Can exposure and access to nature give a boost to human health? That question was front and center at the recent Northwest Nature and Health Symposium hosted by EarthLab‘s Center for Creative Conservation. On tap for the day were leaders in education, planning and conservation — including former secretary of the interior Sally Jewell — all exploring the health benefits that come with being outside. Topics ranged from the latest innovations in research, policy and practice to a discussion of opportunities to expand the potential of nature to improve our health. The day ended with Secretary Jewell giving the inaugural Doug Walker Lecture on nature and health to a packed house in Seattle’s Benaroya Hall:

In a testament to the power of connecting nature to human health, a story ran in the Seattle Times the day after the symposium highlighting an Army veteran’s search for healing by hiking from Mexico to Canada. EarthLab and Center for Creative Conservation leadership wrote a Letter to the Editor, too, affirming the restorative value of nature and advocating that access to nature be made equally available to everyone.