Outdoor Therapy

Listening to Spring peepers in the bio reserve pond following a thunderstorm; raking out a neglected flower bed in my yard as green shoots poke through the dirt, refilling the birdfeeders outside the window of my home office. These are only a few of the ways that I have found emotional restoration through nature during this time of uncertainty.

Counselor Jack Wheeler is not alone in finding solace through Spring’s predictable rhythms. “The internet is filled with stories about individuals getting outside to escape the boredom/isolation/claustrophobia of spatial distancing. Even as I write this article, I’m watching out my window as neighbors are walking dogs, tending gardens, and shooting hoops (all with a responsible distance from one another).”

If you have found a great way to stay active outdoors and want to let other Denison students know, take a photo of the activity and write to me at wheelerj@denison.edu. I would love to report back later in the semester about how Denison students are getting outside!