‘Blue’ space: Access to water features can boost city dwellers’ mental health 

Officials are increasingly recognizing that integrating nature into cities is an effective public health strategy to improve mental health. Doctors around the world now administer “green prescriptions” – where patients are encouraged to spend time in local nature spaces – based on hundreds of studies showing that time in nature can benefit people’s psychological well-being and increase social engagement.

Much of this research to date has focused on the role of green space in improving mental health. But what about “blue” space – water settings such as riverside trails, a lake, a waterfront or even urban fountains?

You probably intuitively know that being close to water can induce feelings of calm. And many poets and artists have attested to the sense of awe and magic that water can evoke. But can it deliver the same wide-ranging benefits that urban green infrastructure brings to mental health? A few studies have shown that water bodies score just as well – if not better – in supporting psychological well-being as compared with “green” nature.

So far the evidence is sparse, though, and mostly limited to coastal settings in Europe. What if you’re in one of the 49 countries in the world, or 27 American states, that are landlocked with no ocean shore? For natural capital to deliver health benefits to people, it needs to be right next to them, integrated into the everyday fabric of their world.

Existing law requires the Division of Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation of the Department of Parks and Recreation to develop and implement a grant and cooperative agreement program to support the planning, acquisition, development, maintenance, administration, operation, enforcement, restoration, and conservation of trails, trailheads, areas, and other facilities associated with the use of off-highway motor vehicles, and programs involving off-highway motor vehicle safety or education.

This bill would require the Director of Parks and Recreation to establish the Outdoor Equity Grants Program to increase the ability of underserved and at-risk populations to participate in outdoor environmental educational experiences at state parks and other public lands where outdoor environmental education programs take place. The bill would require the director to, among other things, give priority for funding to outdoor environmental education programs that primarily provide outreach to and serve pupils who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals, foster youth, or pupils of limited English proficiency, as provided. The bill would authorize the director to accept private funds to support the grant program. The bill would establish the California Outdoor Equity Account in the State Parks and Recreation Fund and would require any private funds donated for the grant program and any funds appropriated by the Legislature for purposes of the grant program to be deposited into that account. 

(1) Have a curriculum that is aligned to the content standards for California public schools adopted by the State Board of Education, including, but not limited to, the Next Generation Science standards, or the California History-Social Science standards.

(2) Foster stewardship of the environment and include, when available, curriculum established pursuant to Part 4 (commencing with Section 71300) of Division 34.

(3) Integrate instruction in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.

(d) The director may give additional consideration to outdoor environmental education programs that do any of the following:

(1) Maximize the number of participants that can be served.

(2) Demonstrate partnerships between public, private, and nonprofit entities.

(3) Contribute to healthy lifestyles, sound nutritional habits, and improved outdoor educational and recreational experiences.

(4) Include service learning and community outreach components for purposes of building partnerships between participants and local communities.

(e) The director may provide funding for professional learning, based on approved content standards, for the staff and volunteers of those programs given priority pursuant to subdivision (c).

(f) In implementing the grant program, the department shall work with relevant stakeholders to promote and implement the grant program in a manner that effectively reaches a wide geography throughout the state and ensures that regions in northern, central, and southern California, including both urban and rural areas, are adequately considered with an emphasis on addressing the transportation needs within these regions.

 Standford to Nelson bike/walking trail at night notice no maintance to fund repair though residents with taxpayer money to build in 2014 Mayor Steve Jones The City Mayor during public comments and Council did not correct the lights out even with GGPD report still today we cant have lights for security since January 2020 now February 2021. Since they work in the office they have the  time to request an annual audit quarterly during the day by covering the photo cell very simple so they go home while the residents can be safe with no lights no the complaints are stating to come in saying its dangerous and complaint was on Facebook calling it a bait and switch however the control of these comment been removed for quality control of free speech to hide the truth while there heavy amount of graffiti plastering our parks with trash, unsafe at dusk,block walls torn down, concreate pile at Lampson west along the north side just as you enter over the railing, bed mattress, weeds. over watering the trees will inquired the from over watering yet we touted of installed 363 trees many in the wrong location even with a plan they will require some adjustment to additional park amenities. 

