same freedoms. </p>
<p>We live in an age where people have <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10980-016-0423-5">distanced themselves from nature</a> in favour of a world full of technology and indoor pursuits. Natural England confirms that only <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/feb/10/concerns-raised-over-amount-of-children-not-engaging-with-nature">one in nine</a> children have access to natural environments throughout their early lives. And a poll from 2016 found 75% of children in the UK spend <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/mar/25/three-quarters-of-uk-children-spend-less-time-outdoors-than-prison-inmates-survey">less leisure time outdoors than prison inmates</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Child-Woods-Nature-deficit-1-Jun-2010/dp/B011T7U1DS/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=louv+2010&qid=1593422558&s=books&sr=1-1">Research has found this alienation from nature</a> makes children less resilient and less able to cope with the increasing anxieties they have about growing up in the modern world. </p>
<p>And <a href="https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2016/11/09/green-space-mental-wellbeing-and-sustainable-communities/">Public Health England</a> has shown that the communities hardest hit are low income and black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME). Children in these often inner city communities are six times more likely to have no previous experience of activity in outdoor spaces.</p>
<h2>The great outdoors</h2>
<p>It has long been recognised that humans are drawn to all things alive and natural. And for children, getting outdoors helps to aid their exploration of the world. It’s how they learn best – through an environment made up of “<a href="https://creativestarlearning.co.uk/early-years-outdoors/simon-nicholson-and-the-theory-of-loose-parts-1-million-thanks/">loose parts</a>”, which allows for creativity and problem solving. They use their ingenuity to make up games, <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1120194">construct new imaginary worlds</a> and develop their own solutions to problems. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Man and son walking through woodland." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/350509/original/file-20200730-31-1xlphd6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/350509/original/file-20200730-31-1xlphd6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/350509/original/file-20200730-31-1xlphd6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/350509/original/file-20200730-31-1xlphd6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/350509/original/file-20200730-31-1xlphd6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/350509/original/file-20200730-31-1xlphd6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/350509/original/file-20200730-31-1xlphd6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">There’s so much to learn from the great outdoors.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-and-kid-walking-on-downhill-1469880/">Pexels/yogendra singh</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.montessori.org.uk/about-us/what-is-montessori">Early advocates of outdoor play</a><a href="https://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html">all recognised</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/education-man-Friedrich-Froebel-ebook/dp/B00LU44M40/ref=sr_1_10?dchild=1&keywords=froebel&qid=1593597119&sr=8-10">the many positives</a> it can bring. But more recently, outdoor play has been linked to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563214003227">extended focus</a> on tasks and the ability for children to be <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29617366/">self-directed</a> in their approach to learning. </p>
<p>This is especially significant for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder <a href="https://www.adhdfoundation.org.uk/">(ADHD)</a> as time outdoors can increase concentration and <a href="https://chadd.org/adhd-weekly/spend-time-outside-to-improve-adhd-symptoms/">lower hyperactive symptoms</a>.</p>
<h2>Health benefits</h2>
<p>For all children, spending time outdoors increases exposure to light. This is important because it stimulates the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2290997/">pineal gland</a>, which helps to regulate hormones and is vital to remain healthy.</p>
<p>More exposure to sunlight also increases synchronicity to the natural – or circadian - rhythms of the day. This means that as it gets later in the day, children’s brains start to release the hormone melatonin which <a href="https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/40/2/zsw038/2666484">encourages drowsiness</a> in preparation for sleep.</p>
<p>On top of this, exposure to sunlight builds <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-d/">vitamin D</a> in the body – an important vitamin for maintaining strong bones and preventing chronic diseases. </p>
<p>Active play also allows for more physical and strenuous activities and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14733285.2011.638176?casa_token=BAaPte8QgeQAAAAA%253AdBc2y_8vcZ4FzlZUb8csKlINmIfroV_6KFIR_oow9FR-khLYQNqMPyKLNmAoWO6_GBz2UAMlsC0Wog">increases aerobic exercise</a>, so children burn more calories – helping to prevent obesity and strengthen bones and muscles. </p>
<h2>Respect for the environment</h2>
<p>Children who spend more time in nature also express more appreciation for <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263968769_How_contact_with_nature_affects_children's_biophilia_biophobia_and_conservation_attitude_in_China">conservation of the environment</a> and more <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27231925/">interest in how important animals are</a> for our survival. </p>
<p>Evidence shows that <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0956797617741894">time spent outdoors as a child</a> is positively linked with higher <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1120194">environmental literacy</a> and a healthy respect for the world that lasts into adulthood. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Family splashing in water by the seaside." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/350510/original/file-20200730-19-1fkvwue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/350510/original/file-20200730-19-1fkvwue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/350510/original/file-20200730-19-1fkvwue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/350510/original/file-20200730-19-1fkvwue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/350510/original/file-20200730-19-1fkvwue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/350510/original/file-20200730-19-1fkvwue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/350510/original/file-20200730-19-1fkvwue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Get outdoors this summer.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-and-three-children-playing-water-1231365/">Pexels</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Playing outdoors also exposes children to opportunities to extend themselves and push the boundaries of their capabilities. In Norway, for example, from the age of three, children are taught to climb trees, make dens, build fires and use knives when they attend <a href="https://69north.wordpress.com/2013/04/24/what-is-a-barnehage/">kindergarten</a>“. </p>
<p>This exposure to risk in a controlled environment <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/147470491100900212">increases children’s sense of exhilaration</a>, which enables them to gain confidence and push themselves onto <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/278648825_What_is_the_Relationship_between_Risky_Outdoor_Play_and_Health_in_Children_A_Systematic_Review">more challenging activities</a>.</p>
<h2>Get your kids outdoors</h2>
<p>The summer holidays are the perfect opportunity to get outdoors with your children. Don’t underestimate the positive effects of something as simple as a family walk in the park, beach or woodland. Let them jump in puddles and streams, climb trees and gather objects from the wild. </p>
<p>You can also organise games for when you’re out and about. <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/101-Things-Kids-Do-Outside/dp/0857831836/ref=asc_df_0857831836/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310871971371&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14877259985504173374&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006523&hvtargid=pla-526592041417&psc=1&th=1&psc=1">The Matchbox Challenge</a>, for example, is a great game for outdoors. Give each child a matchbox and a time limit to find as many natural objects they can and put them in the matchbox. At the end of the time limit allow them to devise a points system for the different types of objects they found. Add up the points and see who has won.</p>
<p>Another one to try is <a href="https://childhoodbynature.com/how-to-make-a-journey-stick/">journey stick</a>, which allows children to create a memento of a walk and the things found. Finding a large stick is the first part of the challenge. Then as your child finds a new item, tie or tape it to the stick. Once at home, your child can retell their journey with the reminders on their journey stick.</p>
<p>There’s also <a href="http://earthchildproject.org/environmental-education-activities-hug-a-tree/#:%7E:text=Children%20will%20divide%20into%20pairs,%2C%20location%2C%20texture%2C%20etc.">hug a tree</a> – in pairs children take it in turns to be blindfolded while a parent or sibling takes them to a tree. They use their senses to "get to know” the tree. Their guide returns them to the original spot and they must guess which tree they hugged.</p>
<p>These are just some suggestions, but above all else, allow your children to explore the environment, get dirty and take risks this summer – they’ll thank you for it in the long run.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/141162/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Avril Rowley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>For children, getting outdoors helps to aid their exploration of the world – it’s how they learn best.Avril Rowley, Senior Lecturer in Primary Education, Liverpool John Moores UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1394332020-07-08T11:56:24Z2020-07-08T11:56:24ZWhy going camping could be the answer to your lockdown holiday woes<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345501/original/file-20200703-29-1b6b93y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=36%2C95%2C4883%2C3091&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Pexels</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>For many of us, the forced confinement of lockdown has reiterated the importance of <a href="https://theconversation.com/four-ways-people-stuck-at-home-became-armchair-naturalists-during-lockdown-139522">being out and about in nature</a> – along with the benefits it can bring.</p>
<p>So as the <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-is-taking-english-pubs-back-in-time-141544">UK begins to reopen</a>, it’s likely that many people will be craving space away from crowds and busy, built-up areas. And given that, <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/articles/oneineightbritishhouseholdshasnogarden/2020-05-14">one in eight</a> British households has no garden, there is likely to be a surge in people heading off to enjoy the great outdoors and British countryside.</p>
<p>Indeed, outdoor areas and activities – think gardens, national parks and coastal areas – are likely to be busier than usual. Predominantly indoor activities and venues, meanwhile – such as restaurants, museums and galleries – are likely to face lengthier periods of subdued demand.</p>
<p>As a result, the tourism industry is anticipating a surge in people taking active outdoor breaks close to home. In the US for example, a national marketing campaign from the <a href="https://www.nationalparks.org/explore-parks/travel-ideas">National Park Foundation</a> will promote lesser-known parks as destinations. While <a href="https://news.airbnb.com/en-au/airbnb-launches-go-near-a-new-campaign-to-support-domestic-travel/#:%7E:text=Airbnb%20launches%20Go%20Near%2C%20a%20new%20campaign%20to%20support%20domestic%20travel,-By%20Airbnb%20%C2%B7%2011&text=Airbnb%20today%20launched%20Go%20Near,of%20the%20COVID%2D19%20pandemic.">Airbnb’s recent Go Near initiative</a> aims to support the “growing desire for domestic travel”.</p>
<p>In the UK, VisitBritain’s weekly UK COVID-19 <a href="https://www.visitbritain.org/covid-19-consumer-sentiment-tracker">Consumer Tracker Report</a> shows that 20% of adults in the UK plan to take a short break or holiday within the UK by September. Coastal areas (both urban and rural) are emerging as top destinations. </p>
<h2>Heading outdoors</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.eurekacamping.com/blog/article/10-health-benefits-camping">Spending time outdoors</a>, <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/-/it-s-official-spending-time-outside-is-good-for-you">can improve your</a> blood pressure and digestion and boost the immune system. Spending time in green space, near trees, also means that <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-a-walk-in-the-woods-really-does-help-your-body-and-your-soul-53227">we take in more oxygen</a>, which in turn leads to release of the feelgood hormone serotonin. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345511/original/file-20200703-33909-10amfbg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345511/original/file-20200703-33909-10amfbg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=385&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345511/original/file-20200703-33909-10amfbg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=385&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345511/original/file-20200703-33909-10amfbg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=385&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345511/original/file-20200703-33909-10amfbg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345511/original/file-20200703-33909-10amfbg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345511/original/file-20200703-33909-10amfbg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=484&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Spending time outdoors can give you that natural boost.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/happy-family-flying-kite-having-fun-1012262506">DisobeyArt/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/family-holidays/the-science-behind-how-holidays-make-your-child-happier-and-smarter/">Many families</a> incorporate outdoor activity in green space into their holiday plans as a way of improving wellbeing and mental health. Active pursuits in the outdoors can also bring families together to enjoy themselves.</p>
