Natural Areas & Nature Spaces - Threats To Them and How They Benefit Human & Environmental Health

Featuring, Ben Lawhon of Leave No Trace, John DeFillipo of the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center, & Diana Allen of the National Parks Service.

With 750 partners, on state and federal levels, Leave No Trace, promotes the LNT principals in all outdoor activities. They work to educate communities in schools, tourism, non-profits and beyond reaching nearly 15 million people. LNT also collects metrics to understand how their education positively impacts nature health, as well as people’s attitude toward stewardship. Ben details some of the biggest threats to our public lands including, human waste, campfires leading to wildfires, and litter. All of these polluters also impact human health - mental and physical. LNT advocates for giving back, volunteering in parks and protected areas to truly understand how these shared spaces work and become part of the solution. LNT also provides key information surrounding the trends & shifts we should expect in outdoor recreation during and post COVID-19.

John Bunker Sands Wetlands is one of the Dallas Metroplex premiere nature areas, with an incredible impact on local wildlife and ecosystems. JBS Wetlands is in partnership with North Texas Municipal Water District and provides clean drinking water, and an incredible opportunity for education for students and parents about water conservation and filtration. JBS Wetlands also manages invasive plant species, to preserve habitat for the wildlife. The need for wetlands is high, not only to protect local wildlife, but to provide water for humans during the frequent droughts in Texas. John DeFillipo advises listeners to make a positive impact by gaining conservation literacy - truly understanding where their water comes from and how the water supplies can be used.

Natural spaces, most pointedly our National Parks, are the cornerstones of our health and wellbeing. The NPS has a longstanding mission of protecting and promoting human health. National Parks were established to provide all people access to outdoor recreation, clean water and clean air. Not only does the NPS ensure health for its' visitors, but also for its' employees and the land. The Healthy Parks Healthy People Program is working partnership with doctors to prescribe time in parks as medicine. Diana reminds our listeners that the people who are most vulnerable to COVID-19, those suffering from underlying health conditions, are those who would benefit most from this prescription of recreating responsibly in nearby nature spaces to manage conditions like pre-diabetes and beyond. 

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