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12-11 went over PowerPoint, made notecards

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12-10 Asked if we were doing everything correctly

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Composting at home can get a bad rap. Common misconceptions of home composting are that it's too complicated, it'll smell bad, and it's messy. These may be true if you compost the wrong way, but learning how to compost the right way is actually quite simple. Start with a layer of organic materials, add a dash of soil and a splash of water (from a Better Homes & Garden Green River Water Hose, $40, Walmart), and wait for your concoction to turn into humus (the best soil booster around!). You can then improve your flower garden with compost, top dress your lawn, feed your growing veggies, and more. Once you get your compost pile started, you'll find that it's an easy way to repurpose kitchen scraps and other organic materials into something that can help your plants thrive.

Types of Composting

Before you start, it's important to know that there are several types of composting. Here we're covering cold compost, hot compost, and vermicompost. Cold composting is as simple as collecting yard waste or taking out the organic materials in your trash (such as fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds and filters, and eggshells) and then corralling them in a pile or bin. Over the course of a year or so, the material will decompose.

Hot composting requires you to take a more active role, but the return is that it's a faster process; you'll get compost in one to three months during warm weather. Four ingredients are required for fast-cooking hot compost: nitrogen, carbon, air, and water. Together, these items feed microorganisms, which speed up the process of decay. During the growing season when garden waste is plentiful, you can mix one big batch of compost and then start a second one while the first one "cooks."

Another type of compost is vermicompost, which is made with the help of worms. When these worms eat your food scraps, they release castings, which are rich in nitrogen. You can't use just any old worms for this. You need redworms (also called "red wigglers"). Worms for composting can be purchased inexpensively online or at a garden supplier.

What to Compost

Composting at home is a great way to use the things in your refrigerator that are a little past their prime, which helps reduce food waste. You can also compost certain kinds of yard waste rather than send them to the dump. Collect these materials to start off your compost pile right:

Fruit scraps

Vegetable scraps

Coffee grounds

Eggshells (though they can take a while to break down)

Grass and plant clippings

Dry leaves

Finely chopped wood and bark chips

Shredded newspaper

Straw

Sawdust from untreated wood

Never add meat scraps, dairy, cheese, fats/oils, pet waste, or chemically treated wood. These items either cause unpleasant odors or could contain harmful diseases or chemicals.

Keeping a container in your kitchen is an easy way to accumulate composting materials as you prep meals. If you don't want to buy one, you can make your own indoor or outdoor compost bin. For kitchen scraps that could start spoiling quickly, another option is to store them in the freezer until you are ready to add them to your larger outdoor pile.

How to Make Hot Compost

Combine Green and Brown Materials

To make your own hot-compost heap, wait until you have enough materials to make a pile at least 3 feet deep with a combination of wet (green) items and dry (brown) items. Brown materials include dried plant materials, fallen leaves, shredded tree branches, cardboard, newspaper, hay, straw, and wood shavings. These items add carbon. Green materials include kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, animal manures (not from dogs or cats), and fresh plant and grass trimmings. These items add nitrogen.

For best results, start building your compost pile by mixing three parts brown materials with one part green material. If your compost pile looks too wet and smells unpleasant, add more brown items or mix your compost with a garden fork to aerate. If you see it looks extremely brown and dry, add green items and water to make it slightly moist.

Water Your Compost Pile

Sprinkle water over the compost pile regularly so it has the consistency of a damp sponge. Don't add too much water or the microorganisms in your compost pile will become waterlogged and drown. If this happens, your pile will rot instead of compost. You can monitor the temperature of your compost pile with a compost thermometer to be sure the materials are properly decomposing. Or, simply reach into the middle of the compost pile with your hand. Your compost pile should feel warm.

Stir Your Compost Pile

During the growing season, you should provide the compost pile with oxygen by turning it once a week with a garden fork or other garden tools (such as this Better Homes & Gardens Stainless Steel Gardening Tool Set, $40, Walmart). The best time to turn the compost is when the center of the pile feels warm or when a thermometer reads between 130°F and 150°F. Stirring the compost pile will help it cook faster and prevents materials from becoming matted down and developing an odor. At this point, the brown and green layers have served their purpose so it's ok to stir thoroughly and intermix the two materials.