<p>Camping, more than most forms of holiday, involves family members doing more together and encourages a more active, back-to-nature lifestyle. And, according to <a href="https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/news/study-links-camping-and-happier-children#:%7E:text=Research%20led%20by%20Sue%20Waite,on%20their%20children's%20school%20education.&text=Children%20also%20recognised%20camping's%20value,problem%20solving%20and%20working%20together.">research</a> from the University of Plymouth, children who go camping do better at school and are healthier and happier. So it’s a win-win.</p>
<p>The children who took part in the research were asked what they love about camping and the most common themes were making and meeting new friends, having fun, playing outside and learning various camping skills. Children also recognised camping’s value for problem solving and working together – out in the fresh air, away from the TV and computers.</p>
<h2>Quality family time</h2>
<p>The make-up of family units has changed massively over the past two decades. And many families now <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276307204_The_Future_of_Family_Tourism">live spread out</a> – no longer in one place, town or city. So for many families, holidays offer the offer the chance to spend time and reconnect with different generations of their family – along with quality time together that is <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=78JKDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA28&dq=family+tourism&ots=re5um9pF5j&sig=EtsRq7-I_xWEhYcXEm1PkPPr-l0#v=onepage&q=family%20tourism&f=false">so fundamental to family life</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345512/original/file-20200703-33918-1jqo999.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/345512/original/file-20200703-33918-1jqo999.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345512/original/file-20200703-33918-1jqo999.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345512/original/file-20200703-33918-1jqo999.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345512/original/file-20200703-33918-1jqo999.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345512/original/file-20200703-33918-1jqo999.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/345512/original/file-20200703-33918-1jqo999.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Time outdoors can give families the chance to reconnect.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock/Maksym Gorpenyuk</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For families with busy lives, where parents are often working long hours, the chance to be together on holiday can feel key to the survival of the family unit. And many working parents – <a href="https://theconversation.com/return-of-the-1950s-housewife-how-to-stop-coronavirus-lockdown-reinforcing-sexist-gender-roles-134851">mums in particular</a> – have found that the struggle to balance work and childcare has been exacerbated during lockdown. </p>
<p>But of course, families struggling to spend time together is not a new phenomenon. In 2011 a <a href="https://pressreleases.responsesource.com/news/68058/all-work-and-no-play-a-new-reality-for-british/">Thomson Holiday report</a> found that, more than one-quarter of working parents spent less than an hour a day with their children. This is despite wanting more time together.</p>
<h2>Time for a break</h2>
<p><a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=78JKDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA28&dq=family+tourism&ots=re5um9pF5j&sig=EtsRq7-I_xWEhYcXEm1PkPPr-l0#v=onepage&q=family%20tourism&f=false">The benefits of family holidays</a> are numerous. They can give all members of the family time to regain balance, reconnect and restore equilibrium. Holidays are also often an opportunity for people to try new skills, sports or activities – which can help to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6354626/">boost confidence and self-esteem</a>.</p>
<p>So don’t despair if you’re no longer heading abroad this summer. Instead, head for the great outdoors and enjoy some quality family time – away from the house and daily lockdown routine. </p>
<p>This will not only give you a chance to relax and unwind in a new environment but will also encourage children and other family members to try something new – whether it’s toasting marshmallows and singing campfire songs, swimming in rivers, stargazing – or simply just being close to nature.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/139433/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Carol Southall does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Research shows children who go camping do better at school and are healthier and happier.Carol Southall, Course Leader and Senior Lecturer at Staffordshire Business School, Staffordshire UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1400522020-06-10T12:13:39Z2020-06-10T12:13:39ZAre religious communities reviving the revival? In the US, outdoor worship has a long tradition<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340645/original/file-20200609-21226-15hgjea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4193%2C2797&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A pastor leads a prayer at an outdoor Easter service.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Virus-Outbreak-Florida-Easter/f680fd442e95408ebbeb17121cd92dab/14/0">AP Photo/Chris O'Meara</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Religious communities have been forced to find alternative ways to worship together during the coronavirus pandemic. For some that has meant going online, but others have turned to a distinctly non-digital practice steeped in this history of the American religious experience: outdoor worship.</p>
<p>Prayer sessions <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/05/26/video-shows-socially-distanced-muslims-praying-in-ikea-lot/">in parking lots</a> and services in green spaces formed part of an improvised response to the lockdown by religious leaders and they may now be <a href="https://religionnews.com/2020/06/09/skip-singing-shake-hands-short-sermons-ecumenical-guide-on-reopen-church-covid19/">part of the plan</a> as the United States emerges from the crisis. Indeed, a team of clergy and scientists have issued <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DhfgclYRUomeWApWtRGPr_tZJ4pe5ew6/view">a new guide</a> suggesting, among other recommendations, that baptisms could take place in “flowing streams, lakes or in beach settings.”</p>
<p>So are brick-and-mortar houses of worship essential? </p>
<p>It is a question that states and courts, <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-it-comes-to-reopening-churches-in-the-pandemic-supreme-court-says-grace-aint-groceries-135287">including the U.S. Supreme Court</a>, have asked in considering the extent to which states can or should place restrictions on meetings in religious buildings.</p>
<p>Religious communities, too, have reflected on whether the terms “church,” “mosque,” “temple” or “synagogue” describe a building or a community – it is as much a religious question as a legal one. The responses to this question vary between traditions, communities and individuals. </p>
<p>The history of outdoor worship in the United States reveals a diversity of understandings of the proper place of worship. As a <a href="https://www.philrs.iastate.edu/directory/jeffrey-wheatley/">scholar of American religious history</a>, I believe it also reveals an irony: While white evangelical Protestants have been some of the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/05/coronavirus-churches-florida-social-distancing">more vocal protesters of government restrictions</a> on houses of worship during the pandemic, they actually have a long history of embracing outdoor worship. </p>
<h2>Observing outside</h2>
<p>A variety of American religious communities in the 18th and 19th centuries made do without physical houses of worship. They turned to alternative spaces for worship out of necessity – due to lack of institutional support and issues of religious freedom – or even preference.</p>
<p>Protestant communities were chief among the groups who considered making do without a physical church. Protestantism emerged in the 16th-century Reformation in part as a protest against some of the more formal aspects of the Roman Catholic Church, such as elaborate buildings, holy objects and even regular access to religious authority figures. As such, Protestants in this period were theologically more open to holding services outside of churches.</p>
<p>The emergence of evangelical forms of worship in the 18th and 19th centuries included outdoor revival meetings, which Protestant groups such as the Methodists, Baptists and Shakers helped popularize. Revivals included spontaneous preaching, hymns, displays of emotion and an emphasis on conversion.
Large crowds met for days at a time at outdoor sites like <a href="https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/revival-at-cane-ridge">the one at Cane Ridge</a>, Kentucky, where thousands congregated in 1801. Though not the first, the Cane Ridge Revival signaled the emerging popularity of evangelical outdoor services in the 19th century.</p>
<p>Historian Brett Grainger has <a href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674919372">argued</a> that evangelicals, through revivalism, formed a mystical relationship with nature. For white settlers in America, hosting revivals in frontier spaces was also a way of sanctifying the colonization of land held by indigenous peoples, who have <a href="https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538104743/Religion-and-Culture-in-Native-America">their own</a> intricate relationships with nature and outdoor worship.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340654/original/file-20200609-21191-kuklnk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340654/original/file-20200609-21191-kuklnk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/340654/original/file-20200609-21191-kuklnk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340654/original/file-20200609-21191-kuklnk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340654/original/file-20200609-21191-kuklnk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340654/original/file-20200609-21191-kuklnk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340654/original/file-20200609-21191-kuklnk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/340654/original/file-20200609-21191-kuklnk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Camp meeting of the Methodists.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/98508274/">Library on Congress</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Enslaved black people, too, embraced forms of outdoor worship. Some met in what were called “<a href="https://docsouth.unc.edu/church/intro.html">hush harbors</a>,” or secret meetings held outside of established churches. In these meetings, as scholar of religion Albert Raboteau has <a href="https://global.oup.com/ushe/product/slave-religion-9780195174120?cc=us&lang=en&">examined</a>, black people could partake in Christian and African-derived worship practices apart from white surveillance and pro-slavery Christianity. The outdoors provided a refuge.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.ushistory.org/us/26f.asp#:%7E:text=A%20transcendentalist%20is%20a%20person,Boston%20home%20of%20George%20Ripley.">19th-century white transcendentalists</a> such as Margaret Fuller, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau emphasized nature as a site of devotional reflection to discern the reality of the divine. Emerson wrote in his essay “<a href="https://archive.vcu.edu/english/engweb/transcendentalism/authors/emerson/nature.html">Nature</a>” that: “The aspect of nature is devout. Like the figure of Jesus, she stands with bended head, and hands folded upon the breast. The happiest man is he who learns from nature the lesson of worship.” </p>
<p>They sought to transcend their individual selves into a greater universal being. This required not churches but the experience and appreciation of nature.</p>
<h2>Parking lot prayers</h2>
<p>During the pandemic, different religious communities responded differently to the restrictions on indoor worship and the possible alternative of hosting events outdoors.</p>
<p>The emphasis on ritual prayer in the Islamic tradition comes with a degree of flexibility for the safety and convenience of pious Muslims. <a href="https://imana.org/imana-backup/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Joint-Statement-on-Phased-Reopening-of-Mosques_05182020.pdf">A statement</a> by the <a href="https://amhp.us/national-muslim-task-force/">National Muslim Task Force on COVID-19</a>, for example, considers recommendations from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, local laws and Islamic moral tradition in asking Muslims to use caution and discernment in how they meet to pray. Where practical, the statement suggests that communities use mosque grounds or parking lots for Friday prayers.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.jta.org/2020/05/22/politics/trump-demands-that-states-let-synagogues-and-other-houses-of-worship-reopen">Most Jewish denominations</a> have emphasized the need to keep synagogue buildings closed. Instead, many Jews have turned to virtual or outdoor worship services. Some Hasidic Jews <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/opinion/hasidic-jews-covid-distancing.html">have debated</a> the permissibility of this and even <a href="https://theconversation.com/jewish-history-explains-why-some-ultra-orthodox-communities-defy-coronavirus-restrictions-135292">questioned the scale of the threat of COVID-19</a>, as have a minority in all faiths.</p>
<p>In-person services play an important role in the Catholic tradition. Some Catholic leaders, such as <a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/people/catholic-cardinal-burke-says-faithful-should-attend-mass-despite-coronavirus">Cardinal Raymond Burke</a> have pushed for churches to remain open. Nonetheless, Pope Francis has <a href="https://www.theoaklandpress.com/news/pope-urges-virus-lockdown-obedience-amid-church-state-debate/article_8321dd64-8999-11ea-a273-03b080bbe6e2.html">urged</a> churches to take precautions and follow the recommendations and mandates of local governments. Priests have had to adapt and find ways to bring the sacraments to parishioners outside of the church. </p>
<h2>Nave or nature?</h2>
<p>If any group’s theologies and histories suggest an adaptability to the present situation, Protestants would be high up there. Some Protestant communities today affirm outdoor worship as a positive good. For example, the <a href="https://www.wildchurchnetwork.com/">Wild Church Network</a> comprises Christians who “question the wisdom and consequences of regarding ‘church’ as a building where you gather away from the rest of the world for a couple hours on Sundays.” Nature, more than the inside of a building, is a proper space for Christian devotion for this network.</p>
