I am bad at titles...

Urban Nature Benefits:
Psycho-Social Dimensions of People and Plants

I think that it is an interesting concept that people who experience more nature in their lives are happier, that they take less sick days, get more job satisfacton, and feel safer in natural places. I also feel like this article was a little one sided. It stated things like "studies have shown..." but was very vague on the actual content of the studies. It seems like there is more to happiness than just nature. Specifically, there are known psychological disorders that are associated with the winter time. Seasonal affective disorder is an accepted psychological disorder fairly common in this country. It is commonly treated not with trees and flowers, and getting peopel outside in the winter, but with bright light therapy. The use of full spectrum lamps, or "the happy lamp", as my roomate calls, it tends to bring peopel out of the "winter slumps" that frequently occur. Is it possible that the people with offices near windows are just responding to the natural light, as opposed to the green things that they see?

Landscape and Human Health Laboratory

I like this site a little better, cause it gives specific examples of how green spaces and things help people psychologically. I am still a little skeptical (as I tend to be) that there is not just a coincidence occuring here. Especially with the ADD example, I think a culture change has occured that is not being explored. Over the past few years people, including children, have been spending more time indoors playing videogames, watching tv, or various other physically inactive activities. There has also been an increase in ADD diagnosis. Children used to spend a lot more time just running around in general than they do now. When the children would get hyperactive, parents would just tell them to go outside and run around, now they are medicated. Peopel are now realizing that they can send their children outside to physically release that energy as opposed to putting them on ritalin, and are attributing it to the green things that are also outside. I am not saying that it is impossible that the natural things found outside are not helping peoples behavior, but I do believe that it is not as clear cut as the websites are making it out to be.

Social Science Research Project:
Forest Ecosystem Work and Youth Benefits

I like this article. I think that it is a good idea to foster a relationship between young people and the environment. People need to be aware of the world around them and how to take care of it so that it will be stabel and sustainable for years to come. This program also aims to get people more physically active, which is also a problem that should be confronted in our society. I like that this program, from what I could see, did not claim to provide psychological benefits based on proximity to green plants.