Green Space and our Mental Health
Like so many, I spent a lot of time walking during the pandemic. This time outdoors with friends was a saving grace and helpful distraction from the scary news and frustration of constantly masking and otherwise feeling isolated. On days when I could be in nature with others, I felt lighter, calmer, and more positive. Walking by empty playgrounds that used to be full and noisy was a powerful reminder that kids, and particularly marginalized children, were suffering from social isolation and lack of outside time.
Hard science backs up the notion that stress, anxiety and depression are alleviated by spending time in nature. The American Psychological Association has written about the emotional and cognitive impact of spending time in nature, particularly among vulnerable populations. One impressive study reported on by the APA shares this astounding statistic: “Children who lived in neighborhoods with more green space had a reduced risk of many psychiatric disorders later in life, including depression, mood disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and substance use disorder. For those with the lowest levels of green space exposure during childhood, the risk of developing mental illness was 55% higher than for those who grew up with abundant green space.”
Image courtesy of Kelly Sullivan / Parks Conservancy
Given the profound impact of outdoor time on children, it has been extremely heartening to witness the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy’s transformation in recent years. Chris Lehnertz, their visionary CEO, powerfully describes that historically, our national parks simply waited for people to show up, but that we need to do things differently today. Under her leadership, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy has actively and painstakingly reached into our diverse community, engaging citizens in dreaming about how our parks can serve us into the future. It is activating our parks to work against climate change and social inequity and serve as a platform for partnership and social connection. Their dedication to community centered activation led the Parks Conservancy to pay community leaders, parents, teachers and young people to share their opinions on how the parks can support the emotional, physical, and social development of the Bay Area’s diverse children. As a result, changes were made to the design of the new Presidio Tunnel Tops Park. A dozen youth from communities historically under-represented in parks programming have been employed and trained to be docent educators, aiming to serve 25,000 of their peers in the first year. The Parks Conservancy’s youth department will also provide job placement, park accessibility programs, and referrals for mental wellbeing support. And while much of this and a teen kitchen and culinary garden will be located at the Crissy Field Center, the Parks Conservancy is bringing programming to libraries, YMCAs and other partner organizations throughout the community to ensure maximum accessibility.
One need only wander through any of our parks to see how they play an instrumental role in alleviating parents’ sense of loneliness during childrearing, and how they offer children an opportunity to develop executive functioning skills through unstructured play. At a time when young people are subjected to constant digitalization and isolation, outdoor play is a powerful antidote, providing interaction with the entirety of the community, needed Vitamin D, and exposure to that incredible feeling that one’s heart and mind are opening while in nature. The pandemic exacerbated and pronounced the need for outdoor time. It also serves as a powerful reminder of the investment that society needs to make in preserving public lands for social connection, and the role that young people should play in designing those spaces to ensure they are utilized by their generation and those to come. Their long term physical and mental health, and the health of our entire society depends on it.