<p>Evangelical Protestants have been among those who have defied government shutdowns of houses of worship. As scholar of religion Pamela Klassen <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-religious-freedom-stokes-coronavirus-protests-in-the-u-s-but-not-canada-136557">has argued</a>, the resistance is especially evident in the United States, where conservative religious groups have long developed suspicions to government authorities and modern science, especially when it concerns public health.</p>
<p>But as the history of outdoor worship in the United States shows, adapting religious services to an outdoor setting is not uncommon. Historically, religious communities have long contested the essentialness of brick-and-mortar houses of worship.</p>
<p>[<em>You’re smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversation’s authors and editors.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=youresmart">You can read us daily by subscribing to our newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/140052/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jeffrey Wheatley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>If worshippers congregate outside amid coronavirus fears, it wouldn’t be unprecedented. Early settlers used outside worship to sanctify colonized land, and slaves relied on it to meet in secret.Jeffrey Wheatley, Instructor, of Philosophy & Religious Studies, Iowa State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1385122020-06-05T12:07:14Z2020-06-05T12:07:14ZSummer visitors to American parks choose safety first over freedom to roam<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335235/original/file-20200514-77251-qf9kqu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=9%2C192%2C3277%2C2015&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park hosted more than 2.5 million visitors in 2019.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/gFtJO8ciK90">Anqi Lu/Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In a typical summer, <a href="https://irma.nps.gov/Datastore/DownloadFile/637876">millions of Americans</a> head outdoors to national parks, hiking trails and rivers across the U.S. This summer, because of COVID-19 precautions, getting outdoors will be different, although how different isn’t certain.</p>
<p>My colleagues and I are part of a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/lab/Protected-Areas-Research-Collaborative-PARC-Peter-Newman">research team</a> at Pennsylvania State University that studies <a href="https://hhd.psu.edu/rptm">outdoor recreation and park management</a>. Our team recently conducted a national survey of more 1,000 outdoor enthusiasts across 47 states with the <a href="https://lnt.org/research-resources/leave-no-trace-covid-19-research/">Leave No Trace</a> Center for Outdoor Ethics. </p>
<p><a href="https://osf.io/fy8s6/">The survey</a> asked several key questions that included how those who use parks were considering a return to outdoor recreation this summer and how parks might be managed for COVID-19 to ensure the safety and security of park users. </p>
<p>The responses to the survey suggested that this summer, we may be entering a new era of park management. Outdoor recreationists not only say they want stricter enforcement of rules to keep people safe but that they welcome new guidelines and even limits to their freedoms so that all visitors can experience the benefits of nature without compromising their health due to COVID-19.</p>
<h2>‘Wildness is a necessity’</h2>
<p>The renowned naturalist John Muir wrote that “thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life.” The world has changed immensely since <a href="https://vault.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/writings/our_national_parks/chapter_1.aspx">he wrote this in 1901</a>. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cQcmfoJIGJU?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">There are so many reasons why so many people visit America’s national parks.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>People, <a href="https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/3wx5a">now more than ever</a>, seek <a href="https://youtu.be/l1onR8OVL6o">the benefits of nature</a> regardless of whether they live in rural Colorado or Manhattan. Experiencing the <a href="http://www.georgewright.org/353manning.pdf">sights and sounds of nature</a> has long been thought to make people feel better. The desire to seek out those experiences is, perhaps, <a href="https://doi.org/10.5822/978-1-61091-036-1_15">even biologically driven</a>. Today, there is a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263806493_What_is_the_value_and_implications_of_viewing_park_resources_as_health_resources">growing body of scientific evidence</a> that shows the positive links between exposure to the natural world and humans’ <a href="https://doi.org/10.18666/JPRA-2016-V34-I3-6893">cognitive</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.2979/rptph.1.1.07">physiological</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jort.2019.100272">social</a> well-being. </p>
<h2>Balancing recreation and risk</h2>
<p>Our survey, carried out in April and May, examined how outdoor recreation behaviors across all types of parks and protected areas may be changing in response to the pandemic and with it, expectations of park management.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/336169/original/file-20200519-152315-1trip89.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/336169/original/file-20200519-152315-1trip89.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/336169/original/file-20200519-152315-1trip89.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=427&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336169/original/file-20200519-152315-1trip89.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=427&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336169/original/file-20200519-152315-1trip89.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=427&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336169/original/file-20200519-152315-1trip89.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=536&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336169/original/file-20200519-152315-1trip89.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=536&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336169/original/file-20200519-152315-1trip89.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=536&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Great Chimney Rock at Acadia National Park.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Maine-Daily-Life/3a7da3973c284323b4c1b7aa2bf59b0b/14/0">AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Through their online list serve, individuals associated with the <a href="https://lnt.org/research-resources/leave-no-trace-covid-19-research/">Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics</a> served as potential respondents for this research. This community consists largely of outdoor enthusiasts who are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.2011.11950226">highly dependent on outdoor recreation</a> as a form of leisure. More than 1,800 surveys were completed in two phases and consisted of questions related to behavioral changes, making decisions about recreation and expectations for park management.</p>
<p>Findings from our research, “<a href="https://osf.io/fy8s6/">Evaluating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to outdoor recreation and predicting long-term trends</a>,” suggest that not only are recreational behaviors shifting and affecting certain demographics more than others, but expectations of park management have changed, too. Our survey reported that, in general, people are yearning to get back outside. </p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/336138/original/file-20200519-152315-1w7bpct.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/336138/original/file-20200519-152315-1w7bpct.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336138/original/file-20200519-152315-1w7bpct.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336138/original/file-20200519-152315-1w7bpct.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336138/original/file-20200519-152315-1w7bpct.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336138/original/file-20200519-152315-1w7bpct.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336138/original/file-20200519-152315-1w7bpct.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Travel-Peaceful-Yosemite/f9331fa9e9b549d493ec6ec50cba8ef3/46/0">AP Photo/Amanda Lee Myers</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Nearly 85% of those surveyed reported that they are very to extremely likely to return to public lands as soon as restrictions ease. The survey also reported that outdoor enthusiasts support increased preventive health measures in the parks including limits on visitor capacities and strict social distancing. </p>
<p>Urban dwellers, who have faced the most barriers to accessing parks, have, on average, significantly decreased their frequency of outdoor recreation by more than three days per week, while back-country travel has been reduced by nearly three miles. This is likely due to heightened restrictions on travel outside the home and increased park closures <a href="https://ce.naco.org/?dset=COVID-19&ind=Emergency%20Declaration%20Types">in and around major cities</a>. </p>
<p>As a result, the U.S. may be in for an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2020.1759131">overcorrection or rebound</a> in activity once cities and states begin to relax safer-at-home orders and open their park systems. It may be that urban dwellers return to their favorite activities and recreation areas at even higher rates than before the pandemic. </p>
<p>How can we ensure a safe, healthy experience in our parks while balancing the health risks of a pandemic? <a href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951d02960007y&view=1up&seq=25">Not without sacrifice</a>. </p>
<h2>Playing by new rules</h2>
<p>By definition, an outdoor enthusiast appreciates <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.1972.11970069">the lack of constraints to explore the natural world</a>. Outdoor enthusiasts are normally <a href="https://youtu.be/0EfTy5f3SJQ">not keen on limiting their freedom</a> to roam as they please. Mandatory permit systems and capacity limits at popular recreation sites <a href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112020130834&view=1up&seq=413">have long been the bane of the outdoor adventurer</a>. Our research shows that COVID-19 has <a href="https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/dghba">changed this perspective</a>, at least for the time being. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/dghba">Our research</a> shows that outdoor enthusiasts like hikers, canoeists, rock climbers and mountain bikers are largely supportive of park and protected area agencies like the National Park Service or Bureau of Land Management keeping greater control over visitor volume on public lands and trails. More than 75% either completely or strongly agreed that parks should implement capacity limits in response to COVID-19.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/336160/original/file-20200519-152292-17rx03o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/336160/original/file-20200519-152292-17rx03o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/336160/original/file-20200519-152292-17rx03o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=904&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336160/original/file-20200519-152292-17rx03o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=904&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336160/original/file-20200519-152292-17rx03o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=904&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336160/original/file-20200519-152292-17rx03o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1136&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336160/original/file-20200519-152292-17rx03o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1136&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336160/original/file-20200519-152292-17rx03o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1136&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">More than 3.4 million people visited Acadia National Park last year, earning it the rank of seventh most visited national park in the U.S.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Associated-Press-Domestic-News-Maine-United-Sta-/ca2f8fd3dee6da11af9f0014c2589dfb/149/0">AP Photo/Christina Hinke</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These increased rules, which may include limiting usage and allowing people to enter a trail or park at timed entry allotments, are designed to keep people safe and allow for physical distancing. </p>
<p>Our survey demonstrated that over 95% of outdoor enthusiasts also want park and protected area staff to use personal protective equipment such as masks, encourage all visitors to wear masks and provide visitors with sanitary amenities like hand sanitizer. Those who perceive themselves as being at higher risk of serious illness as a result of COVID-19 are significantly more supportive of heavier restrictions and increased safety measures.</p>
<p>Our research suggests that <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/prnz9/">people will be guided</a> by two things this summer when deciding whether or not to visit parks. One, the importance of their physical and mental well-being as a result of outdoor recreation. And two, guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and federal and state agencies. Above all, outdoor enthusiasts are eager to get back outside and do the things they love, safely. </p>
<p>[<em>Get facts about coronavirus and the latest research.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=upper-coronavirus-facts">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter.</a>]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/138512/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>B. Derrick Taff receives funding for research from the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, the partnering non-profit organization on this research, through his academic appointment at Pennsylvania State University. He is affiliated with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics as a dues-paying member, and as a "Master Educator". </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Newman receives funding from the National Park Service.