Test Garden Tip: In addition to aerating regularly, chop and shred raw ingredients into smaller sizes to speed up the composting process.

Feed Your Garden with Compost

When the compost pile no longer gives off heat and becomes dry, brown, and crumbly, it's fully cooked and ready to feed to the garden. Add about 4 to 6 inches of compost to your flower beds and a thick layer to the top of pots at the beginning of each planting season.

Some gardeners make what's known as compost tea with finished compost. This involves allowing fully formed compost to "steep" in water for several days, then straining it to use as a homemade liquid fertilizer.

Every gardener is different, so it's up to you to decide which composting method best fits your lifestyle. Fortunately, no matter which route you choose, composting at home is easy and environmentally friendly. Plus, it's a treat for your garden. With some kitchen scraps, yard trimmings, and some patience, you'll have the happiest garden on the block.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a compost starter?

A compost starter (also known as a "compost accelerator" or "compost activator") is any additive that you mix in with your organic scraps to boost the natural decomposition process. Compost starters are not required for the composting process but can be good catalysts because they are rich in the carbon, nitrogen, and microorganisms that break down the food and plant matter in your compost pile. A compost starter could be especially helpful if you are struggling to achieve the perfect ratio of green (like kitchen scraps and coffee grounds) to brown (like leaves, twigs, and newspaper) materials in your compost pile.

How long does it take to make compost?

Depending on your materials, methods, and conditions, it could take anywhere from a few weeks to several years to make compost. The slowest (but simplest and most passive) method is cold composting, which can easily take a year or more before your pile decomposes.

How much space do I need to make compost?

You can create a compost pile in a space as small as 1 cubic yard (or 3 feet wide, 3 feet long, and 3 feet deep), but for most gardens, a 3 to 5-foot square space is ideal. Just be sure to build your compost pile on moderately level ground near a water source and away from tree roots, fences, and buildings. If you have a very small outdoor space (like an apartment patio or deck) you can also create compost in a portable compost tumbler or a DIY compost box. Just poke holes in a large plastic storage bin, place your container in the sun with a drainage tray, and then follow the steps for vermicomposting with worms.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
4 Simple Steps for Making Compost to Feed Your Garden

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Turn your food scraps and yard waste into "black gold" that will feed your plants and improve your soil.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Composting at home can get a bad rap. Common misconceptions of home composting are that it's too complicated, it'll smell bad, and it's messy. These may be true if you compost the wrong way, but learning how to compost the right way is actually quite simple. Start with a layer of organic materials, add a dash of soil and a splash of water (from a Better Homes & Garden Green River Water Hose, $40, Walmart), and wait for your concoction to turn into humus (the best soil booster around!). You can then improve your flower garden with compost, top dress your lawn, feed your growing veggies, and more. Once you get your compost pile started, you'll find that it's an easy way to repurpose kitchen scraps and other organic materials into something that can help your plants thrive.

Types of Composting

Before you start, it's important to know that there are several types of composting. Here we're covering cold compost, hot compost, and vermicompost. Cold composting is as simple as collecting yard waste or taking out the organic materials in your trash (such as fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds and filters, and eggshells) and then corralling them in a pile or bin. Over the course of a year or so, the material will decompose.

Hot composting requires you to take a more active role, but the return is that it's a faster process; you'll get compost in one to three months during warm weather. Four ingredients are required for fast-cooking hot compost: nitrogen, carbon, air, and water. Together, these items feed microorganisms, which speed up the process of decay. During the growing season when garden waste is plentiful, you can mix one big batch of compost and then start a second one while the first one "cooks."

Another type of compost is vermicompost, which is made with the help of worms. When these worms eat your food scraps, they release castings, which are rich in nitrogen. You can't use just any old worms for this. You need redworms (also called "red wigglers"). Worms for composting can be purchased inexpensively online or at a garden supplier.

