Resources & References
Below you can find many links to the resources we used and further reading for anyone interested in learning more about the relationship between nature and wellness.
Engaging with Community and the Outdoors
- Outdoor Afro
- Latino Outdoors
- The Venture Out Program – LGBTQ+ in the Outdoors
- Conservation Corps
- Conservation Corps – Ancestral Lands
Activities & Lesson Plans
In English:
- Celebrate Urban Birds Kit
- AgforKids – online games about plants
- K-12 Lessons and Activities
- BirdsPeep and the Big Wide World – Preschool-level curriculum
- K-12 Lesson Plans for Environmental Education
- NYS Department of Conservation – Educational Resources
- Natural Inquirer
- NASA – STEM at Home
- FSNatureLive: Distance-Learning + Webcasts and Lesson Plans
Health Bodies & Healthy Minds in Nature!
In English:
In Spanish:
- Resources and Materials on Physical Education
- 15 Resources for Physical Education
- NIH – Vitamin D
- 10 Benefits of Sunbathing for Our Health
- Benefits of Sunbathing (In Moderation)
- Benefits of Walking
- How to Get the Most Benefit from Walking
- Nature to Improve ADHD Symptoms
- 5 Benefits of Interacting with Nature
Books on Wellness and Nature!
- The Nature Fix:Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative– Florence Williams
- Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Kids from Nature Deficit Disorder – Richard Louv
- Sharing Nature: Nature-Based Activities for all Ages– Joseph Cornell
- Vitamin N- 500 Ways to Enrich Health and Happiness of your Family and Community – Richard Louv
Scientific Literature
Note: Certain scientific literature will require academic affiliation to access. If you are unable to access these resources, check with your local public or university library to see if they have it available.
In English:
- Natural Environments and Mental Health
- The Cognitive Benefits of Interacting with Nature
- The Impacts of Nature Experience on Human Cognitive Function and Mental Health
- Urban Nature Benefits: Psycho-Social Dimensions of People and Plants
- Nature Experiences: Readings and References on Human Benefits
- Healthy Nature Healthy People: ‘Contact with Nature’ as an Upstream Health Promotion Intervention for Populations
- Benefits of Sunlight: A Bright Spot for Human Health
- The Great Outdoors: How a Green Exercise Environment Can Benefit All
- Spending At Least 120 Minutes a Week in Nature is Associated with Good Health and Wellbeing
- American Heart Association – 10 Ways to Relax in Nature and Stress Less
- IS Global – Being Raised in Greener Neighborhoods May Have Beneficial Effects on Brain Development
In Spanish:
- National Geographic – More Nature, Less Crazies
- How Nature Can Better Our Mental State
- All You Need Is Biology – Health Benefits of Nature
- Children & Nature Network – Together With Nature
- Culture and Cognition: Between Society and Nature
- Benefits that Society Receives from Natural Ecosystems
- Nature and Health: A Necessary Alliance
- Benefits of Sunlight: A Brilliant Point for Human Health