Nature Exposure

Participants described nature as restorative and protective for mental well-being. Walking through an arboretum improved cognitive test scores by 20 percent after a cognitively demanding task. Green and blue spaces were associated with stress relief, cognitive renewal, and belonging. Urban planning that enables contact with nature was presented as supporting physical, mental, and social health. Time in nature is described as having been found to improve several cognitive functions. Increased time in nature is associated with fewer behavioral and emotional difficulties in children. Children rated as more connected to nature were reported to have less distress and more prosocial behavior. Direct physical exposure to natural environments produces greater cognitive benefits than passive viewing of nature images. Two hours per week outdoors is widely accepted as a minimum exposure for health benefits. People spend about 6% of their day in nature, based on late 1990s data. The nature theme is presented as consistent with evidence connecting urban green space to cognitive function and dementia risk reduction. An arboretum is described as a garden setting containing trees and natural feat…