Peter Newman is a dues paying member of the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>William L. Rice does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A new survey finds that Americans are willing to accept limits on visitors to public lands to reduce crowds, and want staff and visitors to wear masks.B. Derrick Taff, Assistant Professor, Recreation, Park and Tourism Management, Professor-in-Charge of Graduate Studies, Penn StateLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1381932020-05-21T12:22:14Z2020-05-21T12:22:14ZIncreasing screen time during the coronavirus pandemic could be harmful to kids’ eyesight<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335514/original/file-20200516-138634-xtp6t0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=66%2C56%2C2066%2C1336&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">With online learning, children are staring at computer screens for more hours each day. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://gettyimages.com">Christopher Furlong/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The coronavirus pandemic is remaking the way children learn, and it could have an impact on their eyes. </p>
<p>With schools shifting to online lessons at home, children are spending more time in front of computer screens, and many parents are <a href="https://theconversation.com/forget-old-screen-time-rules-during-coronavirus-heres-what-you-should-focus-on-instead-135053">relaxing screen-time rules</a> for TV and video games to keep kids occupied while social distancing. In the midst of the crisis, many children are spending less time playing outdoors.</p>
<p>This combination – more screen time and less outdoor time – may actually harm children’s vision and put them at higher risk of developing myopia, or nearsightedness. That can lead to serious eye problems in the future, including some potentially blinding diseases.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=DjdCWeYAAAAJ&hl=en">a health behavioral and policy professor</a> and <a href="https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/ophthalmology/olivia-killeen-md">an ophthalmology resident</a> interested in health promotion and eye care for children, we’re concerned about the impacts of decreased outdoor time and excess screen time on children’s eyes during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>
<h2>What causes myopia?</h2>
<p>Scientists are still trying to understand how myopia, or nearsightedness, develops and progresses.</p>
<p>It occurs when the eyeball is too long or the eye’s focusing power is too strong, causing light rays to <a href="https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/myopia-nearsightedness">focus in front of the retina</a> instead of on it, which creates a blurry image. While glasses or contact lenses can correct a child’s vision, research shows that having <a href="http://doi.org/10.1097/IAE.0000000000001489">severe myopia puts children at risk</a> for a number of eye problems down the road, including retinal detachment, glaucoma and macular degeneration.</p>
<p>Some factors in whether a child develops myopia, such as genetics, are beyond a parent’s control, but research shows that other risks can be reduced.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/336574/original/file-20200520-152298-ow2a1a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/336574/original/file-20200520-152298-ow2a1a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=675&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336574/original/file-20200520-152298-ow2a1a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=675&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336574/original/file-20200520-152298-ow2a1a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=675&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336574/original/file-20200520-152298-ow2a1a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=848&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336574/original/file-20200520-152298-ow2a1a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=848&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336574/original/file-20200520-152298-ow2a1a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=848&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">In people with myopia, light focuses in front of the retina rather than on it, so distant objects appear blurry.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Anurag Papolu/The Conversation</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A review of <a href="http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0140419">25 years of research</a> found that working up close – like reading or using a tablet – increased the odds of myopia.</p>
<p>For example, a nationwide study in Taiwan found that after-school study programs with lots of closeup work were associated with an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2018.05.010">increased likelihood of nearsightedness</a> among children ages 7 to 12. A study of Chinese schoolchildren found that increased time spent working with the eyes focused on something <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjophthalmol-2019-315258">less than 20 centimeters away</a> was associated with myopia. Researchers in Ireland found that <a href="http://doi.org/10.1136/bjophthalmol-2018-313325">greater than three hours of screen time per day</a> increased the odds of myopia in schoolchildren, and investigators in Denmark found that the risk of myopia approximately doubled in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/aos.14242">Danish teenagers who used screen devices</a> for more than six hours per day.</p>
<h2>Getting outdoors matters</h2>
<p>Some studies now suggest that <a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2012.04.020">spending time outdoors</a> may be able to slow the onset and progression of nearsightedness.</p>
<p>In Taiwan, first grade students at schools with <a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2017.12.011">programs designed to increase their outdoors time</a> to 11 hours or more each week had less progression of myopia over one year compared to their peers. Similarly, in China, researchers found that <a href="http://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2015.10803">adding 40 minutes of outdoor activity</a> a day at school reduced the development of nearsightedness in six-year-old children over the next three years.</p>
<p>It is not clear why outdoors time protects against myopia, or why closeup work could make it worse. One theory is that <a href="http://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-018-0127-7">light intensity and time spent outdoors</a> regulates the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exer.2006.09.018">release of dopamine in the retina</a>, which controls the growth of the eye. Other theories center on how <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470669/">viewing distances impact where the light is focused</a> on the retina; shorter viewing distances indoors may promote abnormal growth of the eye. </p>
<p>Although there is no consensus on how much time children need to spend outside or the importance of the light intensity they are exposed to, it is possible that more outdoor time can help to balance out more closeup work, as a <a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2007.12.019">study of children in Australia found</a>.</p>
<p>Childhood is an important time to think about myopia because myopic children tend to become more nearsighted over time. The <a href="http://doi.org/10.1111/opo.12305">age of myopia onset</a> is the most significant predictor of severe myopia later in life.</p>
<p><iframe id="ZX4Fu" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/ZX4Fu/2/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>Globally, <a href="http://doi.org/10.1186/s12886-019-1220-0">rates of myopia have been rising</a>. The prevalence of myopia among children ages 6-19 years is estimated at around 40% in Europe and North America, and higher in Asia. By midcentury, researchers studying the trends have estimated that <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0161642016000257">about half the world’s population could be myopic</a>.</p>
<p>Such high rates of myopia also come with an economic burden. The <a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2018.10.029">potential lost productivity</a> resulting from myopia was nearly US$250 billion in 2015.</p>
<h2>Building an eye-healthy lifestyle at home</h2>
<p>Parents can help by carefully managing their children’s screen time to support educational use while limiting cartoons and video games. They can also encourage more outdoors activities while maintaining social distancing.</p>
<p>Having <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0009922813498152">clear rules, setting limits on screen time</a> and <a href="http://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-015-2337-6">parents’ communication style</a> have been associated with less screen time among children. <a href="http://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-10-89">Parental modeling</a> also influences how much time children spend watching TV. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.who.int/publications-detail/guidelines-on-physical-activity-sedentary-behaviour-and-sleep-for-children-under-5-years-of-age">World Health Organization recommends</a> that children under 5 spend one hour or less per day on digital devices, and children under 1 spend no time on digital devices. The <a href="https://higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/AAPOS/d8bb1f42-47c4-46d5-82af-1582d9d6e8f5/UploadedImages/Documents/CEF-10-Things.pdf">Children’s Eye Foundation recommends</a> daily outdoor play, no screen time for those under age 2, a maximum of 1-2 hours per day for kids ages 2 to 5 and guided screen time with frequent breaks for kids over 5.</p>
<p>Parents and teachers can also check out helpful tips for eye health <a href="https://www.aao.org/newsroom/news-releases/detail/is-too-much-screen-time-harming-childrens-vision">from the American Academy of Ophthalmology</a>. Educators can find <a href="https://www.aao.org/museum-research-resources">resources</a> to prepare learning materials. Here are some recommendations: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>Take a 20-second break from closeup work every 20 minutes</p></li>
<li><p>Set a timer to remind kids to take those breaks</p></li>
<li><p>Keep digital media 18 to 24 inches away from the face</p></li>
</ul>
<p>As we plan the future of education in the age of COVID-19, schools and policymakers must consider children’s vision needs while designing new initiatives. Schools, teachers and parents can work together to incorporate eye health strategies and protect children as they learn online.</p>
<p>[<em>The Conversation’s newsletter explains what’s going on with the coronavirus pandemic. <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=upper-coronavirus-daily">Subscribe now</a>.</em>]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/138193/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shu-Fang Shih, Research Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management, received funding from the Ministry of Education in Taiwan from 2013 to 2018 . </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Olivia Killeen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>With online learning and social distancing, kids are spending more time staring at screens and less time outdoors. That can put them at higher risk of myopia and serious eye problems in the future.Shu-Fang Shih, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Health Management and Policy, School of Public Health, University of MichiganOlivia Killeen, Resident Physician in Ophthalmology, University of MichiganLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1381762020-05-18T12:15:28Z2020-05-18T12:15:28ZIf you’re not getting enough nature during the lockdown, try bringing it indoors with these simple hacks<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335424/original/file-20200515-138644-1vy0vqc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=14%2C11%2C1903%2C1187&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Wind-animated sunlight shining through a glass roof pond at the 'Mansion of Water,' designed by Toshihito Yokouchi, in Himeji, Japan.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Kevin Nute</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Pandemics change everything, including the way we design buildings. </p>
<p>After the 1918 Spanish flu and the scourge of tuberculosis, there was a push for “healthier” buildings, “<a href="https://slate.com/business/2020/04/coronavirus-architecture-1918-flu-cholera-modernism.html">full of light and air</a>,” as the Swiss architect Le Corbusier put it. This translated into the clean lines and white surfaces of what came to be known as the “<a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/International-Style-architecture">International Style</a>” of architecture. The hygienic qualities of these modernist buildings were generally more aesthetic than real, but designs such as Alvar Aalto’s competition-winning <a href="https://www.architectural-review.com/buildings/revisit-aaltos-paimio-sanatorium-continues-to-radiate-a-profound-sense-of-human-empathy/10014811.article">Paimio sanatorium</a> did provide the abundance of light and air recommended by Le Corbusier. </p>
<p>The COVID-19 crisis is likely to change building design again. Its health effects have not only been physical but also psychological. <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9780203561270">Our early ancestors evolved mostly outside</a> in constantly changing natural environments. Yet the indoor spaces where we now spend much of our lives separate us from that world. One of the lessons of the current lockdowns is that we may need to change that. </p>
<h2>Nature’s calming effects</h2>
<p>Walks in the park, hikes in the forest and strolls along the beach are known to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/0272-4944(95)90001-2">relieve stress</a>. Spending time in nature also improves our ability to focus, and there’s even evidence that it <a href="https://www.healthdesign.org/chd/knowledge-repository/view-through-window-may-influence-recovery-surgery">helps us to heal physically as well</a>. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0VeSngBD_7w?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Kevin Nute describes some simple ways to bring the movements of sunlight, wind and rain into your home.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For most of us, the recent lockdowns have led to an unprecedented shrinking of our worlds. Even under normal circumstances, however, our ability to spend time outdoors is often limited by work, family responsibilities or a simple lack of mobility. People in the United States, for example, <a href="https://www.buildinggreen.com/blog/we-spend-90-our-time-indoors-says-who">already spent almost 90% of their time indoors</a> long before the current crisis. </p>
<p>Interior plants can help, as can pets. But neither of these seems to have quite the same restorative effects as contact with wild nature, which alone has the capacity to evoke the sublime, a sense of being in the presence of something much larger than ourselves. </p>
<p>Wherever you happen to live, though, the Earth’s largest wilderness, its atmosphere, is only the thickness of a pane of glass away. And although buildings are typically designed to keep the weather out, there are powerful reasons to welcome its movement into our homes – the most important being that it seems to have a unique capacity to calm us.</p>
<p>Moving light patterns reflected from a wind-disturbed water surface, of the kind we typically see under boats and bridges, for example, have been shown to have a significant <a href="https://cgscholar.com/bookstore/works/the-animation-of-the-weather-as-a-means-of-sustaining-building-occupants-and-the-natural-environment?category_id=cgrn&path=cgrn%2F289%2F290">calming effect on heart rate, and can also help to keep us alert</a>. </p>
<p>More recent work has suggested that this kind of familiar natural movement <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340793273_THE_INTERNATIONAL_JOURNAL_OF_DESIGN_IN_SOCIETY_Wind-Generated_Movement_as_a_Potential_Means_to_Psychological_Presence_in_Indoor_Work_Environments">makes us feel connected to the present moment</a>, in a way that mimics meditative practices such as mindfulness, but without requiring our active attention.</p>
<p>As someone who <a href="http://archweb02.colo.hawaii.edu/faculty/kevin-nute/">teaches and writes about architecture</a>, I’ve spent the last two decades looking at how nature can be more effectively brought into our buildings, beyond just buying fish tanks and potted plants.</p>
<p>A number of buildings already successfully bring the movements of the weather indoors. I first encountered these in Japan, where designers such as Kengo Kuma and Toshihito Yokouchi have produced stunning indoor environments animated by the natural movements of the sun, wind and rain. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335225/original/file-20200514-77263-hh15n9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335225/original/file-20200514-77263-hh15n9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335225/original/file-20200514-77263-hh15n9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335225/original/file-20200514-77263-hh15n9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335225/original/file-20200514-77263-hh15n9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335225/original/file-20200514-77263-hh15n9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335225/original/file-20200514-77263-hh15n9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Wind-animated foliage silhouettes cast on translucent panels at Tokyo’s Baisou-in Temple, designed by Kengo Kuma and Associates.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Kevin Nute</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>‘Let the sun come in, let the wind come in’</h2>
