Time to Get Out and Enjoy Nature

Photo Courtesy of Helen Schuler Nature Centre

The beauty of autumn is beginning to show on the leafy trees in our neighbourhood and with it comes the crisp morning air. While researching an article on youth nature programs at our local nature centre, I learned a lot about how important the outdoors is for our wellbeing.

Getting outdoors and enjoying nature is one of the best actions we can take towards to having a healthy body and mind, according to Coreen Putman, coordinator of the Helen Schuler Nature Centre in Lethbridge.

Lifelong Benefits

Encouraging children from a very young age to engage with nature can have lasting benefits for their physical and mental health, as well as instilling a continued conservation ethic for the future of the natural world, says Putman. 

“Contact with nature is vital for every aspect of childhood development - it is literally the best thing you can do for your child,” she says.