Tomas Carolla FROM POSTING ON GGNA FACEBOOK  02-14-2021

The path is supposed to be lit to. The original portion between Nelson and Stanford is not lit. Rather than turning the lights on they instead post signs saying that the path is closed dusk to dawn.

It seems like the Mayor and City Council have done some sort of bait and switch.

 and now more complaints  

Gloria Mitchell

Thank you, it’s very bad at Brookhurst and Bixby area. Our new walking trail head is already a mess. Residents and Friends of Garden Grove, CA 

NOW RECENT IN 2020 GRANT REQUEST TO IMPROVE PARK UPGRADES CALLED SERCRITY LIGHTING WOW-WOW BUT NOT HEAR !!!!!

We need just one color to surface to the block walls with installing new block wall to stop them attacking property and to plant vine to cover the entire walls to combated graffiti and in long term end graffiti save money $$$$$$$ .

Close your eyes and imagine yourself sitting in your dream garden. Picture a gentle breeze, causing the trees and other plants to lightly sway, cascading the sweet scent of blossoms all around you. Now imagine the soothing trickling of a water fall and the melodic songs of your favorite birds. Picture butterflies of different colors flitting from one bloom to another in a graceful little air dance. Does this visualization make you feel calm and relaxed – suddenly less stressed? This is the concept behind planting gardens for mental health. Continue reading to learn more about garden therapy and psychiatric health gardens.

As a society, we seem completely dependent on technology these days. However, in the past we relied solely on nature to feed us, hydrate us, shelter us, entertain us and soothe us. Though we seem to have moved so far away from this reliance on nature, it is still hard-wired in our brains.

In the last few decades, many studies have been made about the effects of nature on the human psyche. Most of these studies found that even just a short glimpse of a nature scene significantly improves the human state of mind. For this reason, mental or psychiatric hospital gardens are now popping up in thousands of medical care facilities.

Recent studies have shown that just 3-5 minutes in a lush green garden can reduce stress, anxiety, anger and pain. It can also induce relaxation and dispel mental and emotional fatigue. Patients who are allowed to spend time in hospital healing gardens [1] have a better attitude about their hospital stay and some even recover more quickly.

While this type of mental health garden won’t cue whatever ails you, it CAN provide both patients and staff with an adequate mental lift.

Creating a mental health garden isn’t rocket science, nor should it be. This is a place where patients want to be, a sanctuary where they can seek out “relaxation and restoration from mental and emotional fatigue.” One of the greatest ways to accomplish this is through the addition of lush, layered greenery, especially shade trees. Include various levels of native shrubbery and flora to create a natural area fit for birds and other small wildlife.

Using trees and shrubs to create a sense of enclosure can provide a level of added security while allowing patients to feel like they’ve stepped into a comforting oasis. Be sure to provide many seating options, both movable and permanent so everyone has a chance to take in the scenery from different viewpoints.

Gardens that promote a mental well-being need to engage the senses [2], and appeal to all ages. It should be a place where young patients can go to unwind and explore, and where older individuals can find peace and quiet, as well as stimulation. Adding natural looking water features, like a fountain with trickling/bubbling water or a small pond with koi fish, can further enhance the mental garden.

Don’t forget about wide meandering paths throughout the garden that invite visitors to take a stroll to various destinations, like an attractive flowering shrub, a bench tucked away in a quiet niche for contemplation or even a small grassy area for simple meditation.

It needn’t be difficult or stressful when creating a healing hospital garden. Simply close your eyes and take hints from what appeals to you and offers the most mental relaxation. The rest will fall together naturally.

Article printed from Gardening Know How: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com

URL to article: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/accessible/gardens-for-mental-health-patients.htm

URLs in this post:

[1] hospital healing gardens: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/accessible/healing-gardens-for-therapy.htm

[2] engage the senses: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/accessible/sensory-garden-ideas.htm

Blog post written by: Mike Edmondstone, Schools Communications Officer for the Edible Playgrounds programme from charity Trees for Cities.

Philip Hammond’s budget announcement in late October about a £2bn real-term increase in mental health funding will surely be welcomed by the education sector. There has been an alarming increase in mental health issues among the young, with researchers finding the proportion of children and young people reporting they have a mental health condition has grown six times in England in just two decades.

