Mother Nature’s Bounty

Resources + Research:

Benefits of Nature = Holistic Wellness
Supporting Mental, Emotional + Physical Health,
Resiliency + Overall Well Being

Training & Educational Resources for Parents, Teachers + Caregivers
Riverview Center for Growth - A FREE course available to all Oregon residents.
It can be completed online or in person.


Article Links
What Is Nature and Ecotherapy & How Does It Work?
Why Kids Need to Spend Time in Nature
The National Wildlife Federation - Health Benefits & Tips
Getting Kids Outside: One of the Best Things a Parent Can Do
Nature Therapy: Movement and Mental Health for Kids

The Positive Effects Of Nature On Your Mental Wellbeing

A Generation of Nature Deficient Youth

What is Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory (ART)?

Bringing Nature into Treatment - American Psychological Association

Nurtured by Nature - American Psychological Association
Ecopsychology: How Immersion in Nature Benefits Your Health - Yale School of the Environment

Forest Bathing - Psychology Today

How Nature Can Make You Kinder, Happier, and More Creative
Stanford Researchers Find Mental Health Prescription: Nature

Prescribing Nature - 2019 Global Wellness Trends

Nature’s Therapy and the Science Behind It - The Barefoot Doctor’s Journal

Preventive Medical Effects of Nature Therapy - National Library of Medicine

Health and well-being benefits of spending time in forests: systematic review
Flower essence therapy: what, how and why?

Why Nature Sounds Are Great for Relaxation
Birdsongs Alleviate Anxiety and Paranoia in Healthy Participants
Antidepressants or running therapy: Comparing effects on mental and physical health in patients with depression and anxiety disorders - Journal of Affective Disorders - Vol. 329 - May 15, 2023

Download - PDF Documents
Health & Well-being of Spending Time in Forests

DEEPER DIVE:
Educational + Healthful Resources
Worth Exploring Further
The HearthMath Institute

A nonprofit with a life-transforming mission - to awaken our hearts’ intelligence and coherence, to further support emotional resiliency and connection in community. Research at the HeartMath Institute proves that, adding heart to our daily activities and connections produces measurable benefits to our own and others’ well-being. Their research library focuses on understanding, valuing, and educating on heart intelligence and how the heart-mind connection supports overall well being.

The Child Mind Institute
The Child Mind Institute is a leading independent nonprofit in children’s mental health. Dedicated to supporting children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders, through three Mission Areas that work together for greater impact: Care, Education and Science..

The Sound Education Center (for Children & Youth)
The Sound Education Center offers research-backed home schooling tools based on Sound, Music, Geometry and Vibration. With more than 500 science-backed exercises for ages from 3 months to 18 yrs old.
There are many free tools available, as well as, a growing list of healing frequencies to support with mental, emotional and physical health stressors; like ADD, ADHD, anxiety, headaches/ various physical pains, mental fog, immune function and much more through the Sound Therapy Center.
They also share their extensive library of clinical experiments and research papers backing their findings through the Sound Healing Research Foundation .

Mindful.org
This organization provides resources and tools for mindfulness and meditation, which can help reduce stress and increase self-awareness.

The American Institute of Stress
This organization provides resources and tools for managing stress and promoting well-being.

Children’s Health Defense
This nonprofit organization provides various educational resources for parents, focusing primarily on individual health freedom and advocacy. They offer information on parental rights on topics like minor consent, and internet censorship. They also provide updates on ongoing, complex issues, critical to children’s health; including the potential risks of environmental hazards; such as pesticides and PFAS (forever) chemicals, safety tips to improve food and municipal drinking water exposures, and science-backed research on the mental and biological effects of wireless communications on developing brains and bodies.

Featured Resources

  • A woman holding a large yellow autumn leaf close to her face with closed eyes, wearing a red sweater and a denim jacket, with blurred fall foliage in the background.

    A Generation of Nature Deficient Youth

    Youth are spending almost all of their time indoors, and the lack of nature exposure parallels a concerning rise in mental health issues. Is Nature Deficit Disorder becoming an epidemic among young people?

  • Close-up of bare feet on grassy ground with yellow flowers, promoting the film 'The Earthing Movie' about grounding science, featuring Amy Smart and Deepak Chopra.

    The Earthing Movie: The Remarkable Science of Grounding

    Directed by Sundance Award-Winning filmmakers Josh and Rebecca Tickell. This is a feature-length documentary based on their viral short film entitled 'Down To Earth,' that reveals the scientific phenomenon of how we can heal our bodies by doing the simplest thing that a person can do…standing barefoot on the earth.

  • A woman dressed in traditional Southeast Asian attire with an elaborate gold headdress and jewelry, surrounded by multiple arms extending outward, creating a symmetrical pattern, for the movie Samsara.

    Samsara

    Samsara is a Sanskrit word that means “the ever turning wheel of life.” From filmmakers Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson, this mesmerizing, non-narrative documentary was filmed over a period of five years in over 25 different countries. Shot using visually superior 70mm film, “Samsara” explores human spirituality as it relates to the Earth’s natural rhythms.

Oregon Field Guide

If you’re not already familiar with the 30+ year history of this Oregon-rific TV news magazine from OPB then it’s past time to check it out. And if you’re familiar, but haven’t explored it for a while, why not jump back in? Oregon Field Guide explores ecological landscapes, natural wonders, the people + the vast outdoor recreations of the Pacific Northwest. 

We’re highlighting some of our current favorite stories here, but there are hundreds more to explore, learn about or simply be inspired by.

  • A woman carrying a Bengal cat on her shoulder in a forest with tall trees and snow on the ground.

    Adventure Cats Blaze New Trails in Oregon’s Great Outdoors

  • Two people wearing helmets and harnesses are practicing climbing or rappelling on a large tree in a forest.

    Oregon’s Aspiring Tree Climbers Reach New Heights

  • Photo of a mountain landscape with a bright blue sky, scattered white clouds, a distant mountain range, and a foreground of tall, dark trees.

    What Happens When Loggers + Environmentalists Work Together?

  • Native American woman dressed in traditional clothing walking through open grassland with rolling hills in the background.

    Powwow Dancing Meets Yoga in the Life + Artistry of Acosia Red Elk

  • Group of people taking a photo in a forested area near a waterfall, surrounded by trees with autumn leaves.

    Unlikely Hikers: A Hiking Group For The Rest Of Us

  • A small fish with a brown and black spotted pattern on its back, lying on a rocky riverbed with rocks and pebbles of various sizes and colors.

    The Story of Salmon’s ‘Hero’s Journey’