<p>Designing all buildings this way would clearly take a great deal of money and time. But there are simple ways that you can create such effects in your own home right now, and at minimal cost. All of the following examples were created for less than US$50 using existing residential windows and balconies.</p>
<p>Placing an insect screen and a net curtain outside a window, for example, will generate <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/Moir%C3%A9_pattern.svg/1200px-Moir%C3%A9_pattern.svg.png">moiré patterns</a> that change as the wind varies. This works even on overcast days, but in direct sun the moiré patterns are also cast as moving shadows on interior surfaces.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335210/original/file-20200514-77230-1vuijnt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335210/original/file-20200514-77230-1vuijnt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335210/original/file-20200514-77230-1vuijnt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335210/original/file-20200514-77230-1vuijnt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335210/original/file-20200514-77230-1vuijnt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335210/original/file-20200514-77230-1vuijnt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335210/original/file-20200514-77230-1vuijnt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Moiré patterns that change as the wind outside varies can be produced by an insect screen and a net curtain.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Kevin Nute</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>If you have a deck or balcony that receives direct sunlight, the wind-generated movements of foliage can be projected onto a translucent shade or blind to make them seem part of the interior.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335453/original/file-20200515-138615-1x2otkw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335453/original/file-20200515-138615-1x2otkw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335453/original/file-20200515-138615-1x2otkw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335453/original/file-20200515-138615-1x2otkw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335453/original/file-20200515-138615-1x2otkw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335453/original/file-20200515-138615-1x2otkw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335453/original/file-20200515-138615-1x2otkw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Wind-animated foliage shadows cast on a sun shade.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Kevin Nute</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>If the foliage is far enough away, wind-animated images of the sun can also be cast on indoor surfaces.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335454/original/file-20200515-138624-xnrgy4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335454/original/file-20200515-138624-xnrgy4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=443&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335454/original/file-20200515-138624-xnrgy4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=443&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335454/original/file-20200515-138624-xnrgy4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=443&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335454/original/file-20200515-138624-xnrgy4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=557&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335454/original/file-20200515-138624-xnrgy4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=557&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335454/original/file-20200515-138624-xnrgy4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=557&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Wind-animated images of the sun cast on an interior wall.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Kevin Nute</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>You can also project wind-animated reflected sunlight onto indoor surfaces by placing a shallow tray of water on a sun-facing balcony. This effect can even be recreated at night by directing an external security light onto the water surface. The same setup can also project ripples caused by rain. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335220/original/file-20200514-77235-1kz2wbm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/335220/original/file-20200514-77235-1kz2wbm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335220/original/file-20200514-77235-1kz2wbm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335220/original/file-20200514-77235-1kz2wbm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335220/original/file-20200514-77235-1kz2wbm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335220/original/file-20200514-77235-1kz2wbm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/335220/original/file-20200514-77235-1kz2wbm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Raindrop ripples reflected onto a ceiling from an outdoor water surface at night.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Kevin Nute</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Rather than thinking of the weather as an adversary that we need to shield ourselves from, then, it might be better to consider it a friend and welcome it back into our homes – particularly if we’re going to be spending a lot more more time there in the future. </p>
<p>On the subject of mistaking the weather as a foe, the late-20th century Indian mystic Osho used <a href="https://shop.osho.com/in/new-dawn-7950">the following metaphor to describe the folly of trying to protect ourselves from all of life’s uncertainties</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Existence is trying from everywhere to reach you, but you are closed. Not a single window is open. You have filled even small cracks in the wall out of fear, for the sake of security. This is not security, this is suicide. Open all the doors, all the windows. Let the sun come in, let the wind come in, let the rain come in.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>We might do well, it seems, to also heed Osho’s advice in the design of our homes.</p>
<p>[<em><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=expertise">Expertise in your inbox. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter and get a digest of academic takes on today’s news, every day.</a></em>]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/138176/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kevin Nute does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Beyond buying a fish tank or house plants, there are a number of creative ways to bring nature’s calming effects into your home.Kevin Nute, Assistant Professor of Architecture, University of HawaiiLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1311852020-02-17T13:36:55Z2020-02-17T13:36:55ZQuébec snowmobile tragedy raises questions about adventure tourism<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/314061/original/file-20200206-43079-vk4i4y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C1356%2C667&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">It's possible to lower the risks in adventure tourism to make it safer but legislators are grappling with the question of how to regulate the experience without killing the excitement. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/">(Shutterstock)</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The recent tragedy <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/01/22/one-dead-five-missing-after-snowmobiles-break-through-ice-in-quebec.html">that claimed the lives of five French tourists and their Québec guide</a> in the icy waters of Lac Saint-Jean during a snowmobile safari <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/20200124-hopes-fade-for-french-tourists-missing-after-snowmobile-accident-in-canada">shook people on both sides of the Atlantic</a>. It also rattled the tourism industry in Québec.</p>
<p>The Québec government <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6451327/quebec-search-missing-french-tourists/">had already planned to announce new safety regulations for adventure tourism users</a>. This led to questions about how to regulate risk and adventure.</p>
<p>But what precisely do you regulate and how do you do it?</p>
<p>As a professor of nature tourism at l’Université du Québec à Montréal’s École des Sciences de la Gestion, I’m interested in adventure tourism in natural environments, <a href="https://www.puq.ca/catalogue/livres/gestion-projet-expeditions-polaires-1996.html">particularly in the Arctic and Antarctic</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313122/original/file-20200131-41527-17r0biz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313122/original/file-20200131-41527-17r0biz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313122/original/file-20200131-41527-17r0biz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313122/original/file-20200131-41527-17r0biz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313122/original/file-20200131-41527-17r0biz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313122/original/file-20200131-41527-17r0biz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313122/original/file-20200131-41527-17r0biz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Three survivors of the deadly snowmobile accident stopped at the gas station in St-Henri-de-Taillon in Lac Saint-Jean the day before the tragedy.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">The Canadian Press/Le Quotidien, Rocket Lavoie</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The uncertainty of adventure</h2>
<p>Adventure is defined in many ways. Its first characteristic is the unknown: we don’t know where it will lead us. It is risky. It consists of the possibility that elements will positively or negatively influence those who take the risk. It is part of a sequence or an event. Risk is thus linked to the uncertainty of fate — of what’s ahead, since the past can no longer be changed apart from its interpretation.</p>
<p>Uncertainty has two dimensions: the unpredictability of something, and the consequence — in other words, what could happen if a series of factors were to lead to a chain reaction. These unknown components lead some to reject adventure and others to anticipate that, with each palpitation and each breath, a new life story will be written.</p>
<p>Modern life in the Western world requires many to take certain risks in order to feel alive. The German sociologist Ulrich Beck, <a href="http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/sociology/becks-theory-of-risk-society-of-modernity-definition-and-speciality-of-risk-society/39843">to whom we owe the concept of the risk society</a>, explored the paradox of our aseptic societies where everything is regulated and, because everything is controlled, some meaning is lost.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313121/original/file-20200131-41541-p8maql.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313121/original/file-20200131-41541-p8maql.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313121/original/file-20200131-41541-p8maql.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313121/original/file-20200131-41541-p8maql.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313121/original/file-20200131-41541-p8maql.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313121/original/file-20200131-41541-p8maql.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313121/original/file-20200131-41541-p8maql.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Snowmobilers in Finland. Modern life in the western world requires many people to take certain risks in order to feel alive.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The “risk-free” phenomenon is omnipresent but not without consequences. Generally speaking, for example, while work-related accidents are decreasing, <a href="https://www.ohscanada.com/stress-burnout-labelled-occupational-illnesses/">occupational diseases are increasing</a>. The preponderance of impatience, aggressiveness, exhaustion and depression begs the question of whether leisure activities that involve taking risks might help. The hypothesis deserves reflection.</p>
<h2>Risking to revitalize yourself</h2>
<p>Many of us choose the outdoors to recharge our batteries. The advances in sports equipment, lighter materials and technical clothing adapted to difficult conditions, combined with the reduction in the price of transport and equipment of all kinds, have helped to democratize access to the most remote areas. At the same time, it’s also given us access to some of the craziest activities.</p>
<p>Climbing Mount Everest no longer requires physical ability as much as it does the time and financial means to pay for the porters and guides needed to accompany, supervise and, to a large extent, ensure safety. However, there is a limit to amateurism, as proven by <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/27/asia/mount-everest-deaths-intl/index.html">the deaths of 11 climbers last year</a> during ascents.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313117/original/file-20200131-41516-xeu9z0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313117/original/file-20200131-41516-xeu9z0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=314&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313117/original/file-20200131-41516-xeu9z0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=314&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313117/original/file-20200131-41516-xeu9z0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=314&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313117/original/file-20200131-41516-xeu9z0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313117/original/file-20200131-41516-xeu9z0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313117/original/file-20200131-41516-xeu9z0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A long line of climbers follow a trail on Mount Everest just below Camp Four in Nepal. Eleven people died in climbs last year.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP Photo/Rizza Alee</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
À lire aussi :
<a href="https://theconversation.com/death-on-everest-the-boom-in-climbing-tourism-is-dangerous-and-unsustainable-114033">Death on Everest: the boom in climbing tourism is dangerous and unsustainable</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Taking risks as part of an adventure helps to accelerate the revitalization process. </p>
<p>This risk, which we try to control on a daily basis, seems to become beneficial during leisure time. Hiking in the backcountry, obstacle courses, African safaris, swimming with killer whales or sharks, river descents, climbing of all kinds, glacier crossings, heli-skiing, bungee jumping, parachute jumping, flying in winged suits — the list of hobbies with some form of risk is growing longer and longer. And it’s being promoted via testimonials in specialist magazines, <a href="https://www.renaud-bray.com/books_product.aspx?id=2014380&def=Aventuriers+de+l%27extr%u00eame(Les)%2cLE+SCANFF%2c+CHRISTINE%2c9782702173077&page=184">autobiographies of extreme adventurers</a> and TV reality shows.</p>
<p>These testimonials teach us that because it is intrinsically linked to risk-taking, adventure makes people alert. It then calls on all of their senses and all of their capacities for control and action, sometimes even pushing their limits.</p>
<p>Many people regenerate themselves through the experiences they find off the beaten track. Thus, adventure, like risk, is something that is chosen. When it’s imposed, it’s no longer adventure, but misadventure. One rarely chooses to suffer deliberately.</p>
<h2>Adventure need not be tragic</h2>
<p>Through studies on adventure, we have come to understand and define it as an individual’s deliberate choice to embark upon an experience with an unknown purpose, leading to a feeling of personal satisfaction and growth. Adventure travel tourism lends itself particularly well to this.</p>
<p>Temporarily removed from their daily routine, these tourists find a quick path to release in adventure. Its intensity varies according to the capacities and needs of each individual’s self-esteem. Adventure — and risk — can therefore a healthy process in the search for balance.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313124/original/file-20200131-41481-1u0h0j2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313124/original/file-20200131-41481-1u0h0j2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313124/original/file-20200131-41481-1u0h0j2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313124/original/file-20200131-41481-1u0h0j2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313124/original/file-20200131-41481-1u0h0j2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313124/original/file-20200131-41481-1u0h0j2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313124/original/file-20200131-41481-1u0h0j2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Separated temporarily from the reference points of his daily environment, the postmodern individual finds adventure to be a path of rapid emancipation. The adventure makes it possible, for as long as it lasts, to make them alert.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>However, the adventure must not end in tragedy. Unfortunate ends, experts say, is usually a result of a sequence of harmless events that, as in a domino effect, draw the parties involved into a spiral that can lead to a point of no return. </p>
