Using native plants in our landscapes has so many benefits, one being that nature comes close, right to your doorstep. Having such immediate access to nature can directly impact your health; science is beginning to examine the connection between nature and health. On this page we’ll keep track of studies and articles that detail the connection between nature and health.

Physical Health:
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/10/the-nature-cure/403210/
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/06/health/06real.html?_r=1
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/03/how-nature-resets-our-minds-and-bodies/274455/
http://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/importance-of-nature-zm0z15djzcom.aspx
http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/90720.html
Boost Your Immune System: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131003132112.htm
http://dirt.asla.org/2015/11/07/which-aspects-of-nature-improve-our-health/
http://www.childrenandnature.org/2015/09/22/taking-the-nature-prescription-seriously-but-not-too/
Flowering Meadows Benefit Humanity

Mental Health:
http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/3/4/390
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/call-to-wild-text
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/22/how-nature-changes-the-brain/
http://www.sciencealert.com/access-to-nature-may-be-vital-for-mental-health-study-finds
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2015/june/hiking-mental-health-063015.html
http://www.psychiatryadvisor.com/mood-disorders/nature-cognitive-anxiety-depression-mood/article/448018/
https://depts.washington.edu/hhwb/Thm_Mental.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/exposure-to-nature-reduces-crime_565c6e64e4b08e945febb4ca
http://www.outsideonline.com/2037911/daily-dose-ecotherapy-eases-stress-kids
http://www.childrenandnature.org/2015/11/09/how-nature-can-help-civilize-our-cities/
Learning:
http://www.greenchildmagazine.com/learning-natural-world/
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/06/green-spaces-make-kids-smarter/395924/
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/a-dose-of-nature-for-attention-problems/
A Potential Natural Treatment for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Evidence From a National
Study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1448497/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26080420
http://www.childrenandnature.org/initiatives/schoolyards/
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-20310/5-really-good-reasons-why-kids-need-time-in-nature.html
http://www.centreforconfidence.co.uk/flourishing-lives-young-people.php?pid=548

Photos: Stephanie Walquist