Nature is Everywhere: and It Affects Your Health

Whether it’s the smell of fresh cut grass in the summer or feeling cold wind on your face in the winter— we all experience nature everywhere, every day.

Research shows that even these small moments in nature can have positive benefits on health and well-being. That’s why equitable access is so important and where the Nature Everywhere Initiative comes in.

What is the Nature Everywhere Initiative?

In March, the City of Madison was selected to join the Nature Everywhere Initiative. The goal is to increase access to nature everywhere children live, learn, and play by giving communities the tools and resources to make it happen. Madison is one of 19 cities nationwide chosen to help launch this new initiative.

The Nature Everywhere team includes representatives from Public Health, Madison Parks, Aldo Leopold Nature Center, Madison Common Council, Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD), and more.

The Nature Everywhere Initiative builds on the work already underway to help connect children to nature.

The mission of Nature Everywhere builds on work already underway within the Madison Connecting Children to Nature Initiative.

Since launching in 2015, the group developed the Madison Connecting Children to Nature Plan, provided nature-based play improvements at seven early childcare centers, completed an outdoor educational infrastructure mapping project at all 50 MMSD schools, created the Nature Nook at Brittingham Park, and more.

Nature affects our lives in more ways than you might think.

Spending time in nature is linked to many mental and physical health benefits, including improved focus, better mood, even a reduction in the risk of heart disease and improved vision. But there’s also academic, environmental, and socio-emotional impacts. Here’s a full list of benefits:

There is also growing evidence that spending time outdoors, in nature, is essential for children’s healthy development.

When it comes to making sure everyone can access these benefits of nature, Madison is on the right track, but more needs to be done.

Every year, the Trust for Public Land releases rankings of how well the 100 most populated cities in the country are meeting the need for parks in their communities. This ranking is based on a variety of metrics like proximity and park amenities. In 2023, Madison ranked 13th on the list.

However, we know that access is about so much more than how close you live to a park or green space. It’s about feeling a sense of belonging and seeing nature as a space for you regardless of race, age, or ability. This is what continues to fuel our work. Our job is to ensure everyone can see themselves in the natural areas available in our community and feel welcome.

Celebrate Nature Everywhere Day, right here in Madison!

The City of Madison will host an event called Nature Everywhere Day on June 1, 2024. Local organizations are invited to get involved by sponsoring the event or taking part with a nature-based activity or service. For more information, contact the Madison planning team by May 1, 2024.