Data Supports Outdoor Activities in Wild Areas
- People
who demonstrate a commitment to protect the natural world identify
childhood experiences in nature as a critical factor in their actions (Chawla, 1999)
- In
a study of 400 youths, a majority reported that wilderness challenge
programs had major impacts on their physical, emotional, and intellectual
development and well-being (Kellert & Derr, 1998)
- Ninety
percent of adults who describe themselves as active started their activity
before the age of 18 (Harris, 2003)
- Kindergarten
students who spent 1-2 hours everyday playing in
a forested area improved their motor skills more significantly than
students who played at a traditional outdoor playground (Fjortoft, 2002)
- And
a 2005 study of California youth reported that students in outdoor science
programs improved their scores by 27 percent, compared to indoor science
programs.
- Participation
in green outdoor activities was associated with reduced
Attention-Deficit Disorder symptoms in a sample of children from the
Midwest (Faber Taylor, Kuo, & Sullivan,
2001)