Urban Green Space for Mental Wellness
“A holistic, optimistic approach to health supports productive individuals, and livable communities where people can thrive. Health is not simply an absence of disease or infirmity, but is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. Wholesome living environments integrate the opportunities of built, social, natural, and (increasingly) online components to help people be at their best. One important aspect of health – mental function and wellness – is not only the outcome of personal and lifestyle situations, but is highly dependent on the natural and built environments that surround a person.”
The Doctor’s Order? Spend More Time in Nature
“Park Rx aims to substitute outdoors time for medical treatment. We’ve all fallen victim to spending too much time cooped up inside, hunched over computers and binge-watching television shows. So in an effort to curb those nasty habits and get young people moving, one innovative Washington, D.C., doctor is teaming up with the National Parks Service to treat sickness with sunshine.”
Garden dedicated on Joplin tornado anniversary
“The Butterfly Garden and Overlook serves as a place of healing and remembrance, marking Joplin’s commitment to move forward. The garden includes symbolic touches that include a water wall with 38 segments representing each of the 38 minutes the tornado was on the ground, two stainless steel sculptures representing a “torn” and “whole” community and a wooden bench and pavilion with forms that evoke transformation and resilience. Rising above are steel frames representing homes lost to the tornado.”
Step into nature and leave stress behind you
“Over two years ago I had an unfortunate injury that almost resulted in addiction to pain medicine. Since I had some knowledge of the pattern of addiction, I was lucky to catch myself before it caught me. Even though I had passed the point of needing pain relief for my injury, I had not passed the point of wanting pain medication for when I was feeling down. That is, until, I went for a hike in the woods with a friend.”