In 1995, 0.8% of 4-24 year olds in England reported a long standing mental health condition. By 2014 this has increased to 4.8%, according to the study conducted by University College London, Imperial College London, University of Exeter and the Nuffield Trust academics, published in the journal Psychological Medicine. The study also found an increase in records of mental health conditions between 2008 and 2014 of 60% in England, and 75% in Scotland.

Other reports have been just as damning. UK charity Action for Children surveyed 5,555 people aged between 13 and 15 from across the country and 1,840 – 1 in 3 – were found to have a mental health issue such as depression or inability to focus. And an Education Policy Institute investigation found that referrals to children’s mental health services in England had increased by 26% over the past five years.

There is evidence to suggest a factor in this rise could be the trend towards increased screen time among young people. A government report into children’s well-being found that ‘time spent playing video games was significantly and negatively associated with young people’s well-being’.

It went on to say that: ‘Children who spend more time on computers, watching TV and playing video games tend to experience higher levels of emotional distress, anxiety and depression’ and that, ‘The evidence suggests… each additional hour of viewing increases children’s likelihood of experiencing socio-emotional problems and the risk of lower self-esteem’.

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The Mental Health Foundation recommend a number of ways to help keep children and young people mentally well, including ‘being in good physical health, eating a balanced diet and getting regular exercise’, ‘having time and freedom to play, indoors and outdoors’, and ‘going to a school that looks after the well-being of all its pupils’.

I’d be keen to add to that the importance of spending time in nature. Gardening is one method that is repeatedly shown to provide substantial mental and physical benefits, with reductions in depression, anxiety and stress, as well as a lowering of blood pressure, all linked to regular work in the garden.

Gardening gives us a sense of responsibility and thus a sense of purpose and worth. It connects us to nature, allowing us to feel at one with our surroundings. It is also great exercise and thus releases serotonin and dopamine, both of which make us feel good. And it helps people live mindfully, in the present moment, focused on the task at hand instead of allowing thoughts to wander into potentially unpleasant corners of the mind.

There are even antidepressant microbes found in soil: mycobacterium vaccae has been found to mirror the effects on neurons that antidepressant drugs provide, and there is evidence to suggest the bacteria stimulates serotonin production.

So my suggestion is that schools should look at gardening as a way to mitigate the increase in mental health issues among schoolchildren. The benefits to the mind are clear. It would also benefit the body, with food growing likely to contribute to increased fruit and vegetables in the diet.

Gardening at school doesn’t have to be an extracurricular activity either. It can be fully incorporated into the curriculum and used as a stimulating way to teach numerous different subjects. Learning outside benefits the children and also helps provide the teacher with a creativity that the classroom environment sometimes stifles.

If you don’t have the space or the know-how, you can start small: a few planters, some seeds, soil, water and sunlight will see you growing some crops. And your ambitions and knowledge can grow with them.

If you are keen to discuss possibilities of creating an Edible Playground growing space at a school, contact the author at mike@treesforcities.org. If you are already growing some crops – no matter what scale – at your school, think about entering the Edible Playground Grow On, Film It film competition. Gardening related prizes will be available for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places.

More information

• Mental health and well-being trends among children and young people in the UK, 1995–2014: analysis of repeated cross-sectional national health surveys
• One in three young people have mental health troubles, survey finds
• Access to children and young people’s mental health services – 2018
• How healthy behaviour supports children’s’ well-being

About the Author
Mike Edmondstone is the Schools Communications Officer for the Edible Playgrounds programme from charity Trees for Cities. Based in London’s Kennington Park, he promotes Edible Playgrounds to schools and coordinates enquiries at a national, regional and local level.

 Could gardening help the mental health of school children? | Learning Outside the Classroom (learningoutsidetheclassroomblog.org) 

 If you are keen to discuss possibilities of creating an Edible Playground growing space at a school, contact the author at mike@treesforcities.org. If you are already growing some crops – no matter what scale – at your school, think about entering the Edible Playground Grow On, Film It film competition. Gardening related prizes will be available for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places.