NatureBridge in the News
NatureBridge was featured in an Op-Ed that was picked up by The Hill about the importance and impact of exposure to nature on mental health for young people. In the article, NatureBridge CEO Phil Kilbridge and associate professor in the Doerr School of Sustainability and a senior fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University Nicole Ardoin lay out the case for using outdoor education as a solution to things such as increased screen use, creating a relationship and sense of meaning with nature, effective social and emotional learning, and so much more.
This is an excerpt from the article "Is this the only bipartisan solution to the youth mental health crisis?", The Hill.
Prior to 2020, a mental health crisis was already underway among young people. That crisis has been exacerbated by the pandemic, and the aftershocks will reverberate through this generation unless we create a multipronged approach based on whole-child restoration.
That approach must include one of the only scientifically backed, equitable initiatives we’ve found with broad bipartisan appeal: immersive outdoor education.
The idea of getting outside to improve one’s state of mind is nothing new; “forest schools” have existed in the United States since 1927, and 75 percent of Americans count being outdoors among their more enjoyable pleasures in life. What is new is the growing mountain of evidence proving the efficacy of outdoor education programming.
The cost of these outdoor education programs would be far outweighed by the benefits. Creating, expanding and funding immersive outdoor education may be one of the only bipartisan solutions to the youth mental health crisis.Phil Kilbridge, NatureBridge CEO and Nicole Ardoin, associate professor at Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability
Stories
Staff Spotlight: Dylan Meek
“I don’t know if I’d have such a keen interest in what I do now” without experiencing NatureBridge programs as a middle schooler, says current NatureBridge staff member Dylan Meek. As a seventh grader, Dylan and her classmates from Southern California attended an environmental science program at Yosemite Institute (known today as NatureBridge Yosemite). That trip represented Dylan’s first visit to a national park and her first exposure to the field of outdoor education. Now on staff as the Lab Steward at NatureBridge Golden Gate, Dylan ensures that the environmental science educators have everything they need “to get the most out of the lab spaces” on campus.
2024 Student of the Year: Kai Diaz
At NatureBridge, we celebrate the stewards of today and foster the development of the stewards of tomorrow, working to inspire environmental stewardship in all our participants. Our goal is to motivate our students to make waves and be changemakers in their communities and for our planet.
Each year, NatureBridge honors a student who has demonstrated leadership, growth and a commitment to protecting our natural world as a result of their participation in a NatureBridge program. This year’s honoree will be recognized and will speak at An Evening Outside with NatureBridge on Thursday, May 16 at our Golden Gate campus.
We are thrilled to announce our 2024 Student of the Year: Kai Diaz.
An Interview with Evening Outside Keynote Speaker Dr. Britt Wray
The minute we found out about the work of Dr. Britt Wray, we knew we wanted to learn more about her. A well-respected author and scientist, Dr. Wray possesses expertise in an area of research we talk about a lot at NatureBridge—specifically how we can be resilient, hopeful, and actionable amid a changing world, including the climate crisis. We’re thrilled that Dr. Wray will be joining us on May 16 for An Evening Outside with NatureBridge as our Featured Speaker. Ahead of the event, we had the chance to ask her a few questions relating to her work and her connection to the mission of NatureBridge.