Does Nature Make us Happier?

Our speaker is Taylor Ricketts, Director of the Gund Institute for Environment at the University of Vermont and a Shelburne resident. Taylor's talk will focus on the question "Does being in nature make us happier?" If you are a Green Mountain Club member or love being outside, being in nature probably makes us happy. But is that true for everyone? And how big is the effect? What is the actual evidence that time in nature leads to measurable improvements in mental health? There is a lot of research going on at UVM and elsewhere on this issue, and COVID was a global experiment that has taught us a lot. Taylor will talk about what scientists are learning about the relationship between nature and mental health, using everything from social media to wearable technology to trailhead surveys. Taylor's research centers on the overarching question: How do we meet the needs of people and nature in an increasingly crowded, changing world? His work has focused on the economic and health benefits provided to people by forests, wetlands, reefs, and other natural areas. Before arriving at UVM, Taylor led World Wildlife Fund's Conservation Science Program. Taylor is an elected Fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Ecological Society of America. Thompson-Reuters has named him one of the world's most cited and influential scientists. At Shelburne old Town Hall at Pierson Library. Event open to all! (Suggested donation $5 GMC members, $8 others.)

https://gmcburlington.org/

Nov 19, 2024, 6 to 8 PM

Nov 20, 2024, 3 to 4 PM

Nov 21, 2024, 10 to 11 AM