What to Compost

Composting at home is a great way to use the things in your refrigerator that are a little past their prime, which helps reduce food waste. You can also compost certain kinds of yard waste rather than send them to the dump. Collect these materials to start off your compost pile right:

Fruit scraps

Vegetable scraps

Coffee grounds

Eggshells (though they can take a while to break down)

Grass and plant clippings

Dry leaves

Finely chopped wood and bark chips

Shredded newspaper

Straw

Sawdust from untreated wood

Never add meat scraps, dairy, cheese, fats/oils, pet waste, or chemically treated wood. These items either cause unpleasant odors or could contain harmful diseases or chemicals.

Keeping a container in your kitchen is an easy way to accumulate composting materials as you prep meals. If you don't want to buy one, you can make your own indoor or outdoor compost bin. For kitchen scraps that could start spoiling quickly, another option is to store them in the freezer until you are ready to add them to your larger outdoor pile.

How to Make Hot Compost

Combine Green and Brown Materials

To make your own hot-compost heap, wait until you have enough materials to make a pile at least 3 feet deep with a combination of wet (green) items and dry (brown) items. Brown materials include dried plant materials, fallen leaves, shredded tree branches, cardboard, newspaper, hay, straw, and wood shavings. These items add carbon. Green materials include kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, animal manures (not from dogs or cats), and fresh plant and grass trimmings. These items add nitrogen.

For best results, start building your compost pile by mixing three parts brown materials with one part green material. If your compost pile looks too wet and smells unpleasant, add more brown items or mix your compost with a garden fork to aerate. If you see it looks extremely brown and dry, add green items and water to make it slightly moist.

Water Your Compost Pile

Sprinkle water over the compost pile regularly so it has the consistency of a damp sponge. Don't add too much water or the microorganisms in your compost pile will become waterlogged and drown. If this happens, your pile will rot instead of compost. You can monitor the temperature of your compost pile with a compost thermometer to be sure the materials are properly decomposing. Or, simply reach into the middle of the compost pile with your hand. Your compost pile should feel warm.

Stir Your Compost Pile

During the growing season, you should provide the compost pile with oxygen by turning it once a week with a garden fork or other garden tools (such as this Better Homes & Gardens Stainless Steel Gardening Tool Set, $40, Walmart). The best time to turn the compost is when the center of the pile feels warm or when a thermometer reads between 130°F and 150°F. Stirring the compost pile will help it cook faster and prevents materials from becoming matted down and developing an odor. At this point, the brown and green layers have served their purpose so it's ok to stir thoroughly and intermix the two materials.

Test Garden Tip: In addition to aerating regularly, chop and shred raw ingredients into smaller sizes to speed up the composting process.

Feed Your Garden with Compost

When the compost pile no longer gives off heat and becomes dry, brown, and crumbly, it's fully cooked and ready to feed to the garden. Add about 4 to 6 inches of compost to your flower beds and a thick layer to the top of pots at the beginning of each planting season.

Some gardeners make what's known as compost tea with finished compost. This involves allowing fully formed compost to "steep" in water for several days, then straining it to use as a homemade liquid fertilizer.

Every gardener is different, so it's up to you to decide which composting method best fits your lifestyle. Fortunately, no matter which route you choose, composting at home is easy and environmentally friendly. Plus, it's a treat for your garden. With some kitchen scraps, yard trimmings, and some patience, you'll have the happiest garden on the block.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a compost starter?

A compost starter (also known as a "compost accelerator" or "compost activator") is any additive that you mix in with your organic scraps to boost the natural decomposition process. Compost starters are not required for the composting process but can be good catalysts because they are rich in the carbon, nitrogen, and microorganisms that break down the food and plant matter in your compost pile. A compost starter could be especially helpful if you are struggling to achieve the perfect ratio of green (like kitchen scraps and coffee grounds) to brown (like leaves, twigs, and newspaper) materials in your compost pile.

How long does it take to make compost?

Depending on your materials, methods, and conditions, it could take anywhere from a few weeks to several years to make compost. The slowest (but simplest and most passive) method is cold composting, which can easily take a year or more before your pile decomposes.

How much space do I need to make compost?

