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| Reno Quarry overlook MN |
I love talking with people who spend time in nature. While hiking is my jam, I also paddle, amble, bike, camp, fish and in general adventure. Like so many others, I wouldn't do any of it if it didn't resonate with me.
When I ask what brings them out, people cite increased health benefits and opportunities to exercise; the freedom of being outdoors; the joy of being in nature; the pride in living off what the land offers through foraging, fishing and hunting; the calmness that comes with intereacting deeply with nature; the wonder of learning more about the flora and fauna surrounding them, and the passion to contribute to conservation of the environemnt and environmental ecoscapes.
Of course there are many other reasons. But we all share a passion for nature.
A recent article titled "What Happens to Your Brain in Nature? Neuroscience explained" [The Conversation. Estarellas, Mar. March 16, 2026] explored why we often feel a sense of calm in nature that encourages us to return often to the outdoors.
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| South Park, Houston MN |
The author writes:
"Looking across the 108 studies, we found a broadly consistent pattern, which we summarize as a cascade of effects through which nature may influence the brain.
First, natural settings are often easier for the brain to process. Their shapes and rhythms frequently follow fractal patterns, like those seen in coastlines, leaves and clouds, which the brain appears to process efficiently.
This may reduce sensory and perceptual load. As that happens, stress-related systems begin to settle and the body can shift out of fight-or-flight mode.
Attention may then become less effortful, and emotional processing more stable. We describe this as a pathway linking perception, stress regulation, attention and self-related processing."
Click here to read this short fascinating article and see if it resonates with you.
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| Bass Hollow SNA WI |
At about the same time I came across the above article, I also read an article about how nature, or more specifically, local parks positively impact our communities. And this local impact refers back to how nature affects us as well.
Titled "Your Local Park is Bringing in the Green (and by that we mean money)", [Grist. Simon, Matt. June 5, 2026] discusses how important green space and parks are to people. It looks at the economic return that communities get by providing green space - think of how often we stop for food and drinks or to pop into stores in communities near where we hike. Beyond that though, the article talks about other positive benefits of these natural areas like promoting mental health, beautifying the community, providing needed "third spaces" and creating a more resilient environment as our climate changes as well.
The author writes: "Parks aren's as much about land as they are about people. In an increasingly commodified world, they're one of the few remaining public places where folks can roam without the pressure of spending money. That makes them a critical kind of "third place, " somewhere to gather beyond the workplace and the home. Whereas people must pay a premium to use a gym, they can use a park or rec center for free."
Click here to read the article.
Images, unless noted - Marge Loch-Wouters
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| The Border Trail, Cook County MN |
