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Sunday's issue of the paper of record contains an interesting article comparing two great public parks-Central Park (Manhattan) and Prospect Park (Brooklyn). Readers can join the fun and debate whether one is more beautiful (and beloved and grand and whatever other superlative you like) than the other, as well as critique the design: Did Fredrick Law Olmsted demonstrate greater architectural vision for Central Park than Calvert Vaux did for Prospect Park? (Although truth be told, both designers worked on both parks.) How many angels can dance on the head of a pin, anyway?
For those of us who don't live in or very near metropolitan New York (by definition, we are all in the provinces), the matter may be a moot one (I could make the 90 or so mile schlep and compare them but in all likelihood won't anytime soon). How, then, should we feel about this green comparison? Is this another case of having to make do without world class art and art museums, cutting edge fashion, myriad musical styles performed by the original artists, terrific shopping, and really real Chinese food? Must I again be reminded that I don't even have a Trader Joe's close by? And what about coffee? How many times have you been trapped in that particular discussion?
Well, the Olmsted-Vaux debate got me thinking about what I believe is a more important lesson, one we should impart to students as well as those we love (full disclosure: I've never been to Prospect Park but I always vote for Olmsted on principle anyway--no reconnaissance necessary): the psychological importance of the great outdoors. There is new and mounting evidence that getting outside in greens space is important. This fact will come as little surprise to those of us who had parents or grandparents who felt that "the great outdoors" was necessary for recreation (as in "re-creation" of the self). Remember trips to the lake, the shore, or the mountains? Maybe you went to camp? So, psychology may be a bit of a Johnny-come-lately on this issue, but for those who require empirical validation, here we go.
Various studies now suggest that spending even a brief amount of time in a natural setting can have pronounced restorative effects. Time in the woods, a forest, or even gardens has been found to make people more cognitively attentive and to function better emotionally. There is other evidence that being exposed to "plants and parks" can enhance immunity while lowering people's pulse rates and blood pressure. A study conducted at the University of Michigan had a group of undergraduate students spend 30 minutes in an arboretum near campus while another group spent equal time in downtown Ann Arbor. Both groups completed a battery of stress and short-term memory tests when they returned to the lab. The students who toured the arboretum showed lower stress and heightened attention compared to those who spent time in the bustling city. Clearly, natural settings are much less mentally tiring than urban ones. Green spaces help us to relax and to renew ourselves.
How do we get these green benefits? Although it might be nice, we need not take that cross-country trip to Grand Teton National Park, frolic in Big Sur, or wander among Muir's redwoods. To quote Joni Mitchell, we just need a little green, the kind of cheap therapy found in a local leafy park or a walk through a shady neighborhood. You may even have a yard or simple garden patio that you can take advantage of-or some friends who have such green spaces who would welcome you dropping by for an en plein air chat.
One thing I have noticed over the last few years--and this may be Martha Stewart's influence (and I am not carping)--is that people are paying greater attention to the creation of private outdoor spaces (patios, decks, gardens, the iconic Adirondack chairs placed just so in the grass, pools, even ponds). The problem with these lovely sanctuaries is that rarely do you see anyone actually using them. Chairs sit idle; decks empty; pools pristine. I think these staged vacancies illustrate a longing in the American heart to have a plan for enjoyment but no follow through on how to implement it. People love the idea of the outdoors, they just haven't figured out how to fit it in amongst the responsibilities and pressures of daily life. Does this describe you: If you have a lonely lawn chair facing a garden or sitting on a patch of green, whatever are you waiting for to use it? Until Martha drops by? For Labor Day? Why not now?
I am fortunate in that I live in an old, well-maintained neighborhood filled with lots of old growth trees, large lawns, ivy beds and other mature plantings. My wife and I walk our dogs several times a day and even when it's beastly hot, there is refreshment to be found under the shady canopy of the trees that lie between the sidewalk and the street. Even in winter there is something natural to see (and the dogs always find something), although I prefer summer and love the autumn best of all.
Despite the fact that the change of seasons seems far away--we are still in the season of dog days, sharp sun, and beaches--the change will be here before we know it. So, get outside while you can. Find a prosaic spot for some quite rest, re-creation, and reflection. Your body and mind will be all the better for it. And while you're at it, get some family and friends to join you.