You can create a compost pile in a space as small as 1 cubic yard (or 3 feet wide, 3 feet long, and 3 feet deep), but for most gardens, a 3 to 5-foot square space is ideal. Just be sure to build your compost pile on moderately level ground near a water source and away from tree roots, fences, and buildings. If you have a very small outdoor space (like an apartment patio or deck) you can also create compost in a portable compost tumbler or a DIY compost box. Just poke holes in a large plastic storage bin, place your container in the sun with a drainage tray, and then follow the steps for vermicomposting with worms.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
4 Simple Steps for Making Compost to Feed Your Garden

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Turn your food scraps and yard waste into "black gold" that will feed your plants and improve your soil.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"There must be provision for the child to have contact with nature; to understand and appreciate the order, the harmony and the beauty in nature". Maria Montessori

Nature offers infinite ways to support child's cognitive, physical, and emotional development. This is not to say that nature can completely replace time children spend in the classroom. However, I believe that if teachers and parents neglect the benefits entirely natural environment presents to us, children may miss out on incredible opportunities.

Time spent in nature has decreased in a major way in a past few years. On average youth plays outside in nature 4-7 minutes a day, whilst spending more than 7 hours each day in front of a screen. However, stress, depression and anxiety levels skyrocketed. Antidepressant use has increased by 49 percent among US school-aged children with the largest increase attributed to preschoolers. Healthcare professionals point out a direct link between children deteriorating mental and physical state and practically absence of unstructured outdoor play in the fresh air.

"I would far rather write a prescription for safe outdoor play for my patients than see them five years later with depression, anxiety and obesity." Dr Wendy Kohatsu

I would like to highlight benefits and advantages of nature play and learning in nature from the perspective of a Montessori educator. Several important aspects positively influence the learning process.

Nature is the ultimate resource for eco-friendly craft and art materials for children. All materials - pine cones, twigs, shells, fallen leaves, flowers, branches, pebbles, and the list goes on and on are naturally produced by our environment and can be recycled - returned to where originally came from with zero carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, zero water wasted and zero toxins.

Significant health benefits - it is essential for mental and physical well-being. Children are encouraged to venture outdoors, breathe fresh air, run, take risks, climb. For example, one of the most effective ways for children to experience and learn to appreciate silence is in the forest on the bank of a lake. It creates nothing but stillness, mindfulness, and peace.

Interaction with living things. Children learn that everything around them is living, flourishing, progressing from one stage to another, coexisting in harmony. Children interact with land that is breathing; they too start to breathe deeper, look closer. Children are the best at observing and absorbing information.

Children learn to be bold, carefree. As soon as children emerge from the natural environment all social stigmas disappear. They have no one to impress, no one to compete with, they are free to be themselves. This allows children an opportunity to be carefree, take bold steps, challenge and extend their potential.

Physiologically children learn to relate, be empathetic and understand their behaviours in nature. Children may realise that, just like humans, nature has different patterns and "characters". Nature can be daring, silent, wild, gentle, gloomy or glorious. There is no one way to "be". These patterns come and go. Our feelings come and go, we don't need to be ashamed of feeling one way or another, carry stereotypical cliché of being called "quiet", "nerdy" or "wild". Nature changes, we change from one moment to another.

Hands-on experiences. Nature provides countless opportunities for hands-on learning experiences and discoveries. All children naturally become explorers and artists. They draw with sticks on the ground, they mix soil and water. In nature, children are free to experiment, prove or disprove their own theories.

Child-driven explorations. Nature presents ways to follow child's interest and boosts curiosity - they may choose to build a forest house, study trees, investigate, study content of the soil. Their interest is their ultimate motivator.

Sensory experiences. Every single aspect of learning in nature already predetermined to influence and generate sensory experiences and involve all senses into the learning process.

Nature as a source of inspiration. Nature is an unbeatable source of inspiration - not just in the sense of creating art but also nature helps to clear head, gain perspective and become more creative at problem-solving.

Educational benefits. I struggle to think of one concept or subject that is impossible to teach using natural environment - science, biology, math, language, art, geography, chemistry, astronomy, technology, art. Nature takes all sorts of forms and shapes - from a backyard to the beach, cave, forest, meadow, lake, waterfall, creek, swamp. It all can be successfully implemented, explored, studied, tested, examined in nature.

