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319 Best Of: Why Nearby Nature Is Just as Useful as the Great Outdoors (Dr. Kathleen Wolf)

Release Date: 08/03/2023

391: Until next time, we’ll see you out there (Outdoor Diary)

Humans Outside

Did you know I’m a journalist? I mean, you probably do because I mention it in the intro of many episodes of Humans Outside. But you probably didn’t know I’m launching a local nonprofit newspaper. It’s an all-consuming project, and going outside has been key to helping me get it off the ground. Going outside daily has also been key to helping me understand how to manage my time, how to prioritize what’s important to me, how to make all of it happen in one day. But it’s also taught me that the world is full of natural beginnings and endings as a part of the seasons. Listen now....

390 Best Of: Making Your Outdoor Time Better With Life in Five Senses (Gretchen Rubin, happiness researcher and author)

Humans Outside

Do you have one person whose work you’ve looked to for inspiration? For me, that’s Gretchen Rubin, author of the Happiness Project, and it’s why I was so excited to get her on Humans Outside for a sit-down. It was such a fun conversation that I want to make sure you get to hear it in this best of humans outside episode. I hope you love this interesting and inspirational conversation with Gretchen Rubin. Connect with this episode: (affiliate link) Some of the good stuff: [3:05] Gretchen Rubin’s favorite outdoor space [4:10] How Gretchen became someone who likes to go...

389: The power of ‘yes’ and following your gut to outdoor adventures (Mimi Zieman, author, doctor and outdoor adventurer)

Humans Outside

What happens if you say "yes" to just one adventure or step out of your comfort zone? Maybe you'll create a single unforgettable experience. Or maybe that "yes" will lead you down a path where you encounter more interesting (and maybe a little scary) ideas and opportunities. That's what today's guest, author and physician Mimi Zieman, found when she stepped out of her comfort zone in New York City to try something new. From the streets of the city to the base camp of Mt. Everest, Mimi discovered how saying yes to ideas and taking up space in the world can lead to a lifetime of growth. In this...

388: This is the best gift of my outdoor habit (Outdoor Diary)

Humans Outside

There are a lot of reasons to spend time in nature, but as I reflect back on all of the things I’ve learned by heading outside every day for more than 2,500 days in a row, some takeaways stick out more than others. The biggest thing I’ve learned by spending time outside is also both my favorite lesson and the thing I least expected. What is it? Listen now! Connect with this episode: Some of the good stuff: [00:45] The start of my outdoor challenge [01:39] There were some benefits I expected [02:21] And then there is one big benefit I didnt see coming [03:33] I realized while doing this...

387: The marvel of nature reclaiming everything, including me (Outdoor Diary)

Humans Outside

There’s something both comforting and amazing about the way nature takes the reigns no matter what happens. During a recent walk in the woods, I saw startling new growth on top of recent harm, and it was just the reminder I needed about nature’s power to reclaim itself and me. Maybe it’s a reminder you need, too. Listen now! Connect with this episode: Some of the good stuff: [00:23] Here’s what I did outside this week [00:35] Nature just out there healing its own self [01:37] Here’s where I face the music [02:32] And here’s what I saw when I did [04:03] Oh yeah, nature heals...

386: Chasing your hard and honoring your why through tough stuff outside (Emily Halnon, author and ultrarunner)

Humans Outside

No matter how you define “hard,” heading outside offers plenty of chances to tackle it. Many people who choose to tackle hard stuff outside are pushed to do so to honor some kind of “why.” For some of us, that “why” is health or to push our own personal boundaries. For others, the “why” is on behalf of someone else. Ultrarunner Emily Halnon’s “why” has everything to do with her mom, who died from an aggressive form of cancer in early 2020. To honor her she headed out to tackle a major challenge running on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). It’s a story she’s now shared in...

385: It sounds like late spring out there and I love it (Outdoor Diary)

Humans Outside

There’s something special about the way spring sounds in Alaska. Maybe it’s how dramatic the experience is as compared to the sounds of winter. Maybe it’s that they’re happy sounds that I can hear through my windows. Maybe it’s that the weather is so much nicer than it had been, that I’m outside more to hear sounds at all. Whatever the reason, I love the outdoor symphony. Here’s what I’ve been noticing. Listen now. Connect with this episode: Some of the good stuff: [00:35] I’m feeling really grateful for my ears [00:52] Here’s the source of my leaning into my senses...

384: When I’m feeling overwhelmed, this counterintuitive outdoor step helps (Outdoor Diary)

Humans Outside

I do it to myself and over and over again. That feeling of overwhelm sneaks right in, and it’s entirely because of my own poor choices. (You would think I’d learn my lesson, but I have not.) So when the going gets crowed, what do I do? I think you’re probably going to guess. But the wild thing is just how much adding more of it to my schedule helps. Listen now. Connect with this episode: Some of the good stuff: [00:23] Yeah, OK I do this to myself [01:17] We know the signs -- truly [01:32] Maybe I could do this before [02:25] This is the part where we come up with a solution [02:43]...

383 Best of: How to make nature your fix right where you are (Florence Williams, author)

Humans Outside

Florence Williams has learned a thing or two about making the most of what you have right outside your door and the tools you already possess to do so. Since Florence, author of “The Nature Fix,” literally wrote the book on how going outside creates positive impacts on our mental health and wellbeing, that’s really saying something. I learned about Florence before we even started going outside every day. It was her book, published shortly before we knew we were looking for it, that gave us the 20 minute daily goal. We are so honored that she gave some of her time to share her latest...

382: The key to seeing wonders outside (Outdoor Diary)

Humans Outside

I used to hear friends talk about the crazy wonderful things they were spotting outside and wonder how it was I was missing out. Why didn’t I see that stuff? Were they trying harder? Going places I didn’t want to go? Getting up in tbe middle of the night to do it? And then one day I stumbled upon their secret by accident. And now that I’ve figured out the trick to seeing wonders outside, I just can’t stop. It’s not that hard It doesn’t take any extra work It does take intention Listen now! Connect with this episode: Some of the good stuff: [00:35] Yes, I’m an early riser...

More Episodes

Depending on your background of using nature and heading outside, you might think of spending time outdoors as something you go do instead of something that’s on the other side of your front door.

And if you do make a habit of going into the nature that’s close to home, you might be tempted to think that the same-old, same-old isn’t as good as shaking it up and going somewhere news and different.

Dr. Kathleen Wolf has made a career of researching human use of nature and its benefits as a research social scientist at the school of environmental and forest sciences at the University of Washington. She joined in Season 3 for an overview of how much time in nature is really useful (spoiler alert, it’s about 20 minutes a day!). And in this episode she talks about the benefits of nearby nature and how to get the most out of it.

Connect with this episode

Learn more about Dr. Kathleen Wolf

Read Dr. Kathleen Wolf’s long term project, “Green Cities: Good Health”

Find Dr. Kathleen Wolf on LinkedIn

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[3:54] What Kathy’s been doing since we last spoke

[7:54] What is nearby nature?
[10:31] What people think of as nature and why making generalizations isn’t a good idea

[15:23] What nearby nature factors appeal to people?

[19:44] The role of mindfulness in nearby nature