According to Connecticut’s 2020 Forest Action Plan, more than 60% of the state is forested, and the state’s cities have the most urban tree cover in the nation. In Hartford, 99% of residents live within a 10-minute walk to a quality park, according to the Trust for Public Land.
When Herb Virgo spends time on the trails in Hartford’s Keney Park, he feels different. There’s a “heightened sense of wellbeing, a feeling of connectedness,” he said of spending time outside at the nearly 693-acre park in Hartford’s North End. “There are portions of the park that you can visit that completely make you feel […]
Prioritizing Nature Yale and New Haven are working together to increase opportunities and education around spending time in nature.
Spending time in nature has measurable benefits to people both emotionally and physically. That’s the driving tenet behind the work being done as part of what is currently called the “New Haven Nature & Health Initiative.” This working group represents a collaboration with Yale University, local healthcare professionals, and New Haven-based nonprofit organizations that understand the therapeutic benefits of spending time in nature. They are deeply invested in making green spaces in New Haven inviting, safe, and equally accessible for city residents.