Podcast

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.

Among the lifestyle challenges of living in a city are finding ways to create nature spaces near your home. While many city community green spaces are in the form of parks, everything from their upkeep to ease of access varies widely. And those spaces often aren’t designed with a focus on what the community needs or who lives and plays there, creating a block for use by all.

In Washington, D.C. the organization City Blossoms is working to change that by creating garden spaces focused on youth involvement across the city. With two of their core values focused on diversity and equity, the organization partners with communities to create gardens that don’t just live in the neighborhood, but are centered around its needs.

In this episode, Rafael Woldeab, City Blossom’s executive director, shares his organization’s mission, why it matters and how outdoor-lovers anywhere can use what City Blossoms has learned to connect them with nature right where they are.

Simple. Boring. Tired. You might think of just going for a regular walk as being something only people with nothing better to do make a part of their daily lives.

But what if going for a walk isn’t only an easy way to spend time outside, but also one that’s so varied and beneficial that understanding the practice is a matter of scientific research?

Author Annabel Streets was so startled by how much better she felt when she started going for walks that she researched the science behind what was happening and wrote a book about it. The result, 52 Ways to Walk, details out — you guessed it — 52 different ways to go for a walk and all of the research behind the benefits of each one.

In this episode of Humans Outside, Annabel shares her least and most favorite ways to walk, her walking journey, and why any of it should matter to you.

No matter where you live you probably regularly see at least one kind of animal outside your window: birds. City or country, birds serve the ecosystem while providing humans with beauty, curiosity and entertainment.

And if you spend any time noticing them, you are already participating in birding. Feeling curious and want to learn more about these feathered friends? That’s where today’s guest, Yamina Nater-Otero, comes in. As a program coordinator for Audubon New York based in New York City, she knows that you don’t need to live somewhere with big forests or nearby mountains to learn about and watch birds. And in her role as secretary for Amplify the Future, she knows you also don’t need to look a certain way or come from any special background to participate. Birding and all of nature is for everyone.

In this episode of Humans Outside Yamina talks to us about how literally anyone can become a birder and the importance of birds in the use of nearby nature.