Database

This study explores how mountain ecosystem services support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. By reviewing 114 key research papers from 2008 to 2022, the authors examined the connections between mountain ecosystems and specific SDGs. They found that 12 goals and 66 targets are significantly linked to these services, especially in areas like health, sustainable cities, climate action, and biodiversity. The study highlights research gaps in underexplored goals and regional differences in focus. A sustainable management model is proposed to help policymakers tailor strategies based on local mountain characteristics and development priorities.

This study explored the experiences of high-achieving low-income high school students in a weekend outdoor adventure program designed to build leadership. Thematic analysis revealed three main themes: growth, connectedness, and team building. Findings support previous research and offer guidance for future practice and study.

This study examined how walking in nature versus an urban setting affects mood and brain activity related to attention. Participants took a 40-minute walk in either environment, with physical conditions closely matched. Both groups reported improved mood, but those who walked in nature experienced a greater increase in positive affect. EEG data showed higher frontal midline theta activity—linked to attentional effort—after urban walks, suggesting urban environments demand more executive attention. In contrast, lower activity after nature walks indicates that natural settings may allow the brain’s attention systems to rest.

This work outlines the suggested steps for maturing the emergent field of nature and health, drawing parallels from the physical activity playbook developed in the 1990s..

Urban planning plays a key role in public health, particularly in addressing cardiovascular diseases, which are the leading cause of death in cities worldwide. This literature review examines how features of the built environment, especially green spaces and walkability, influence heart health. Studies show that neighborhoods with accessible parks and safe, walkable streets are linked to lower risks of cardiovascular disease. The findings support urban planning strategies that prioritize green infrastructure and walkable design to improve cardiovascular health and overall quality of life for city residents.

As extreme heat rises with climate change, children face growing risks of heat-related illness — yet data remains limited. This study analyzes trends and outcomes in pediatric heat illness, focusing on differences between heat-specific diagnoses and rhabdomyolysis.

This study examined whether viewing nature images improves different components of working memory. Across three experiments, participants completed tasks measuring overall working memory capacity, attentional control, and primary/secondary memory after viewing either nature or urban images. Results showed that only attentional control improved following nature exposure, while no benefits were found for overall working memory or its memory components. These findings support Attention Restoration Theory's claim that nature specifically enhances attentional control and highlight the importance of focusing on precise cognitive processes when studying nature’s cognitive effects.

This paper highlights the urgent need to integrate nature into city design to support both biodiversity and human well-being. It emphasizes the importance of everyday experiences with nature, not just urban greening, to benefit both people and nonhuman species. Achieving this requires a shift in thinking, treating nature as a development opportunity and avoiding biodiversity trade-offs. The approach involves using biodiversity-sensitive design and fostering collaboration among ecologists, planners, and designers. Key challenges include managing conflicts between nature and people, as well as addressing social and political differences. Research and practical interventions can help create more resilient and nature-friendly urban environments.

The purpose of this qualitative constructivist grounded theory study was to develop a model to explain potential mechanisms of change in the nature-based pediatric occupational therapy process, based on analysis of the perspectives of occupational therapy practitioners currently engaging in nature-based practice with children.

This study explores how children experience two different locations at Oslo University Hospital in terms of their architectural design and emotional potential. Overall, the children prefer architectural spaces with direct contact to nature or design that mimics natural environments, in addition to being exciting, friendly, and intimate.

This study explores how Earth-centered experiential group counseling supports Native American university students in deepening cultural awareness, identity, and connection to nature. Through group sessions and focus groups, participants engaged in activities rooted in NA traditions, revealing shared themes of interconnectedness, belonging, and tribal identity. The findings highlight the power of culturally grounded group work in fostering healing and self-understanding.

Spending time in nature is known to boost well-being—but what about the scents we may not even notice? A new study highlights how natural odors, from pine trees to plant-emitted chemicals, could influence our health in profound ways. As pollution and biodiversity loss threaten these "smellscapes," scientists are calling for a deeper exploration of nature’s olfactory impact.

As the planet faces rapid ecological shifts, our sense of smell—often overlooked—plays a vital role in how these changes impact human health and well-being. This article explores how natural scents influence emotions, cognition, social connection, and even inflammation. Drawing on diverse scientific perspectives, the authors present a new framework linking olfaction, nature, and human health—offering fresh insights for policy and environmental decision-making.

This study explores the impact of an Environmental Education Program designed to strengthen environmental values and knowledge among preadolescents in Kerala, India. Using a combination of empathy-building stories, reflective thinking exercises, and information on environmental issues, the program was tested on students aged eleven to twelve. The results showed that these methods positively influenced students' understanding, emotions, and behaviors related to the environment. The study suggests that combining emotional, cognitive, and reflective approaches can make indoor environmental education more effective.

Ecosystems play an important role in supporting public health, but their connection to social health needs is not fully understood. This study examined how natural ecosystems like forests and rangelands, and artificial ones like parks and gardens, contribute to five dimensions of health: physical, mental, spiritual, social, and environmental. Results showed that natural ecosystems best support mental, spiritual, and environmental health, while artificial ecosystems are more effective for physical and social health due to accessibility. The study suggests improving urban ecosystems by enhancing elements such as silence and beauty to better support mental well-being.

Beekeeping may offer more than environmental benefits, as it can also positively influence human wellbeing. This study examines how caring for bees affected the emotional, psychological, and social lives of Irish farmers involved in the Let it Bee project. In-depth interviews revealed five key themes, including pride in environmental efforts, stronger connections with nature and community, a sense of purpose, personal growth, and the use of individual strengths. The results suggest that beekeeping can support both ecological sustainability and human health.

Greenspace is a critical feature of a healthy built environment. Exposure to greenspace fosters improved wellness and health among living organisms. This paper introduces the Health: Epigenetics, Greenspace, and Stress (HEGS) conceptual model which seeks to provide greater understanding of these processes and to identify key gaps in the field regarding the epigenetic influences underlying how greenspace exposure impacts stress and health.

How do we help seriously and chronically ill children and adolescents find hope and courage to get through illness and treatment? How do we greet them? What surroundings and activities do we offer them? And how may these greetings, surroundings, and activities facilitate a belief in their own capacity to help themselves? The Outdoor Care Retreat is a cabin bordering the hospital ground created to meet the needs of admitted patients and their families.

This study investigated how a 40-minute walk in nature versus an urban environment affects attention and brain activity. Participants who walked in nature reported a more restorative experience and showed enhanced neural activity related to executive control, as measured by EEG. In contrast, the urban group did not show this neural improvement. These results suggest that time in nature can boost executive attention at the neural level, offering insight into how natural environments help restore mental focus.

This study explores how creativity can help preschool children develop environmental awareness and take action for sustainability. Conducted in a Greek kindergarten, the research used an art-based project to encourage young learners to identify environmental problems at their school. Visual art served both as a teaching method and a research tool. The results showed that creative thinking was strengthened when students were given space to explore ideas and work together. The study highlights the importance of using imaginative and reflective teaching methods, supported by an encouraging teacher, to foster creativity in early environmental education.