Nature Rx by
The Nature Rx movement is changing campus life. Offering alternative ways to deal with the stress that students are under, these programs are redefining how to provide students with the best possible environment in which to be healthy, productive members of the academic community. In Nature Rx, Donald A. Rakow and Gregory T. Eells summarize the value of nature prescription programs designed to encourage college students to spend time in nature and to develop a greater appreciation for the natural world. Because these programs are relatively new, there are many lessons for practitioners to learn; but clinical studies demonstrate that students who regularly spend time in nature have reduced stress and anxiety levels and improved mood and outlook. In addition to the latest research, the authors present a step-by-step formula for constructing, sustaining, and evaluating Nature Rx programs, and they profile four such programs at American colleges. The practical guidance in Nature Rx alongside the authors' vigorous argument for the benefits of these programs for both students and institutions places Rakow and Eells at the forefront of this burgeoning movement.
Good Nature by
A Next Big Idea Club must-read selection! An Amazon Editor's Pick for Best Nonfiction Book! A ground-breaking investigation into newly discovered evidence showing that remarkable things happen to our bodies and our minds when our senses connect with the natural world. We all take for granted the idea that being in nature makes us feel better. But if you were a skeptical scientist--or indeed any kind of skeptic--who wanted hard scientific evidence for this idea, where would you look? And how would that evidence be gathered? It wasn't until Dr. Kathy Willis was asked to contribute to an international project looking for the societal benefits we gain from plants that she stumbled across a study that radically changed the way she saw the natural world. In the study there was clear proof that patients recovering from gall bladder operations recovered more quickly if they were looking at trees. In fact, in the last decade there has been an explosion of "proof" that incredible things happen to our bodies and our minds when our senses interact with the natural world. In Good Nature, Kathy Willis takes the reader on a journey with her to dig out all the experiments around the world that are looking for this evidence--experiments made easier by the new kinds of data being collected from satellites and big-data biobanks. Having a vase of roses on your desk or a green wall in your office makes a measurable difference to your well-being; certain scents in room diffusers genuinely can boost your immune system; and, in a chapter that Kathy calls "Hidden Sense," we learn that touching organic soil has a significant effect on the healthiness of your microbiome. What is remarkable about this book is how its revelations should be commonsense--schools should let children play in nature to improve their health and concentration; urban streets should have trees--and yet it reveals just how difficult it is to prove this to businesses and governments. As Kathy Willis says in her narrative, "We now know enough to self-prescribe in our homes, offices or working spaces, gardens, and when out walking. However small these individual actions might be, overall they have the potential to provide a large number of health benefits. And we need to be encouraging others to do the same. Nature is far more than just something that is useful for our health. It is not a dispensable commodity. It is an inherent part of us."
Renewal by
Explore our emotional bond with nature to heal ourselves and the natural world Why spend countless hours indoors in front of screens when being in nature feels so good? In learning why and how to nurture our emotional connection with nature, we can also regenerate the ecosystems on which we depend for our survival. Renewal explores the science behind why being in nature makes us feel alive and helps us thrive. Using personal experiences and cutting-edge research in cognitive science, this book weaves delightful stories that: Reveal nature's genius and impacts on our lives from physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual perspectives Explore how emulating nature is yielding design breakthroughs with biomimicry and biophilic design Highlight the importance of compassion and coexisting with wildlife in designing our conservation strategies Describe the significance of nurturing an ecological ethic that supports a reciprocal relationship with nature. Whether you are drawn to conservation or are interested in the science behind human behavior, Renewal will help create a blueprint for integrating nature with a life of creativity, compassion, and joy. AWARD GOLD | 2019 Nautilus Book Awards: Green Living & Sustainability SILVER | 2020 Living Now Awards: Green Living
The College’s first Tree Campus Higher Education status, granted by the Arbor Day Foundation, was obtained in 2013, following more than a year of strategically planned efforts by faculty, staff and students.
Visit the official SJR State Tree Campus website to learn more about the marked trees found on our three campuses. Can you spot these varieties on your walks around campus?