HEALTH AND NATURAL LANDSCAPES : CONCEPTS AND APPLICATIONS

Natural landscapes are intricately tied to human health and well-being. While contemporary lifestyles have caused people to feel disconnected from the natural environment, this relationship is now recognized as vitally important, with landscapes increasingly valued for their stress-reduction, aesthetic, and restorative benefits. Providing an overview of the history, theoretical concepts, and individual and societal implications of human connection to natural landscapes, this book considers natural landscapes' role as an antidote to our modern, predominantly urban society. It also delivers:- A robust, research-backed overview of the intersections between natural landscapes and human health;- A compendium of applications such as nature-based therapies, urban greenspaces, and adventure-based programming that promote health within specific populations of society and individuals;- Due consideration of crucial factors that can adversely affect health and landscape, such as climate change.Of critical importance as we continue to define the role that natural landscapes will play for future generations, this book should be required reading for policy makers, urban planners and industry practitioners. It provides a thorough grounding in understanding the intersections between health and natural landscapes, and will be a valuable resource for academicians and students from a broad range of disciplines including public health, leisure and tourism, environmental sciences, and geography.

Alan Ewert, PhD. is a Professor Emeritus at Indiana University. Prior to retiring from the University, he served as a Professor in the School of Public Health and Chair of the Department of Environmental Health at the University.

Denise Mitten, PhD. has a background in education, forest ecology, complementary and alternative medicine, and health and wellness. She has engaged in research about healing in natural environments, including examining the spiritual connections people have to outdoor spaces, how to use time in nature to help women with eating disorders, and how body image relates to participation in outdoor activities. Dr. Mitten is Professor emerita at Prescott College, Education for Sustainability Doctoral Program, Adventure Education MA.

Jillisa Overholt, PhD. is an associate professor in the Outdoor Leadership Studies Department at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, NC. Her research areas include the health benefits of time spent in natural environments, familial relationship development through adventure education programming, and the incorporation of experiential education practices in higher education.