Resilience In Nature: How Green Spaces Improve Our Health And Happiness During The COVID-19 Pandemic

​Peter James, ScD, MHS

This year was unique in many ways. The COVID-19 pandemic forced many of us to work from home, immediately shrinking our worlds. Instead of commuting miles from Cambridge to Boston, I found myself spending the majority of my time in the three-block radius around my home. Lucky for me, my daily companion was my one-year-old daughter. A bright spot to an otherwise harrowing pandemic was that we were able to spend hours each day exploring our neighborhood together, watching as spring emerged in New England. My perspective shifted dramatically as I knelt down to point out each budding tulip or held her up to smell a lilac. Although it was a terrifying time in so many ways, it was also one that forced me to be more grounded and present; and to truly appreciate my surroundings and the beautiful natural setting that I am fortunate to live in.

I know I was not alone in leaning on nature to find solace during the pandemic. Trips to parks swelled, and the outdoors increasingly became a go-to spot to safely meet with friends. It is no coincidence that we head to parks during times of stress: historically, parks and open spaces were designed as resilience measures. Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed New York’s Central Park, Boston’s Emerald Necklace, and many other major urban parks, championed the concept of “parks as lungs” and espoused the “two great natural agents of disinfection: sunshine, and fall foliage.” Meeting in green spaces lowers the risk of airborne transmission of COVID-19, as being outdoors dilutes the amount of virus in the air substantially.
 
Beyond infection control, there is a growing (pardon the pun) body of literature on how spending time in nature improves our health. Being in the great outdoors has been linked to staying physically active and maintaining one’s weight. It also may provide a setting to relax and socialize with friends, which has independent health benefits. In addition, data show that spending time in nature is associated with improved mental health, decreased stress, restored attention, and improved cognition. Finally, green spaces might buffer our exposure to harmful environmental factors such as air pollution, noise, and extreme temperatures.
 
As Father’s Day approaches and I reflect back on this past year, I do so with gratitude. The future looks infinitely brighter than a year ago, with effective vaccines and plummeting COVID-19 case counts in the U.S. I am thankful for the sublime beauty of nature in our cities and all that it provides to enrich our lives and make us healthier and happier each day. And through the tragedies and inequities of the last year, I feel immense appreciation that I have been able to share my love for nature with my adorable, curious, and daring daughter.