Children do not require a great deal of adult's involvement when they play in nature. They can be more independent. Children are more prone to resolve their conflicts and misunderstandings with the minimum participation from adults. They also seem to have much fewer reasons for being unhappy with each other.

It's hard to be passive in nature. Even a child who tends to be indifferent when it comes to learning (I would call in unmotivated) still can absorb everything and benefit from stillness and moments of mindfulness that nature brings without having to be very active. Additionally, nature will eventually force anybody to move around - the shade moves, ants get under the shirt, it gets too cold - you are going to be moving whether you like it or not.

Children learn to embrace sustainable living and be self-sufficient. Nothing is ever wasted in nature. Growing garden, picking edible berries, mushrooms, making tea in the forest - these are all a part of learning to appreciate natural resources and processes. Learning to value what you've got and waste not.

In nature, children learn to connect.

Every child has a high potential to thrive in nature. We need to make sure they experience these advantage early on in life. I grew up in a school located in the forest, and I could not recall as many classes as I do our infinite number of adventures we had there as kids. This experience forever ignited the passion I have for our natural environment and desire to see child's mind, soul, spirit and body embrace all the benefits nature has to offer.

Thank you for visiting! Please note this post may contain affiliate links to products I use or recommend.

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The Many Benefits of Learning in Nature - Montessori Nature

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"There must be provision for the child to have contact with nature; to understand and appreciate the order, the harmony and the beauty in nature". Maria Montessori Nature offers infinite ways to support child's cognitive, physical, and emotional development. This is not to say that nature can completely replace time children spend in the classroom.

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Added to the PowerPoint and made notecards for presentation

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I did research and made sure our topic related to the driving question

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12-7 Sophia- we talked about where we’re going to put our park

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12/3

We talked about the increase of taxes

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Sophia 11-27.  I read articles to find more information

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- Kids have less stress
- Allergies are lessened
- More likely to be physically fit
- Learn about nature
- Nature Reduces ADHD

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Aug 22, 2016, 1:45 PM, Posted by

As the National Park Service celebrates its 100th anniversary of beauty, recreation, and conservation this summer, we asked six leaders why access to public land is vital to everyone's physical and mental health.

When we think of national parks, we think of places for people to recreate and connect with nature and their history, but they also provide places for people to have fun, and find mental, physical, and spiritual health, and social wellbeing.

Historically, the justification for the creation of park land in the United States is rooted in public health through the provision of clean air and clean water, and also providing spaces for finding respite from the stressors of everyday life. Yellowstone was established as such a place, and we can look at Hot Springs National Park, where bathing in the hot waters provided opportunities for healing for all people, regardless of income.

Today the National Park Service has more than 400 parks, recreation areas, cultural sites, rivers, trails and historic sites that can serve as "go-to" resources for people's health and wellbeing. We believe a park visit can influence park visitors to adopt healthier lifestyles. The research is proving this out. For example, fascinating research from Cornell University shows if you think of exercise as being fun-like a scenic walk in the park, or just a break to relax-you will actually eat less and healthier afterwards.
- Diana Allen, Chief, National Park Service Healthy Parks Healthy People National Program

Parks are a great way to encourage physical activity and sustain healthy lifestyles. According to a study from the RAND Corporation in 2013, about 14 percent of moderate exercise and 50 percent of vigorous, heart healthy exercise takes place in nearby neighborhood parks.

Even a small and inexpensive park provides great opportunities for exercise. The Trust specializes in helping to create micro parks that we call fitness zone areas. These are small open spaces-less than 1,000 square feet-with outdoor fitness equipment. We focus our efforts almost exclusively in lower income communities, with the logic that higher income communities have access to gyms. So far, we've seen both genders and multiple age groups heavily use these fitness zones. We've seen three generations of the family working out together and it's elating!
- Adrian Benepe, Senior Vice President and Director of City Park Development, The Trust for Public Land

We know that there are racial disparities in rates of activity and childhood obesity, particularly in urban areas. Parks with trails and greenway attractions afford activity such as walking and cycling, and those connections allow people to move back and forth between activities. We have cross-sectional data from many studies that suggests people who live close to parks are more active, including children, and adolescents living near parks are less prone to being overweight.

