Humans need nature. Engaging with nature restores cognitive function, reduces stress, and provides opportunities for physical activity, reducing the prevalence of chronic diseases such as depression, type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Open spaces encourage social interactions, building strong communities. Mature trees and vegetation provide shade, reducing the effects of heating due to climate change. They also reduce flooding from heavy rains. Open spaces and parks where people can engage with nature and each other are not a luxury; they are a necessity that contributes to public well-being and should be viewed as an investment in public health.
Author: Dr. Teresa H. Horton
Associate Professor of Research, Department of Anthropology, Evolutionary and Ecological Perspectives of Health and Development (E2HD), Northwestern University. Founder of Nature, Culture, and Human Health (NCH2.org).