We want you to make getting outside part of your daily routine! The Nature Rx theme will feature creative and simple ways to incorporate more outdoor time into your life so you can reap the health and wellness benefits that come with spending more time in nature.
This page is the hub for all things Nature Rx. Our blogs and resources will live here. Explore the resources tabs below if you want to learn more about the importance of spending time outside and the ways you can easily fit daily connections with nature into your life.
Make sure to follow us on social media for all the Nature Rx updates:
Nature Rx ChallengeLooking for new ways to tap into the health and wellness benefits of nature? Check out the Nature Rx Challenge! We put together 13 weeks of challenges to encourage you to spend more time outside. |
nature rx
Check out the resources below to learn more about the science behind the wellness benefits of nature as well as articles featuring ideas for getting outside daily.
Spending more time outside is good for you!
- A prescription for better health: go alfresco
- How nature is good for our health and happiness
- Spending Just 20 Minutes in a Park Makes You Happier. Here’s What Else Being Outside Can Do for Your Health
- Sour mood getting you down? Get back to nature
- Kids do not spend nearly enough time outside. Here’s how (and why) to change that.
- U.S. Study Shows Widening Disconnect with Nature, and Potential Solutions
Equity and nature. When you are connecting with nature, we think it is important to consider how your experience might be different if you were a black or brown person. Everyone should feel welcome in nature, but, unfortunately, that is not always the case.
- The Melanin Base Camp Guide to Outdoor Allyship
- Racism In The Great Outdoors
- Camping While Black
- Going it Alone
- Why don’t you see more hikers of color in America’s great outdoors?
- 5 Ways to Make the Outdoors More Inclusive: An Action Plan
- Diversify Outdoors | “We created the Diversify Outdoors coalition to better connect those leading the movement through social media and, by providing a united front platform, we aim to grow our community and provide resources to others seeking information, allyship, and collaboration opportunities.” #DiversifyOutdoors
- Conservationists of Color | “An affinity group for people of color who believe in protecting the air we breathe, the water we drink and the land we love while creating healthy, thriving communities. ”
- Native Womens Wilderness | “Our Mission: To inspire and raise the voices of Native Women in the Outdoor Realm. To encourage a healthy lifestyle grounded in the Wilderness. To educate Natives and non-Natives on the rich beauty and heritage of the Ancestral Lands beneath our feet.”
Classic + Creative Ways to Meditate
- Make Time for a Sit Spot — the easiest way to connect with nature | Here are some of our tips for an Imago mindfulness favorite.
- Thich Nhat Hanh on Walking Meditation | Learn how to turn a simple hike or walk around your neighborhood into a mindful practice.
- Why Mindfulness Is a Superpower
- How to Meditate Daily | A simple guide to beginning a meditation practice. Hint: You don’t have to start with a 30-minute seated meditation.
- 10 Unexpected Ways to Meditate Every Day
- 8 Ways to Make Meditation Easy and Fun
- ‘Forest Bathing’ Is Great for Your Health. Here’s How to Do It
Journaling
Why to Exercise Outdoors
- 7 health benefits of outdoor exercise
- Exercising outside during self quarantine: The do’s and don’ts
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Yoga:
- These Cincinnati Parks Are Hosting Free Outdoor Yoga and Fitness Sessions
- Let’s Get Physical Outdoor Yoga Series
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Walking + Hiking
- City Hiking Is What We Need Right Now: How to Get Started | Don’t have easy access to trails? No worries, there are ways to hike no matter where you live!
- All Trails | Use this interactive map to find hiking trails near you! You can even save trail maps to your phone!
- Gear List & How-To | New to hiking? Here’s some tips and gear ideas to have a successful hike!
- The 52 Hike Challenge | It’s pretty simple–challenge yourself to take a hike once a week for a year!
- Stair Wandering in Cincinnati | Consider checking out some of the many staircases built throughout Cincinnati if you want to explore the city in a new way.
- Art Climb | Climb this newly opened set of stairs at the Cincinnati Art Museum to get your body moving and to take in some beautiful outdoor scultures!
- Why don’t you see more hikers of color in America’s great outdoors?
- Unlikely Hikers | “Unlikely Hikers is a diverse, anti-racist, body-liberating outdoor community featuring the underrepresented outdoorsperson. We’re an Instagram community, a nationwide hiking group and a podcast!”
- Fat Girls Hiking | “Fat Girls Hiking is fat activism, body liberation & outdoor community. We want to take the shame and stigma out of the word FAT and empower it. Our motto, Trails Not Scales focuses on Self Care in the outdoors.”
- Outdoor Afro | “Where Black People and Nature Meet” There are currently no Outdoor Afro leaders or events in Cincinnati, but check out the page to learn more about getting involved.
- LatinXHikers | “LatinXhikers is a community dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the outdoors through digital story-telling and community outreach.”
- #WeHikeToHeal | “Our mission is to encourage women everywhere to tap into the healing powers within themselves, each other, and Mother Nature.”
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Biking
- Cincinnati RedBike Station Map
- TrailLink | Explore the tri-state’s system of bike trails.
- Black Girls Do Bike | “Black Girls Do Bike’s “interest is in gorwin and supporting a community of women of color who share a passion for cycling. We champion efforts to introduce the joy of cycling to all women, but esspecially, women and girls of color.” Join their Cincinnati chapter here.
Naturalism 101
- Why I do “slow walks,” or why everyone should become an amateur naturalist | This essay is a little long, but it paints a really lovely picture about observing and interacting with nature in the city.
- Nature Journaling » Why, How to… | This article gives you reasons why a nature journal is a naturalists best friends and some tips on getting started if it feels intimidating.
- Bird Watching 101: A Guide for Beginners
- It’s True! Birdwatching Can Relieve Stress
- Birdwatching for peace of mind and better health
Citizen Science
- What is Citizen Science? | SciStarter explains what citizen science is and how you can get started doing citizen science projects in your neighborhood!
- Become a Citizen Scientist | Are you or your family interested in becoming citizen scientists? Check out ways you can start helping with projects today!
Wildlife Guides
- Free Wildlife Guide PDFs from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources | Name a type of guide and ODNR’s got it! Birds, trees, bugs, wildflowers, and soooo much more!
- iNaturalist | An app designed to help you identify and record wildlife you see. FREE!
- eBird | An app where you can record and view bird sightings near you! FREE!
Explore what’s around you! If you don’t live near a forest or hiking trail there are tons of ways to still connect with nature!
- Finding Nature in Urban Settings
- 10 ways to connect with nature in the city
- How Can We Connect with Nature in Our Cities?
Geocaching
- Geocaching 101 | What the heck in geocaching and how do you get started?
- Geocaching for Beginners
- Geocaching at Great Parks of Hamilton County
Camping
Blog Posts:
Nature Rx Round-Up
This fall, we launched our latest sustainability theme: Nature Rx. We chose this theme because we knew that people might be feeling stressed during this whirlwind of a year and could probably use some mindful time outside. The goal of the Nature Rx theme was to share...
Introducing Nature Rx
You probably know that spending more time outdoors has a positive impact on mental health, but, if you’re anything like me, you might be struggling to make getting outside a priority. Well, Imago is hoping to counteract that struggle with our latest sustainability...