ABOVE: © UNSPLASH, David Narcu
Mathew White is on a mission to garner Mother Nature the respect he thinks she deserves when it comes to human health. For decades, scientists and health-care professionals have recognized that exposure to green spaces, such as public parks or forests, is linked with lower risks of all sorts of ailments common in the developed world—including cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and mental distress—and even of mortality. Experimental work has demonstrated myriad physiological responses that occur when people spend time in natural environments: blood pressure drops, heart rate decreases, immune function improves, and the parasympathetic nervous system directs the body to rest and digest.
As humans increasingly populate urbanized areas, they are spending less and less time in natural environments—perhaps to the detriment of their health. But before doctors can start advising their patients to head to the nearest park, there is an important outstanding question, ...
