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Health Benefits and Impacts of Healthy Forests Bibliography

Monday, April 06, 2020

Press release from the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Greenville, SC

Greenville, S.C. (April 06, 2020) – Add human health and well-being to the long list of benefits provided by forests. A new bibliography compiled by Paul Garbe, DVM, MPH, cites more than 30 publications and web resources that document potential physical and mental health benefits associated with trees and forests. Several resources note the complexity of correlating health with green space and call for additional work to clarify potential benefits. The bibliography is available on the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (Endowment) website.

Garbe directed the program on air pollution and respiratory health at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2004 to 2018 and is now a private consultant. The Endowment and the USDA Forest Service, Region 8 (Southern Region) office, commissioned the project. Both organizations seek to understand and clarify the benefits provided by forests.

“Forests provide many benefits and services, including wood for construction, fiber for paper and cardboard, energy, filtration for drinking water, climate regulation, habitat for wildlife, and recreation places,” said Carlton Owen, the Endowment’s CEO. “Now scientists are helping us understand how being in and near forests and trees can be good for our health and well-being. We hope this bibliography will stimulate interest in better understanding the human health benefits provided by trees and forests.”

Many of the studies focus on the air-quality impacts of trees and forests. One study suggests that nitrogen dioxide removed by trees in Portland, Oregon reduced respiratory problems. In contrast, another found no scientific consensus that urban trees reduce asthma by improving air quality and, in some circumstances, can degrade air quality and increase asthma. It issued a "call to action" for interdisciplinary research on the human health effects of spending time in or near green spaces. Other sources cited in the bibliography address mental health and well-being and crime reduction.

While Owen emphasized the importance of following CDC social distancing guidelines in a world shaken by COVID-19, he believes that "...recreation in forests is one of the most effective ways we can lower stress and anxiety, while at the same time enjoying a pleasant and positive experience.”

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For more information contact:
Alicia Cramer, Senior Vice president, alicia@usendowment.org

The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (the Endowment) is a non-for-profit public charity working collaboratively with partners in the public and private sectors to advance systemic, transformative, and sustainable change for the health and vitality of the nation's working forests and forest-reliant communities.
www.usendowment.org

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Atop Rotary Peak | Youth Outdoors

Sunday, October 07, 2018

On September 9th, laughs and foreign languages were heard from the top of Loveland Pass, 11,991′ above sea level. The group was full of high school students from across the world, from Peru to Germany, and Rotarians from the Denver-Metro area.

The Rocky Mountain Rotary Youth Exchange allows international students to partner with Rotarians in Denver and other cities across the U.S. to live with three seperate host families over a nine month period.

“Our daughter was involved with the program during her gap year between highschool and college,” explained one of the host couples. “She loved her experience in Chile, so we couldn’t wait to host a student from another country and give them the opportunity of seeing what high school is like for an American student.”

The hike on September 9th took place on the trail atop Loveland Pass and finished up on Rotary Peak. After the hike concluded, the group gathered on the Divide for lunch and conversation. The students might not have spoken the same language, but the smiles seen in the outdoors are universal. Learn more about the hike here:

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Our Future Forests: Four Ways the Outdoor Recreation Community Can Help

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Our Future Forests: Four Ways the Outdoor Recreation Community Can Help

By Bruce Ward and Brian Kelleghan

When wildfires devour our forests the entire outdoor recreation community suffers: hikers, hunters, anglers, kayakers, mountain bikers, four-wheelers, campers, snowmobilers, skiers, birdwatchers, mountain climbers, and even people who just like taking scenic drives. Severe droughts and the increasingly hotter and longer summers have led to more frequent and catastrophic wildfires. While efforts to safeguard our forests depend greatly on national and state policies, individuals can help protect our shared cathedrals of conifers and the surrounding natural environment most of us enjoy.

Here are four things you can do to help save the forests and watersheds that all of us in the outdoor recreation community love and cherish:

1. Advocate for increased funding for U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and their sister agencies so they can reduce the number of catastrophic wildfires before they start. All these agencies have been grossly underfunded for years and likely will remain so in this era of record federal deficits.

2.Educate yourself. Learn why our land management agencies must thin the forest – that is, remove dead wood and even live trees. Understand, too, when the agencies set controlled burns they are mimicking nature and the natural process to clear away overgrowth that ignite and feed huge wildfires.

3.Volunteer. The agencies need help restoring landscapes and watersheds after devastating wildfires occur. You can help plant trees, clear trails, and educate homeowners, campers, and other forest users about fire prevention and mitigation. Support organizations like the Boy and Girl Scouts who dedicate thousands of volunteer hours every year.

4. Support funding sources that help our forests. The National Forest Foundation’s Skier Conservation Fund provides millions of private sector dollars with matching federal funds to assist land managers working with volunteers. Lottery dollars can be directed to fund recreation and conservation efforts. Your philanthropic donations can be directed to the volunteer organizations that are helping get work done on the ground.

We in the outdoor recreation community – regardless of how we choose to enjoy the forests – are not helpless. We have a voice, we have votes. We need to take action.

Mr. Ward is the founder and President of Choose Outdoors, based in Denver and serves on Colorado’s Outdoor Recreation Industry Council and is chair of the Mile High Rotary Club Youth Services Committee

Mr. Kelleghan is the owner of Bison Designs, a Mountain View District and Scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America and Vice Chair of Choose Outdoors.

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A Camping Trip with Denver Interact Club

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

This past June, the Choose Outdoors team partnered with the Denver Mile High Rotary to take 8 students on a trip to Estes Park, CO for a weekend full of camping, hiking, kayaking, and exploring.The weekend started on Saturday morning when the students piled up their things and made their way up to the Estes Park KOA.

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The first day included a trip up to the top of Rocky Mountain National Park’s Trail Ridge Road, which reaches a grand total of 12,183 feet high. The road, still covered in snow, brought gusts of wind that differed dramatically from the 80-degree weather down in town.

Next up, the group made their way down to the Cascade Falls Trail Head. The hike was roughly 2 miles, and included a spectacular view of the Rockies from the waterfall. The peaceful rocks perched on top of the waterfall made a perfect place to sit and enjoy a snack and soak up the view!

Afterward, the group made their way back to town to hang out at the KOA, and ended the night with a bonfire. The next morning, the group set out to the Estes Park Marina to end the trip canoeing on Lake Estes.

Even though some of these students have grown up Denver, few of the Interact students have ever had a chance to enjoy the mountains that surrounded them. Choose Outdoors and the Denver Mile High Rotary was honored to help support new experiences in the outdoors. Learn more about our summer camping trip in the video below:

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