Nature Walks Are Good For Your Brain!

What flowers are blooming?
What flowers are blooming?

See the new research below, and get outside in a quiet place for a walk.

In the past several months, a bevy of studies have added to a growing literature on the mental and physical benefits of spending time outdoors. That includes recent research showing that short micro-breaks spent looking at a nature scene have a rejuvenating effect on the brain — boosting levels of attention — and also that kids who attend schools featuring more greenery fare better on cognitive tests.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/06/29/fixating-or-brooding-on-things-take-a-walk-in-the-woods-for-real/

Report back with what you see on your walk.  Friday I saw an owl and an indigo bunting.

Look for butterflies
Look for butterflies

Pick up One Piece of Trash a Day

This trash could end up in our lakes and oceans breaking into little pieces that last many years.
This trash could end up in our lakes and oceans breaking into little pieces that last many years.

#TalkingTrashTuesday

The snow has melted, the sun is shining, it is time to pick up litter from the winter. Carry a bag with you to pick up trash. It makes our world look SO much better, and it keeps trash from washing into our lakes, streams and oceans.

Pick up One Piece of Trash a Day  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pick-up-One-Piece-of-Trash-a-Day/267910856667805?fref=nf

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deborah-bassett/breaking-the-plastic-addi_b_781569.html

http://plasticpollutioncoalition.org/

A landmark new study shows there is 30 times more plastic entering our ocean than previously estimated. http://www.oceanconservancy.org/

Take 3  https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=867945456577550&fref=nf    Take 3 minutes to pick up trash and what do you find?

Happy Spring, Move It Monday

Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet” Thich Nhat Hanh

Get Outside and Enjoy!
Get Outside and Enjoy!

Happy thoughts from the Huffington Post:

Spring is an opportunity to shed our bitter-weather blahs and adopt a happier, more mindful attitude. And what better way to do that than reconnecting with nature? There are some serious health perks to getting outdoors, from relieving stress to boosting brain function. If that doesn’t convince you, take a look at the inspirational illustrations below, which remind us not only to appreciate our lush surroundings, but know there’s always room for growth. So long, winter blues!

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/18/meditation-illustrations-_n_6834712.html