<p>Despite accidents and loss of human life, some people nonetheless always return to adventure. There are many reasons for this. Adventure offers the apprenticeship of making a conquest, providing incomparable feelings of euphoria. Self-fulfillment, and validation in the eyes of our peers, are priceless.</p>
<p>But, again, can adventure be regulated?</p>
<h2>The risk of killing the adventure</h2>
<p>Each tragedy reawakens the debate on the management of adventure and how to tighten risk management measures.</p>
<p>In the case of outdoor adventure, it is certainly possible to regulate the infrastructure <a href="https://ca.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idCAKBN1ZM2JW">and impose standards on companies and guides who accompany leisure adventurers</a>. It is reasonable to request their certification to codes of conduct.</p>
<p>Regulations are used to frame, reduce and even mitigate risk. But the same cannot be said of emotion. For beyond the trails and landscapes where humans choose to venture, it is above all else the pleasure of challenging ourselves through the unknown that is at play. It’s an addictive experience for adventure enthusiasts.</p>
<p>And who are regulations for? The adventurers find a safety net and the tour operators a protection against the risk of possible lawsuits. But this protection is not without limits. There are unpredictable hazards, such variations in terrain, weather episodes, and the environment. Think of the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2019-12-22/death-toll-from-new-zealand-volcano-eruption-rises-to-19">recent tragedy in New Zealand </a> when Australian tourists were surprised by the eruption of a volcano. Nineteen of them died and many others were injured.</p>
<p>Add to this the social factors — the participants’ previous experience and skills, their state of health, the friendship that develops between the members of the group, personal ambitions — that can never be fully controlled.</p>
<p>It’s therefore possible to regulate adventure tourism, but only by formalizing customs and practices to a level that makes accidents the exception, not the rule. Otherwise, overly regulating adventure will end up killing it.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/131185/count.gif" alt="La Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alain A. Grenier ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>The rise in adventure tourism is prompting a close examination of how to regulate it. But how to regulate risk without killing the adventure?Alain A. Grenier, Professeur, Sociologie du tourisme, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1263072019-11-25T13:27:37Z2019-11-25T13:27:37ZWhat can you learn from studying an animal’s scat?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/302721/original/file-20191120-554-1v1c8y5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4912%2C3264&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A bear leaving its calling card.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://flic.kr/p/QgdUR4">Dean Harvey/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/curious-kids-us-74795">Curious Kids</a> is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">curiouskidsus@theconversation.com</a>.</em></p>
<hr>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>What can you learn from studying an animal’s scat? – Cora, age 9, Brookline, Massachusetts</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>Everybody poops. There are even <a href="https://www.whatdowedoallday.com/kids-books-about-poop-thats-right/">whole books</a> written about it. And we can learn a lot about animals from what they leave behind. </p>
<p>Scientists study animal poop, also called scat, to learn about the hidden lives of animals. We can find scat in the wild and know what type of animal left it based on its shape, size and contents. </p>
<p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=flol3JUAAAAJ&hl=en">I study mammals</a>, so I know that a pile of brown pellet-shaped scat that’s about the size of chocolate-covered raisins could be a sign that there are white-tailed deer in the area. Bigger, tube-shaped scat with hair and bones in it might be from a coyote.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lgBKVjY5z2U?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The Smithsonian National Zoo uses scat to assess lions’ health.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Scat can tell us a lot about an animal’s diet, habits and movement, so scientists like to study it both in nature and in the lab. Outdoors, scat can identify what animals are present in an area. Then researchers take it to a lab, dry it out and dissect it for clues about the animal’s diet. </p>
<p>Some mammal poop is full of seeds, which shows that the animal eats fruit or berries. Or it might contain bones and fur, which scientists can identify to learn what species that animal is eating. </p>
<p>Animal scat also contains DNA – molecules inside the cells of organisms that carry genetic information. Extracting DNA from scat is a <a href="https://nationalzoo.si.edu/center-for-conservation-genomics/non-invasive-dna">non-invasive</a> way to study animals, since scientists don’t need to handle the animals to learn about them. </p>
<p>DNA from scat can tell scientists about the genetic health of a species, who is occupying what territory, and the relationships of groups of animals in a particular area. For example, DNA from the scat of <a href="https://www.knowablemagazine.org/article/living-world/2019/tiger-scat-dna-conservation">rare Bengal tigers in India</a> helped scientists estimate how many tigers were in an area, see where individual animals were traveling and better understand their genetic relationships. </p>
<p>Studying animal scat can also support conservation. Some researchers have trained dogs to <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191030082827.htm">sniff out the scat of endangered species</a>, such as the <a href="https://www.fws.gov/sacramento/es_species/Accounts/Amphibians-Reptiles/blunt_nosed_leopad_lizard/">blunt-nosed leopard lizard</a>, which is found only in a few grasslands in central California. By locating an endangered animal’s scat, scientists can estimate how many of that species are left in an area, analyze its diet and do DNA testing without having to disturb it.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"975191658118688768"}"></div></p>
<p>It’s not hard to find scat if you know where to look. Some mammals, such as coyotes and bobcats, like to poop in the middle of trails or trail crossings. Others, like porcupines, do their business at the bases of trees. <a href="http://www.falcon.com/book/9781493009961">Guidebooks</a> and <a href="https://www.reconnectwithnature.org/news-events/big-features/scattergories-the-scoop-on-animal-poop">websites</a> can tell you what kinds of scat you’re likely to find in your area.</p>
<p>It is important never to pick up scat with bare hands, since you don’t know what kind of diseases might be present. But you can use a stick to look at it and see if you can figure out what the animal was eating, or take pictures and look in a guide to identify the creature that left it behind.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com</a>. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.</em></p>
<p><em>And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/126307/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Verity Mathis does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>An animal’s poop may seem like something to avoid, but it’s full of information about the creature that left it there.Verity Mathis, Mammal Collections Manager, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of FloridaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1218412019-09-02T11:23:00Z2019-09-02T11:23:00ZAnxiety and depression: why doctors are prescribing gardening rather than drugs<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290108/original/file-20190829-106498-4do2qb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Gardening gives people the chance to reconnect and relax. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/african-american-female-gardener-inspecting-freshly-1048778132?src=-1-15">Joshua Resnick/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Spending time in outdoors, taking time out of the everyday to surround yourself with greenery and living things can be one of life’s great joys – and recent research also suggest it’s good for your body and your brain. </p>
<p>Scientists have found that <a href="https://theconversation.com/spending-two-hours-a-week-in-nature-is-linked-to-better-health-and-well-being-118653">spending two hours a week in nature</a> is linked to better health and well-being. It’s maybe not entirely surprising then that some patients are increasingly being prescribed time in nature and community gardening projects as part of “<a href="https://www.bma.org.uk/news/2019/july/natures-remedy-doctors-in-shetland-give-green-prescriptions">green prescriptions</a>” by <a href="https://www.england.nhs.uk/2019/01/army-of-workers-to-support-family-doctors/">the NHS</a>. In Shetland for example, islanders with depression and anxiety may be given “nature pescriptions”, with doctors there recommending walks and activities that allow people to connect with the outdoors.</p>
<p>Social prescriptions – non-medical treatments which have health benefits – are already used across the NHS to tackle anxiety, loneliness and depression. They often involve the referral of patients to a community or voluntary organisation, where they can carry out activities which help to meet their social and emotional needs, and increasingly doctors are opting for community gardening – as this also has the added benefit of involving time spent in nature – even in highly built up areas.</p>
<p>And the evidence base for such treatments is growing – with research indicating that social prescribing can help to <a href="https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/927254">improve patient’s anxiety levels</a> and general health. Findings also seem to suggest that social prescribing schemes can lead to a <a href="https://www4.shu.ac.uk/research/cresr/ourexpertise/evaluation-rotherham-social-prescribing-pilot">reduction in the use of NHS services</a>. </p>
<h2>The benefits of gardening</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335516301401?via%3Dihub">Research</a> shows that gardening can directly improve people’s well-being.
And that taking part in community gardening can also encourage people to adopt healthier behaviours. It may be, for example, that neighbourhood projects can be reached on foot or by bicycle – prompting people to take up more active transport options in their daily lives. Eating the produce from a community garden may also help people to form the habit of eating fresh, locally grown food.</p>
<p>Growing food is often the driving force behind community gardening projects, whether purely for the consumption of the gardeners or for local distribution or sale. Unlike growing on individual allotments or private gardens, community gardening requires an element of cooperation and collective planning. Working together towards shared goals can create a real sense of community. And in a garden, a feeling of connection may develop, not just with other people, but with the living world as a whole.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290115/original/file-20190829-106517-wdilae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290115/original/file-20190829-106517-wdilae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290115/original/file-20190829-106517-wdilae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290115/original/file-20190829-106517-wdilae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290115/original/file-20190829-106517-wdilae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290115/original/file-20190829-106517-wdilae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/290115/original/file-20190829-106517-wdilae.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Community gardens offer space and solace for local people.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/colorful-bench-community-garden-536665321?src=-1-89">Karin Bredenberg/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Gardens also play a significant role in conserving biodiversity, by developing wildlife pockets and corridors across towns and cities – an idea encouraged by the RSPB’s <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/give-nature-a-home-in-your-garden/">Giving Nature a Home</a> programme. The inclusion of even a small pond in a garden can provide a home for <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-defence-of-great-crested-newts-why-these-elusive-amphibians-are-worth-the-worry-77288">important species</a> such as amphibians. Gardens can also help to mitigate <a href="http://www.myclimatechangegarden.com/blog/how-your-garden-can-help-beat-climate-change">climate change</a>. Their vegetation captures carbon and can improve air quality. Tree and shrub roots in the soil absorb water, <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-your-garden-could-help-stop-your-city-flooding-42473">reducing flood risk</a>.</p>
<p>So because people’s relationships with the living world affects their behaviours towards it, taking part in community gardening could also make people old and young more environmentally conscious and responsible. By connecting people to nature, it may be that community gardens can also help to <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11625-018-0542-9">transform society</a> – allowing towns and cities to move towards more sustainable futures.</p>
<h2>Community connections</h2>
<p>This process of using plants and gardens to improve health is known as <a href="https://www.thrive.org.uk/how-we-help/what-we-do/social-therapeutic-horticulture">social and therapeutic horticulture</a>. On top of promoting physical and mental health benefits, social and therapeutic horticulture <a href="https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/Health_well-being_and_social_inclusion_therapeutic_horticulture_in_the_UK/9579929">has also been shown</a> to help improve people’s communication and thinking skills.</p>
<p>At Hull University’s <a href="https://www.hull.ac.uk/work-with-us/research/groups/centre-for-systems-studies.aspx">Centre for Systems Studies</a> we want to understand more about the ways community gardening can boost well-being for people, societies and the living world. So we are working with the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rainbowgardenhull/">Rainbow Community Garden</a> in Hull, which also has links with local schools, social services, mental health teams and veteran’s association, to observe activities and interactions over the course of a year. We are also interviewing staff and volunteers about their experiences, looking at how people’s well-being changes as they participate in the project.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/287965/original/file-20190814-136190-pd95w2.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/287965/original/file-20190814-136190-pd95w2.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/287965/original/file-20190814-136190-pd95w2.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/287965/original/file-20190814-136190-pd95w2.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/287965/original/file-20190814-136190-pd95w2.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/287965/original/file-20190814-136190-pd95w2.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/287965/original/file-20190814-136190-pd95w2.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A corner of the Rainbow Community Garden in north Hull.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Although no one intervention is right for everyone, community gardens do have wide appeal and potential. But such projects tend to be run by charitable organisations – often relying on grant funding to employ staff and provide equipment. And at a time when funding gaps mean that <a href="https://www.local.gov.uk/about/news/lga-responds-park-funding-announcement">local councils are struggling</a> to preserve public parks and gardens, it seems that despite all the positives that can be gained by such spaces, the future of many community gardening groups could be uncertain.</p>