Parks help restore people from the stress of day-to-day challenges, hassles and struggles. That's especially important for people who are more likely to experience discrimination and its psychological toll. Our national parks can foster a sense of community and shared identity. For example, The National Park Service attempts to tell the American story from diverse angles in its sites of history and antiquity. That helps build community and sustain our identity as Americans. When people can see themselves in these American stories, they feel, 'We are part of this story, too. We are part of this country and we have made contributions that are recognized.'

- Myron Floyd, PhD, Professor and Department Head in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management at North Carolina State University

Everyone agrees we should be setting kids up for healthy lives no matter where they live. One of the biggest barrier to kids playing is lack of a safe place. So kids come straight home from school and sit on the couch. This leads not only to physical inactivity problem, but disconnection and social isolation. We're trying to counter these problems by making sure parks are abundant, particularly in low-income communities with high density and high poverty rates.

Parks create an opportunity for kids to enjoy themselves and interact with others in an environment where they're shielded from adversity in their daily lives. When kids play, they develop higher order cognitive skills that complement classroom learning. They develop problem solving skills-like trying to figure out how to make it all the way across the monkey bars! Or collaboration and teamwork, like negotiating the rules of a game with other kids.

Kids also need space to interact with caring adults which leads to social and emotional health. Parks create a space where they can spend time with their families and learn norms of behavior across the community. Parks and playgrounds are the safety valve, a place where they feel protected.

We need to think about parks holistically-the greener spaces and acreage as well as hard surfaces. Parks contribute to biodiversity that we need as a species to survive. They also help mitigate climate change impact. Having green infrastructure contributes to our air quality and to our water quality-some parks provide storm water retention and water filtration and flooding control. In a heat wave or when air conditions are unavailable, urban residents can go to a park and get some relief and companionship.

The power of parks is that they transcend age, ethnicity, race, income, politics and geography. You know the park is working if you show up on a Sunday, or better yet any day, and see people on a bike or on foot, playing games that celebrate culture and activity from bocci ball to basketball to chess. Space that isn't programmed for particular activities gives us freedom to explore and to discover, to see butterflies and birds and spy larger animals. I see that as a necessary part of our culture and humanity-the free space to play, to gather or to simply be by yourself. We have a need for parks and green space, and to connect with nature, just as surely as we have a need for water. They feed our souls.
- Sharon Roerty, Senior Program Officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Teresa Mozur is a Creative Strategist at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She oversees editorial strategy for the Culture of Health Blog.

Tags: Built Environment and Health

As the National Park Service celebrates its 100th anniversary of beauty, recreation, and conservation this summer, we asked six leaders why access to public land is vital to everyone's physical and mental health.

The National Park Service celebrates its centennial this week, and our national parks have never been more appreciated; visitors made a record-breaking 307.2 million visits to them in 2015. But what many park goers may not realize is that the access to natural scenery and park activities national parks provide play a role in improving health. In fact, research shows that using public parks-even tiny local ones in your neighborhood-contributes to health in a number of ways, from promoting physical activity to improving mental health and even having the potential to reduce health care costs.

To celebrate this milestone in American history, the Culture of Health blog's editorial team asked six leaders to give us their reasons why parks matter for health.

Here's what they had to say:

When we think of national parks, we think of places for people to recreate and connect with nature and their history, but they also provide places for people to have fun, and find mental, physical, and spiritual health, and social wellbeing.

Historically, the justification for the creation of park land in the United States is rooted in public health through the provision of clean air and clean water, and also providing spaces for finding respite from the stressors of everyday life. Yellowstone was established as such a place, and we can look at Hot Springs National Park, where bathing in the hot waters provided opportunities for healing for all people, regardless of income.

