NEW WAYS TO GET OUTSIDE

Cause for optimism: A boom in stunning public parks. MARY BEMIS spoke with author Victoria Newhouse about the parks of the future.

- MARY BEMIS

CITY DWELLERS HAVE long sought refuge in urban parks where nature, albeit somewhat tamed, reigns supreme. A simple walk in the park can do wonders for one's psyche, not to mention overall health. "Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive, and even spiritual satisfaction," wrote Edward O. Wilson, noted biologist and author. Today, no matter where one lives, there is a yearning, like never before, for outdoor spaces. And it's no wonder, now that we're firmly planted in the midst of Year Three of the pandemic, that we're seeing green-and if not, we're dreaming of it. Parks, put simply, have become more important to our well-being than ever.

Our desire to be in nature is evident through popular healthful pursuits like forest bathing, a wellness ritual that originated in Japan in the 1980s. You can forest bathe on your own by simply spending more time in nature among the trees or choose to join small groups of forest bathers at numerous spas and wellness centers both here and abroad. (There's something new called cactus bathing, but I'll save that for another time.) In Washington, DC, there's even a doctor who prescribes walks in the park. Dr. Robert Zarr, a pediatrician, helped create a community health initiative called DC Park Rx in an effort to treat chronic disease and promote wellness. And, for those app-obsessed, there's something called NatureDose, a personalized nature prescription mobile app that can monitor, quantify, and evaluate your exposure to nature. In other words, you can now track the time you spend in the great outdoors much like you count your steps.