<p>This would clearly be a massive loss, as individual well-being, societal well-being and the living world are all inextricably linked. John Donne was correct when he said “<a href="https://web.cs.dal.ca/%7Ejohnston/poetry/island.html">no man is an island</a>”. Community gardens can bring together diverse groups of people and it’s possible to make these spaces widely inclusive and accessible. Raised beds and paved pathways, for example, can improve access for wheelchair users, while a complex sensory experience can be created using scents and sounds as well as visual stimuli. We hope that our research will help to highlight the importance of these places and the many benefits they can bring for people, society and the living world.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/121841/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Yvonne Black received funding from Hull UK City of Culture 2017 and Wellcome, to explore Health and Wellbeing in the City of Hull through an arts project. </span></em></p>How gardening can make you happier and healthier.Yvonne Black, PhD Researcher in Systems Science, University of HullLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1135412019-03-20T10:33:53Z2019-03-20T10:33:53Z5 ways summer camp makes a difference – and what to look for in a camp<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/264402/original/file-20190318-28479-fxsh7e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">More than 14 million kids attend summer camp each year.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/398057353?size=huge_jpg">Rawpixel from www.shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In popular culture, summer camp is often portrayed as a place where pranks are played, romances unfold and underdogs triumph. Classic summer camp movies such as the 1979 film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079540/">“Meatballs”</a> or, more recently, the 2012 movie <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1748122/">“Moonrise Kingdom</a>,” are just a couple of examples. Movies aside, summer camp can be a meaningful experience that helps kids learn important life lessons and have fun along the way.</p>
<p>There are countless reasons why American parents spend a collective <a href="https://clients1.ibisworld.com/reports/us/industry/ataglance.aspx?entid=5349">US$3.5 Billion</a> on summer camp each year. Not all summer camp experiences will be great. There may even be some experiences that parents and participants <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/08/fashion/summer-camp-is-remembered-sometimes-not-so-fondly.html">would rather forget</a>. However, as researchers who focus on youth development and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Dan_Richmond2">outdoor activities</a> – and who are doing a study financed by the American Camp Association that looks at <a href="https://www.acacamps.org/resource-library/camping-magazine/acas-youth-impact-study">the impact of camp</a> – we believe that, on balance, summer camp makes a positive difference in children’s lives.</p>
<h2>1. Kids gain independence</h2>
<p>Traditional overnight camps create a “third space” for kids to learn valuable life skills in different ways than they do at home or school. Going to camp offers kids needed time away from family and regular friend groups. These experiences give them <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330447720_Fostering_distinct_and_transferable_learning_via_summer_camp">the space to gain independence</a>. </p>
<p>Qualities to seek in a summer camp include high expectations and opportunities for campers to be responsible and accountable for individual and group tasks. These opportunities can be as simple as pitching in on kitchen duties or as involved as leading the planning of the camp-wide talent show. A quality camp experience is one in which kids gain the confidence that they can take care of themselves and also contribute to something bigger.</p>
<p>In the world of summer camps – much as it is in educational settings that range from child care to college – accreditation is seen as a seal of approval. To see if a camp has accreditation from the American Camp Association, you can check the association’s <a href="http://find.acacamps.org/index.php">database</a>. </p>
<h2>2. Kids develop essential relationship skills</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/264406/original/file-20190318-28468-70ff1d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/264406/original/file-20190318-28468-70ff1d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/264406/original/file-20190318-28468-70ff1d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/264406/original/file-20190318-28468-70ff1d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/264406/original/file-20190318-28468-70ff1d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/264406/original/file-20190318-28468-70ff1d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/264406/original/file-20190318-28468-70ff1d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/264406/original/file-20190318-28468-70ff1d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Summer camp offers the chance to learn relationship skills.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/team-summer-camp-591401357">Oksana Shufrych from www.shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A great camp experience involves making new friends, offering kids opportunities to practice the skills needed to build and maintain relationships. For most campers, this social function of camp is central to their experiences, unlike school where academic outcomes drive most of their daily activities. Adults who went to camp often report that camp was critical to developing their <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324668774_Examining_the_Role_of_Summer_Camps_in_Developing_Academic_and_Workplace_Readiness">ability to be open with others</a> and create friendships over a short period.</p>
<p>The social environment at an overnight camp can be intense, as kids can’t escape the daily drama by going home at night. This means that camp counselors encourage kids to deal with conflict rather than avoid it. Great camps have well-trained, caring adults able to guide kids through conflict, providing opportunities to practice communication, empathy and compassion – key components of maintaining positive relationships.</p>
<h2>3. Kids learn to appreciate differences</h2>
<p>As adults, building and maintaining relationships requires the ability to understand and appreciate differences among people. Great camps provide a space where kids can <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225360997_Youth_Development_Outcomes_of_the_Camp_Experience_Evidence_for_Multidimensional_Growth">interact with people from different backgrounds and worldviews</a>. At some camps, this might be interacting with kids of different cultural, religious or racial backgrounds. At others, it might mean making friends with campers and counselors from different parts of the world or being with kids from different economic or family conditions. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/264421/original/file-20190318-28487-zvktpb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/264421/original/file-20190318-28487-zvktpb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/264421/original/file-20190318-28487-zvktpb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/264421/original/file-20190318-28487-zvktpb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/264421/original/file-20190318-28487-zvktpb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/264421/original/file-20190318-28487-zvktpb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/264421/original/file-20190318-28487-zvktpb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/264421/original/file-20190318-28487-zvktpb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Summer camp brings together kids from different backgrounds.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/kids-pulling-large-rope-together-309240356">wavebreakmedia</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Building awareness of our differences, and learning to be empathetic to challenges that some people with different life experiences face, takes practice. Camps, especially those unaffiliated with a school or specific neighborhood, can bring together all kinds of kids and caring adults, providing an excellent opportunity for young people to see the world differently than how they might at home.</p>
<h2>4. Kids connect with nature</h2>
<p>Summer camps have connected kids to nature for about as long as kids have been going to camp. Around the turn of the 20th century, many camps focused on being a place for kids from the city to experience the wonders of the natural world. Fortunately, great camps continue to connect kids to nature through nature-based programming and simply being outside. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/264409/original/file-20190318-28499-1qs79ue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/264409/original/file-20190318-28499-1qs79ue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/264409/original/file-20190318-28499-1qs79ue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/264409/original/file-20190318-28499-1qs79ue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/264409/original/file-20190318-28499-1qs79ue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/264409/original/file-20190318-28499-1qs79ue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/264409/original/file-20190318-28499-1qs79ue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/264409/original/file-20190318-28499-1qs79ue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Connecting with nature is a key feature of summer camp.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/tourists-camp-rest-enjoy-nature-food-211136374">wassilly-architect from www.shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Time use trends show us that kids (and adults) are spending more time indoors leading to what Richard Louv has called a “<a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/people-in-nature/200901/no-more-nature-deficit-disorder">nature deficit disorder</a>.” Great camps can provide a safe space for kids to be outside and explore the natural world. Former campers often report that camp was the place that <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330447720_Fostering_distinct_and_transferable_learning_via_summer_camp">helped them develop an affinity for nature</a> and outdoor activities more than any other place during their childhood. </p>
<h2>5. Kids get to be kids</h2>
<p>In a highly connected and stressful world, there has been <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/200811/the-art-now-six-steps-living-in-the-moment">an increased interest in being more authentically engaged with others and our world</a>. If you are a parent looking to help your kid put down their phone, reduce their screen time, worry less about “likes” on social media and just be a kid, then the old idea of camp seems like a custom-built solution. </p>
<p>Great camps allow kids to play in non-virtual worlds and interact with friends face to face rather than through a device. And most importantly, at camp kids get to be kids – and that might be the most compelling reason why camp still matters.</p>
<h2>Challenges</h2>
<p>Despite the benefits of summer camp, unfortunately, not every family can afford the traditional overnight summer camp. And not every kid or family is ready for such an experience. </p>
<p>Day camps near home can provide similar developmental opportunities, minus the benefits associated with being away for an extended period. The upside is that they are often less expensive and more accessible. </p>
<p>For those kids that are ready for overnight camp but whose parents can’t afford such camps, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330154320_Camp_as_an_Institution_of_Socialization_Past_Present_and_Future">scholarships and camps targeting youth from poor families</a> can help. For instance, there are several prominent programs that provide access to camp experiences for low-income youth. They include the <a href="https://www.c5leaders.org/">C5 Youth Foundation</a> in Boston, Atlanta, Austin, Dallas and Los Angeles; <a href="https://www.sherwoodforeststl.org/">Sherwood Forest</a> in St. Louis; and <a href="https://collegesettlement.org/">College Settlement</a> in Pennsylvania, just to name a few. Yet, there remains a significant “<a href="http://robertdputnam.com/about-our-kids/">opportunity gap</a>” between the rich and poor that needs to be addressed so that more kids can have transformative camp experiences.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/113541/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Daniel J Richmond is a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Utah. His position is funded by the University of Utah with support from the American Camp Association and the Spencer Foundation. He is also affiliated with NOLS, an outdoor leadership school, where he serves as a field instructor.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robert Warner is a research assistant for the American Camp Association (ACA), is currently working on research funded by the ACA Not-for-Profit Council, and is an active member of ACA.</span></em></p>Summer camps – long the stuff of American lore – can teach kids important life lessons as they have some fun along the way. Two experts on summer camp offer insight into what those lessons are.Dan Richmond, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of UtahRobert Warner, Ph.D. Student and Graduate Research Assistant, University of Utah, University of UtahLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1117682019-02-20T12:12:21Z2019-02-20T12:12:21ZNational parks are beautiful, but austerity and inequality prevent many from enjoying them<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/259899/original/file-20190220-148530-1hncdwh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C9482%2C3051&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland National Park, UK.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/hadrians-wall-panorama-sunset-world-heritage-1120289912?src=rRHF49e8s4034i8-sZctiA-1-5">Dave Head/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Spending time in nature is good for you. A person’s access to parks and green, open spaces is important for their health, as <a href="https://thecroydoncitizen.com/politics-society/londons-first-natural-health-service-launches-croydon-using-nature-reduce-demand-nhs/">research from the NHS</a> and the <a href="https://www.hutton.ac.uk/sites/default/files/files/projects/GreenHealth-InformationNote7-Contribution-of-green-and-open-space-in-public-health-and-wellbeing.pdf">OPENSpace research group</a> at Edinburgh and Heriot Watt universities shows. Spending time in parks lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease and asthma, helps address obesity and mitigates mental health issues.</p>
<p>National parks are often considered the best places to escape to and enjoy the benefits of immersion in nature. Occupying whole landscapes in picturesque rural areas, they provide space for hiking, bird watching and mountain biking. Due to their size, they also perform <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/69310/pb13533-national-park-authorities.pdf">critical environmental functions</a> by providing a home to biodiversity and storing atmospheric carbon in vegetation. </p>
<p>But approximately <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/feb/04/england-national-parks-out-of-reach-for-poorer-people-study">50% of the UK’s poorest people</a> live over 15 miles from a national park and most people require transport to get to them. For the most disadvantaged people in Britain, <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/6871/1871208.pdf">who predominantly live in urban areas</a>, these places can seem largely inaccessible. </p>
<p>Within low income communities, <a href="https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110118110347/http://www.cabe.org.uk/files/urban-green-nation.pdf">opportunities to explore national parks</a> are hindered by inadequate transport options compared to communities of higher socioeconomic standing. The most affluent 20% of wards in the UK also have <a href="https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmcomloc/45/45.pdf">five times the amount of green space</a> than the most deprived 10%. Promoting the value of these green spaces for health and well-being is therefore disingenuous without acknowledging that access isn’t equal.</p>
<p>Local parks, meanwhile, are <a href="https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140605111422/http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/regions/east_of_england/ourwork/gi/accessiblenaturalgreenspacestandardangst.aspx">embedded within neighbourhoods</a> and could ensure that immersion in nature isn’t just a luxury for the rich to enjoy. Typically starting at about two hectares in size and located within a ten-minute walk of residential areas, local parks provide everyday spaces where people can connect with nature.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/259904/original/file-20190220-148530-19lrfjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/259904/original/file-20190220-148530-19lrfjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259904/original/file-20190220-148530-19lrfjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259904/original/file-20190220-148530-19lrfjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259904/original/file-20190220-148530-19lrfjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259904/original/file-20190220-148530-19lrfjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259904/original/file-20190220-148530-19lrfjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Local parks help people come together and enjoy nature in their own neighbourhoods.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/three-happy-children-riding-on-bicycle-214352896?src=LEMrlJGuW87fOj9rVBD5rg-1-1">Spass/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These are the places where kids play football and ride their bikes and where there is the opportunity for daily contact between people, nature and their communities, all of which is essential for social cohesion. </p>
