Read the full article on Nebraska Examiner
When you take a walk in Nebraska’s Fontenelle Forest, you pass bur oak trees that are more than 300 years old — older than the United States.
These incredible trees provide important perspective, reminding us to slow down, disconnect from digital life and reconnect with nature, surrounded by greenery, sunlight and the sounds of the natural world.
The start of spring marks the perfect moment to take stock of our relationship to technology. My role as executive director of Fontenelle Forest gives me a bird’s-eye view of why taking the time to unplug, literally and figuratively, has tremendous benefits for our physical and mental health, our creativity and our connections with loved ones.
The research is clear: Exposure to nature produces a host of benefits, including improved attention span, lower stress, better moods and even increased empathy and cooperation, according to the American Psychological Association. Most who spend time outdoors have experienced this.
I experience these brain-power boosts myself, and I hear the same from forest visitors. When you take a walk in nature with nothing but yourself or your loved ones, you’ll notice just how much there is to notice — how the sun feels on your skin, the sound of leaves as they dance in the wind, how many animals share the land with us. Time in nature is one of the best antidotes to a modern life that centers screens.
At Fontenelle Forest, we conserve a place where people can experience and enjoy the quiet wild of nature — ample opportunity to unplug, connect and enjoy the outdoors, including 17 miles of trails across 1,500 acres.
Spending time in nature has amazing benefits for young children, too. A study from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Department of Psychology found that preschoolers and school-aged children scored better on tests related to spatial working memory, attention and inhibition control following a walk through green spaces when compared to a walk in a downtown setting. The results, according to the UNL researchers, underscore how important it is for young children to spend time in natural environments.
SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
We and others elsewhere work to encourage children to interact with nature in unexpected ways. For example, our Acorn Acres playscape provides a safe space to explore nature through unstructured play. The half-acre area includes a treehouse and accommodations for people using mobility aids and help for those with needs related to sight, touch and sound sensitivity.
The greater Omaha area is fortunate to have access to nature areas like Fontenelle Forest. Not all peer metropolitan areas do. To maximize the experience, we’re always on the lookout for opportunities to remove tech from the forest.
Technology has its place, and it has allowed us to do incredible things. But life moves fast these days, and the online world in particular can feel overwhelming and oversaturated. It can be easy to miss the forest for the trees when on your phone.
So take some time this spring to disconnect and enjoy nature. The centuries-old bur oaks at Fontenelle Forest didn’t grow in a hurry. I think we all can learn from them.
Tyler Irvine is the executive director of Fontenelle Forest, one of Nebraska’s oldest conservation organizations and one of the largest private nature centers in the nation.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
