Get outside, as often as you can, and bring kids with you! That was the takeaway offered by Florence Willams, author of The Nature Fix - Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative. Williams was in town with Shankar Vedantum, host of The Hidden Brain Series on NPR, as part of the University of Utah’s Keynote Lecture Series. Williams was extolling the benefits of being in nature as an antidote against the stress and disease caused by the environment of the modern world. Most people now live in urban settings and spend an average of ten hours a day looking at some sort of screen, while spending less than thirty minutes a day outside. The unnatural environment that we have created is particularly affecting kids, with diagnosis of ADHD, anxiety, and depression rising at alarming rates.

Getting out into nature has been an important part of the Realms program since the school started in the 1970’s, and over time has become an integral part of our curriculum. Sharing experiences in nature helps us to build our community, challenge our students to find their own strengths, and connect them with a wider world of possibilities. It is gratifying to see that science is increasingly being used to confirm the connections between nature, health, and learning. Teaching students outdoor skills and an appreciation for the natural world can lead to a lifetime of benefits.