<p>If people can’t use national parks, perhaps local parks can provide the health and social well-being benefits within the community.</p>
<h2>Not a level playing field</h2>
<p>As a result of austerity, however, <a href="https://extra.shu.ac.uk/ppp-online/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/costs-poor-greenspace-management.pdf">local governments</a> and the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/nov/11/defra-hit-by-largest-budget-cuts-of-any-uk-government-department-analysis-shows">environment sector</a>, which are responsible for managing local parks, are underfunded.</p>
<p>This affects the quality of these parks and means they are less attractive to their communities. Some local authorities are even considering the <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/austerity-local-council-sell-off-parks-public-buildings-funding-save-our-spaces-locality-a8404081.html">sale of their green spaces</a> to limit the annual costs of maintaining them.</p>
<p>National parks generate significant income from tourism. In many cases, this is <a href="https://nationalparks.uk/students/wholooksafternationalparks/costsandspending">their main economic support</a>. Without the opportunity to exploit similar revenue streams or draw from alternative funding sources, issues of access and quality continue to hit local parks more heavily.</p>
<p>“Destination parks”, such as Hyde Park in London or Heaton Park in Manchester, are exceptions – situated in large, urban areas, they enjoy similar opportunities to generate additional revenue as national parks, using events and tourism to generate income. Local parks within poorer communities are unable to attract commercial events with the same frequency or magnitude and are therefore more vulnerable to funding cuts. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/259906/original/file-20190220-148545-1bjo92b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/259906/original/file-20190220-148545-1bjo92b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259906/original/file-20190220-148545-1bjo92b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259906/original/file-20190220-148545-1bjo92b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259906/original/file-20190220-148545-1bjo92b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259906/original/file-20190220-148545-1bjo92b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259906/original/file-20190220-148545-1bjo92b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Hyde Park and other parks in big cities benefit from large populations and tourism to generate additional revenue.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/london-uk-november-25-2016-people-744252625?src=bugJtXwMyUU-EQLxoZQnzg-1-1">I Wei Huang/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>All people, regardless of their wealth, should have <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01426397.2017.1390079">access to attractive and functional green spaces</a>. However, the UK government’s announced funding boost of £13m for local parks in February 2019 shows an ignorance of the scale of austerity felt by some parks managers. Many have experienced <a href="https://www.bristol247.com/news-and-features/news/cuts-bristols-parks-budget-branded-plan-decay/">budget cuts of up to 90% since 2010</a>. This means lower quality parks with staff redundancies, reduced maintenance and a falling number of council-run activities. </p>
<p>The falling quality of local parks will hit lower income residents hardest – restricting their interaction with nature and their <a href="https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/asset/document/the-value-of-public-space1.pdf">opportunities to socialise and relax</a>. These are also the people in society who <a href="https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmcomloc/45/45.pdf">already have the least access</a> to personal transport, disposable income or affiliations with organisations such as the National Trust. </p>
<p>If the slashing of funding for local parks continues, there may be a corresponding fall in <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-38094186">attachment to nature</a> among poorer communities, as described by psychologist <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/people-in-nature/200901/no-more-nature-deficit-disorder">Richard Louv</a>. Public desire to spend time in nature and concern for its welfare could be lost. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/parklife-britains-beloved-urban-parks-need-a-funding-boost-to-save-them-80645">Parklife: Britain's beloved urban parks need a funding boost to save them</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Properly funding the <a href="https://naturalhealthservice.org.uk/wordpress/the-natural-health-service-consortium/">environmental and health services</a> provided by parks is essential to ensure liveable places for a majority of the British public. Local parks in particular deserve more attention as they are used more frequently by disadvantaged communities and have ongoing benefits for community cohesion. </p>
<p>While national parks offer ecosystem services and the opportunity to escape for a day among natural beauty, if we don’t acknowledge that access to all green spaces is as important as the benefits they can provide, we risk overlooking the inequality that holds many back from enjoying them.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/111768/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ian Mell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Approximately 50% of the UK’s poorest people live over 15 miles from a national park and most people require transport to get to them.Ian Mell, Senior Lecturer in a Environmental & Landscape Planning, University of ManchesterLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1044642018-11-08T22:25:55Z2018-11-08T22:25:55ZGirls and women need more time in nature to be healthy<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244453/original/file-20181107-74766-sast6h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Getting enough physical activity can be challenging for women and girls, because they have to negotiate complex gender roles, stereotypes and cultural narratives about the body. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Supporting girls and women in their efforts to be physically active must become a global <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/4428978/women-physical-activity-gender-gap/">public health priority</a>. Preliminary results from our research at Dalhousie University suggests that access to nature may be key to achieving this. </p>
<p>A recent study in <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(18)30357-7/fulltext#tbl2"><em>The Lancet Global Health</em></a> pooled global data from the past 15 years and showed persistent and worrying trends: Women continue to get insufficient physical activity, and the gap between activity levels of women and men is widening. </p>
<p>Similar trends are seen in girls aged 12 to 17. Only <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29044440">two per cent meet the requirements of the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines</a> — which include adequate sleep and at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.</p>
<p>Our own <a href="https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-015-0166-8">review of the evidence</a> also found that girls have complex relationships with physical activity, requiring an ongoing negotiation of gender roles and stereotypes. They have to navigate cultural narratives focused on the “body” in many parts of their lives every day. They are expected to be pretty but to appear natural, to be thin but not too skinny, to be fit but not too muscular. </p>
<p>We are currently engaged in research to explore the health of adolescent girls and young women through a technique called <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/109019819702400309">photovoice</a>, in which participants take photographs to represent their own experiences. </p>
<h2>Flowers, trees, and water</h2>
<p>In this study we asked seven research participants to take photos to explore their health, nutrition, and physical activity experiences and to bring them back to discuss in a group, and look for themes or trends.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244605/original/file-20181108-74760-ah74mo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244605/original/file-20181108-74760-ah74mo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244605/original/file-20181108-74760-ah74mo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244605/original/file-20181108-74760-ah74mo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244605/original/file-20181108-74760-ah74mo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244605/original/file-20181108-74760-ah74mo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244605/original/file-20181108-74760-ah74mo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A participant shows some of the photographs she submitted.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Kylee Nunn Photography)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>They found themes relating to challenging norms and stereotypes and to the importance of social support and confidence. They discussed their perceptions that “everything is gendered” and that there are activities girls are “supposed to do.” They talked about sometimes feeling excluded from sports dominated by boys, and expectations around what girls should wear while being active.</p>
<p>They also discussed how they challenge those norms. The girls, for example, took photos engaging in non-traditional physical activities like aerial circus silks and climbing trees in skirts. They also stressed the importance of support from friends and family to feel safe in challenging norms. There was also a surprising finding: the emphasis they placed on being outside in nature. </p>
<p>Although nature and the environment were not part of the intended research purpose, being outside emerged as important. Many of the girls and young women shared photos of natural elements, like flowers, trees and water.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/240475/original/file-20181013-109213-b05s0m.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/240475/original/file-20181013-109213-b05s0m.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240475/original/file-20181013-109213-b05s0m.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240475/original/file-20181013-109213-b05s0m.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240475/original/file-20181013-109213-b05s0m.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240475/original/file-20181013-109213-b05s0m.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240475/original/file-20181013-109213-b05s0m.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A photo of a tree submitted by a research participant.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>They also took photos of themselves, their friends and families engaging in physical activity outside. This most often included general active outdoor play, but also, more specifically, activities like hiking and camping.</p>
<p>We learned that nature provided important context for these girls and young women to feel comfortable, safe and confident to navigate the complex gender norms around physical activity. </p>
<h2>Safe spaces outdoors</h2>
<p>A recent review shows that, due to urbanization and parental fears, <a href="http://www.nhm.ac.uk/content/dam/nhmwww/about-us/visitor-research/Disconnect%20with%20nature%20Lit%20review.pdf">youth are less connected to nature than ever before</a> and are missing out on health benefits as a result. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/240476/original/file-20181013-109216-7nfrz6.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/240476/original/file-20181013-109216-7nfrz6.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240476/original/file-20181013-109216-7nfrz6.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240476/original/file-20181013-109216-7nfrz6.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240476/original/file-20181013-109216-7nfrz6.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240476/original/file-20181013-109216-7nfrz6.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240476/original/file-20181013-109216-7nfrz6.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A photo of a flower submitted by a research participant.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This trend is duplicated in popular culture, with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691616662473">books, songs and films depicting nature less and less over time</a>. </p>
<p>Similarly, a large-scale survey in the United States shows <a href="https://natureofamericans.org/">youth spend more time with technology than nature</a> but also indicates they value their time with nature and need more opportunity for that connection. </p>
<p>With the United Nations’ <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/08/global-warming-must-not-exceed-15c-warns-landmark-un-report">recent warning</a> that we have only about a decade to alter climate change without devastating consequences, engagement with nature has never been more urgent. This can be done through encouraging outdoor play, supporting active transportation and providing safe spaces for women and girls to participate.</p>
<h2>Achieving gender equity</h2>
<p>Interestingly, the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2012.718619">evidence indicates</a> that <a href="https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1527&context=honorstheses">women face barriers</a> to experiencing nature. </p>
<p>Gendered expectations, fear for their safety and feelings of objectification and vulnerability mean girls and women have to <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/4149423?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents">negotiate these feelings in order to participate in outdoor recreation</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/240479/original/file-20181013-109236-sv9hv3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/240479/original/file-20181013-109236-sv9hv3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240479/original/file-20181013-109236-sv9hv3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240479/original/file-20181013-109236-sv9hv3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240479/original/file-20181013-109236-sv9hv3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240479/original/file-20181013-109236-sv9hv3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240479/original/file-20181013-109236-sv9hv3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A photo of a girl climbing a tree submitted by a research participant.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Achieving gender equity is a key challenge for the 21st century, reinforced by the United Nations <a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300">Sustainable Development Goals</a>, which also highlight the importance of nature, environments, sustainability and health. </p>
<p>The benefits of physical activity to mental and physical health are extensive but are not being realized by half the population. Studies are starting to explore <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1058844">gender and the outdoors</a>, while the <a href="https://www.rei.com/h/force-of-nature">importance of nature to women is gaining momentum</a>. </p>
<p>But there’s more to do to determine how this finding can support gender equity. The importance of nature for health promotion is <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.17269/cjph.106.5161">an emergent trend in research</a>, and the focus of the upcoming <a href="http://www.iuhpe2019.com/">International Union for Health Promotion and Education Conference</a>.</p>
<p>Can nature be the key to promote physical activity among girls and women? More research is needed to know for sure, but it certainly shows promise.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/104464/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rebecca Spencer receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Doctoral Research Award. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sara FL Kirk receives funding from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, Heart and Stroke, the Lawson Foundation, the Max Bell Foundation and the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation. She is a member of the Coalition for Healthy School Food, which is advocating for a national school food program. She is also a board member of Canada Bikes, a not-for-profit that promotes everyday cycling in Canada. </span></em></p>Women and adolescent girls say that being outdoors in nature offers opportunities to gain confidence in physical activity.Rebecca Spencer, Interdisciplinary PhD Candidate & Instructor, Health Promotion, Dalhousie UniversitySara F.L. Kirk, Professor of Health Promotion; Scientific Director of the Healthy Populations Institute, Dalhousie UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.