Join Nature Notes from Mondays at 11:00 pm EST to Friday at 11:00 pm EST.
More information can be found at the top of the blog on a separate page, but it really is easy. What are you or have you seen and enjoyed in nature? It can be from your own backyard, the local park, out on a hike, or anywhere. What plants and animals catch your interest? Do you garden? Have you read a good book on nature?
Write a blog post with a photo, a story, a poem, anything goes because I love to see what Mother Nature is up to in your area. Please submit one blog post per week and link it back to Nature Notes in some way..
LAST WEEK’S BLOGGER LINKS
| 1. | Ducks | 7. | betty – NZ | 13. | Birgitta B. |
| 2. | Pictografio | 8. | orchid( Japan) | 14. | WERRIBEE RIVER |
| 3. | Sallie (Full Time- Life) | 9. | A spirit of simplicity | 15. | Junieper/ Jesh |
| 4. | Pat — Colorado | 10. | craftygreenpoet | 16. | A Guide to Northeastern Gardening: October Garden |
| 5. | Lin Floyd | 11. | image- in- ing: weekly photo linky | 17. | A Green Ridge |
| 6. | Raquel | 12. | JBigg – Kentucky |
“Our research has found that nature is not an amenity—it’s a necessity. We need to take it seriously.”
—Assoc. Prof. Marc Berman
Research on the connection between human health and exposure to nature started to get a foothold in the early 1980s. The renowned biologist E. O. Wilson hypothesized that humans had an innate connection to nature.
At the same time, Roger Ulrich, a professor of architecture at Texas A&M University, was looking at how surgery patients with a view of a natural scene out of their windows recovered compared to those with a brick wall outside. He found that patients with a natural view were discharged faster and used less painkillers than their counterparts.
Studies have examined both micro-doses of nature (a 30-minute walk in the woods) and macro-doses of nature (spending a week at a national park). The effects are consistent and powerful. Several studies have found a significant increase in natural killer cells (your body’s way of fighting cancer) after a few days relaxing in a forest.
Ming Kuo at the University of Illinois completed a review of research and found that exposure to nature has also been linked to protecting against a variety of diseases including depression, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. She believes that this is done through nature enhancing our immune systems, something we are all interested in these days.
Time Outdoors During COVID-19
How does this affect all of us during the pandemic? It is still okay to be outside. If the gym is closed, it is still important and possible to get daily exercise. Enjoy a walk or run through your own neighborhood, have a picnic outside, or even set up a tent in your backyard to have an evening under the stars — the possibilities are endless.
If you can’t go outside because of your health or other reasons, many zoos and conservation organizations are streaming videos to let you enjoy wildlife and the outdoors from the comfort of your home. Be sure to follow your favorite conservation organizations on their social media channels and subscribe to their newsletters for the latest dose of nature. Take virtual tours to explore the hidden worlds of the National Parks, enjoy an audio tour of the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, birdwatch with Cornell Lab, or explore hundreds of live nature and wildlife cam feeds at Explore.org. Virtual reality trips into nature can be effective in improving your overall health and wellbeing.
red admiral butterfly
What are you seeing in nature? It can be from your own backyard, the local park, out on a hike, or anywhere. What plants and animals catch your interest? What do you find interesting in nature? Take a photo, write a post, a story, a poem, anything goes because I love to see what Mother Nature is up to in your area. ——
Have a wonderful week and stay safe…
ramblingwoods.com 
Hello there
Fresh air and sunshine and views of the outside world are vital at this time. And outdoors is the only place we’re allowed to meet (here in Melbourne with all the restrictions connected with that as well)
I’ve been doing a little gardening now the weather is warming up and taking a wander round the local park now and again which is helping to relieve the worries associated with these strange times
Lovely post and interesting read, thank you! I was contemplating the exact same thing yesterday and decided I needed to go out for daily walks.
Time outside in nature is more important now than ever. It’s nice to meet friends outdoors too, though that may not be quite so appealing in a Scottish winter!
Juliet
I agree, Michelle. We need nature in our lives in any way that we can enjoy it. When I lived in a city I often walked in the morning in a park and just being underneath trees made me feel good. Now that I live in a more rural place I have nature all around me and I enjoy the peaceful beauty and the changing seasons very much.
There is something very beneficial about nature, even if you’re just noticing the buds as you walk down the street. It anchors you into the here and now, rather than your thoughts. And when it’s vast, or beautiful, it’s so uplifiting!!
Very nice post! Ps: Like your blog decor 🙂
So true – we need to take nature seriously!
I couldn’t agree with you more, Michelle. Spending lots of time outside in a natural setting has kept me healthy and sane during our extended lockdown here!
PS: Thanks for hosting!
Even a drive in nature is soothing. I love taking photos and then enjoying them later as I blog about them.
I think I forgot to comment when I linked but I loved this post and bookmarked it to refer to the links and good thoughts when it is too cold and wet to be outside. Thanks for all you do. As always.
I cannot agree with you more. There are so many studies that say getting out into nature is so good for the health, both mentally and physically. During these difficult times, I find myself escaping into nature more than ever before, and find peace in the garden.