Nature Everywhere Louisville
“Spending time outdoors, in nature, is essential for children’s healthy development. From improving academic and social-emotional learning, to supporting physical and mental health, children thrive when they have frequent access to outdoor spaces, experiences and learning.”
Throughout the nation, cities are prioritizing nature connections in communities and across ages. In partnership with the Children & Nature Network, National League of Cities, and KABOOM!, Louisville is expanding the ongoing work of connecting youth to nature. The Louisville Nature Everywhere Coalition is focusing on early childhood nature connections with a cross sector team of organizations. See below for a full list of organizations collaborating on this ongoing effort. Nature Everywhere Implementation plan is located in the resources section on this page.
A growing body of research confirms that spending time in nature and allowing children to explore makes them healthier, happier, and smarter. It also helps kids become life long stewards of the environment.
- Play and learning in natural environments tend to promote increased physical activity, improved motor skills and decreased sedentary time, which is beneficial for various health outcomes in childhood and beyond.
- Increasing children’s access to natural environments may help reduce health equity gaps.
- Engagement with nature is linked to reduced stress and anxiety in children and youth and may contribute to childhood and later life mental health.
- Nature-based interventions may promote the well-being of children with special needs, including reducing symptoms of ADHD.
- Nature-based instruction and outdoor learning support academic success and several functions important for learning. These include motivation and engagement; cognitive functions such as attention, working memory and self-regulation; emotional functions such as stress regulation, emotional regulation and well-being; and social functions such as prosocial behavior and cooperation.
- Childhood time outdoors in nature can foster connections to nature and offer a pathway to pro-environmental behavior in childhood and adulthood
Nature Everywhere Coalition Partners:
Mayor’s Office of Strategic Initiatives
*If interested in becoming a partner in the Nature Everywhere Louisville Initiative, email [email protected]
Help fund this initiative
Thank you to our partners and sponsors!
