Campus Tree Walks
What Is A Tree Walk?
The genesis of the Campus Tree Walk project stems from a cross-disciplinary interest in preventative medicine. These walks exist to facilitate both stress reduction and mindfulness. Literature in ecology and healthcare suggest that being in nature stimulates stronger holistic health. If this is the case, then there is a moral responsibility to promote this information, particularly to highly stressed populations, i.e. university students and hospital patients. Walks and other resources are available below.
Choose Your Walk
A Guided Nature Walk through the Arboretum Woods
Nature Therapy: An Evidence-Based Approach
"Today, lifestyle-related health problems are of concern in all developed countries. Health problems increasingly relate to modern lifestyles, which are more sedentary and stressful, and mainly oriented indoors. Forests in urban and rural areas have great potential for promoting healthier lifestyles and improved mental health in urbanized societies (Lee, Qing, Tyravainen, Tsunetsugu, Park ... Miyazaki, 2012)."
There is a strong relationship between human health and the natural environment. Studies have shown that being with trees can improve not only mental health, but physical health as well. Several institutions have already capitalized on these principles, such as by constructing "healing gardens" in hospitals, where recovery rates are heightened and nursing-staff turnover rates are reduced.
If you would like to learn more about the connection between health and nature, please refer to the articles provided.
Nature Therapy and Preventative Medicine
"Shinrin-Yoku," or Japanese forest bathing
The Influence of Urban Green Environments on Stress Relief Measures
Healing gardens in healthcare
Making A Difference
Adopt-A-Tree
Adopting a tree is sort of like adopting a puppy, although it's much less of a time commitment. And it's free! By adopting a tree, you are pledging to watch over it. Once you've adopted, you have two main responsibilities:
- check up on it every so often to make sure it's staying healthy, and
- simply spend some time with it.
Here are a few ideas for things to do once you have adopted a tree:
Click here to find out how to get started!
- Go on a romantic date where you and your partner look at trees together
- Have a picnic with friends under your tree
- Instead of paying to name a star, name a tree for free!
- Get some work done in the company of your tree
- Keeping Our Campus Trees Healthy
Keeping Our Campus Trees Healthy
Even if you don't want to adopt a tree, you still have the ability to be an ambassador for our urban canopy! If you see a problem with a tree, please don't hesitate to reach out and tell us ufi@uky.edu. Here's a simple, handy-dandy checklist to get you started.
