03/09/2025
"Evidence has been growing for decades about the exposure to natural vs built environments and their impact on human health, beginning with Ulrich’s groundbreaking 1984 “A View Through a Window” study.1 Since that time, thousands of studies have demonstrated the multiple benefits that green spaces have on indicators of physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being."
For those of us who have had the opportunity to be in the 'more than human world' this is self-evident. But many people growing up in urban areas and/or with little or no access to green spaces, the outdoors can feel edgy rather than nurturing. While most people who join me on forest bathing walks are comfortable in the outdoors, there are also people who feel unsafe walking 200 feet into the forest. If they walk out of the forest feeling a sense of belonging and connection with the more than human world (and they usually do!), it's because they chose to open themselves to something new and and mysterious and discovered something grounding and strangely familiar. As a guide I provide an opportunity; but the forest and the people who walk with me do all the essential work!
Reference Sudimac S, Kühn S. Can a nature walk change your brain? Investigating hippocampal brain plasticity after one hour in a forest. Environ Res. 2024;262(Pt 1);119813. Study Objective
