A UW-Superior educator... speaking recently in Tomahawk... says the research is showing the more people are involved in nature, the more likely they are to want to take care of it.
Esther Gieschen was one of the presenters at the recent Northwoods Research Summit at UWSP-Treehaven.
Gieschen says as people began to interact more with the natural world, their awareness of grew..
"...so while providing information on recycling and all of those things doesn't necessarily change behavior. As people start to become more connected to nature, they start to take care of it better....."
Gieschen spoke about how building nature into a community can provide progress toward a healthy community and is important for community planners to understand...
"....some research indicates it has to be within a half-mile of where people live. So as a community development-urban planning...it's making those opportunities close enough to people so it's convenient..."
She says in a broader scope, more access to outdoor recreation also cuts down on a community's use of medical care and health problems.