Today the National Park Service has more than 400 parks, recreation areas, cultural sites, rivers, trails and historic sites that can serve as "go-to" resources for people's health and wellbeing. We believe a park visit can influence park visitors to adopt healthier lifestyles. The research is proving this out. For example, fascinating research from Cornell University shows if you think of exercise as being fun-like a scenic walk in the park, or just a break to relax-you will actually eat less and healthier afterwards.
- Diana Allen, Chief, National Park Service Healthy Parks Healthy People National Program

Parks are a great way to encourage physical activity and sustain healthy lifestyles. According to a study from the RAND Corporation in 2013, about 14 percent of moderate exercise and 50 percent of vigorous, heart healthy exercise takes place in nearby neighborhood parks.

Even a small and inexpensive park provides great opportunities for exercise. The Trust specializes in helping to create micro parks that we call fitness zone areas. These are small open spaces-less than 1,000 square feet-with outdoor fitness equipment. We focus our efforts almost exclusively in lower income communities, with the logic that higher income communities have access to gyms. So far, we've seen both genders and multiple age groups heavily use these fitness zones. We've seen three generations of the family working out together and it's elating!
- Adrian Benepe, Senior Vice President and Director of City Park Development, The Trust for Public Land

We know that there are racial disparities in rates of activity and childhood obesity, particularly in urban areas. Parks with trails and greenway attractions afford activity such as walking and cycling, and those connections allow people to move back and forth between activities. We have cross-sectional data from many studies that suggests people who live close to parks are more active, including children, and adolescents living near parks are less prone to being overweight.

Parks help restore people from the stress of day-to-day challenges, hassles and struggles. That's especially important for people who are more likely to experience discrimination and its psychological toll. Our national parks can foster a sense of community and shared identity. For example, The National Park Service attempts to tell the American story from diverse angles in its sites of history and antiquity. That helps build community and sustain our identity as Americans. When people can see themselves in these American stories, they feel, 'We are part of this story, too. We are part of this country and we have made contributions that are recognized.'

- Myron Floyd, PhD, Professor and Department Head in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management at North Carolina State University

Everyone agrees we should be setting kids up for healthy lives no matter where they live. One of the biggest barrier to kids playing is lack of a safe place. So kids come straight home from school and sit on the couch. This leads not only to physical inactivity problem, but disconnection and social isolation. We're trying to counter these problems by making sure parks are abundant, particularly in low-income communities with high density and high poverty rates.

Parks create an opportunity for kids to enjoy themselves and interact with others in an environment where they're shielded from adversity in their daily lives. When kids play, they develop higher order cognitive skills that complement classroom learning. They develop problem solving skills-like trying to figure out how to make it all the way across the monkey bars! Or collaboration and teamwork, like negotiating the rules of a game with other kids.

Kids also need space to interact with caring adults which leads to social and emotional health. Parks create a space where they can spend time with their families and learn norms of behavior across the community. Parks and playgrounds are the safety valve, a place where they feel protected.

We've got an epidemic of chronic disease on our hands: diabetes and asthma and heart attack and stroke. We've got millions of Americans suffering from mental illness and ADHD. This routine of ours-sleeping, eating and sitting 93 percent of the time indoors-is contributing to these diseases and dying prematurely. And people of lower income and people of color tend to fare worse in those disease categories. They're also the least likely users of green space and likely to benefit most from spending time in it.

There are many studies looking at health benefits to these communities just by virtue of spending time in green space. There's good evidence that sitting or eating outdoors, even just touching a tree, has a measurable impact on your psychological health. Exposure to sunlight is healing for medical and mental health reasons; upwards of 90 percent of Americans have vitamin D deficiency. Busing people from dense urban areas to go for a hike in a national park has a measurable impact on their blood pressure and stress. Kids with ADHD do as well or better with outside play than they do with medication.
- Robert Zarr, MD, founder of DC Park Rx

We need to think about parks holistically-the greener spaces and acreage as well as hard surfaces. Parks contribute to biodiversity that we need as a species to survive. They also help mitigate climate change impact. Having green infrastructure contributes to our air quality and to our water quality-some parks provide storm water retention and water filtration and flooding control. In a heat wave or when air conditions are unavailable, urban residents can go to a park and get some relief and companionship.

The power of parks is that they transcend age, ethnicity, race, income, politics and geography. You know the park is working if you show up on a Sunday, or better yet any day, and see people on a bike or on foot, playing games that celebrate culture and activity from bocci ball to basketball to chess. Space that isn't programmed for particular activities gives us freedom to explore and to discover, to see butterflies and birds and spy larger animals. I see that as a necessary part of our culture and humanity-the free space to play, to gather or to simply be by yourself. We have a need for parks and green space, and to connect with nature, just as surely as we have a need for water. They feed our souls.
- Sharon Roerty, Senior Program Officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Interested in celebrating the National Park Service centennial where you live? Explore events and resources from the National Park Service.

Teresa Mozur is a Creative Strategist at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She oversees editorial strategy for the Culture of Health Blog.

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Aug 22, 2016, 1:45 PM, Posted by As the National Park Service celebrates its 100th anniversary of beauty, recreation, and conservation this summer, we asked six leaders why access to public land is vital to everyone's physical and mental health.

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I'm sure you will all agree that you generally feel happier when the sun is shining and you get to spend more time outside. Here are 6 reasons why you should spend time outdoors in the fresh air to improve your wellbeing...

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The Health Benefits of Small Parks and Green Spaces | Health and Wellness | National Recreation and Park Association

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Small parks and green spaces are equally as important as large parks as public health solutions in urban communities.

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I asked the question and why and did research

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11/26 I found new sources and checked older ones.
11/27 I read reliable research on the cost of parks and put it in the Padlet.
12/3 I made sure our information was true and supported by other articles.
12/7 I made sure we were using all our sources and that the info was confirmed.
12/10 I found composting research and made a work cited.
12/11 I double checked we were ussing all our sources .

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11-26 : I double checked that all of our facts were necessary and true

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There are a myriad of health benefits for children who spend time playing outdoors, including improved eye sight and decreased hyperactivity and depression.

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More time spent in parks and green spaces can help individuals fight against mental health issues like depression, anxiety and stress. Making sure that all people have access to parks and outdoor programming is a critical way to increase these positive effects on health and quality of life for your community.

The Facts

People living more than 1 kilometer away from a green space have nearly 50 percent higher odds of experiencing stress than those living less than 300 meters from a green space. Respondents who do not report stress have more than 50 percent higher odds of visiting a green space at least a few days a week than those reporting stress. Results also showed that the more often respondents visited green spaces, the less stress they experienced.

Several studies have confirmed that separation from nature is detrimental to human development, health and wellbeing, and that regular contact with nature is required for good mental health.

Scientists in the Netherlands found that people who lived in residential areas with the least green spaces had a 44 percent higher rate of physician-diagnosed anxiety disorders than people who lived in the greenest residential areas. The effect was strongest among those most likely to spend their time near home, including children and those with low levels of education and income.

Physician-diagnosed depression was 33 percent higher in the residential areas with the fewest green spaces, compared to the neighborhoods with the most.

People who lived in close proximity to natural space had significantly improved mental health up to three years after their move. Compared to pre-move mental health scores, individuals who moved to greener areas had significantly better mental health recorded three years after the move.

Individuals reported less mental distress and higher life satisfaction when they were living in greener areas.

A strong body of evidence suggests that physical activity in green spaces has stronger mental health benefits than physical activity in non-green spaces.

Use of green spaces is associated with decreased health complaints, improved blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reduced stress, improved general health perceptions and a greater ability to face problems.

Download Factsheet

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national recreation and park association

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Parks and Improved Mental Health and Quality of Life

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More time spent in parks and green spaces can help individuals fight against mental health issues like depression, anxiety and stress. Making sure that all people have access to parks and outdoor programming is a critical way to increase these positive effects on health and quality of life for your community.

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Problem: people in cities have more anxiety

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Problem: people in cities have more anxiety

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Having parks in cities will improve children’s health.

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Grace: class connecter, driving question reminder

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Sophia: skeptic

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Eliza: source checker

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How can we design a plant based health solution that others will buy into?

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exercise

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Evidence of what urban parks do already

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why kids need fresh air
- studies about stress and anxiety

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Health benefits of fresh air and nature

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evidence as to why people need parks

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How nature helps people