Grade 12

11 scientific reasons you should be spending more time outside

Source: Business Insider

This article lists eight advantages, including benefits for your health and mental well-being, of spending time in nature.

Biomimicry: technology inspired by nature

Source: The Ecologist

This article provides examples of past, present, and future technology inspired by nature.

As Grand Canyon National Park turns 100, a man hikes the entire length to save it

Source: CNN

After hiking the 750-mile length of the Grand Canyon, photographer and filmmaker Pete McBride reflects on the silence of the canyon and draws comparisons to his noisy life.

‘Rainbow Lightning’: One of Mother Nature’s Rare Shows

Source: How Stuff Works

Photographers wait hours at a time to capture this phenomenon. This article explains the science behind it.

Bucket lists are a good way to ruin the experience of nature

Source: Aeon

Writer and researcher Tom Winterbottom argues that the key to enjoying nature is to slow down.

What Can Bees Teach Us About Gang Warfare?

Source: Smithsonian

In Los Angeles, an anthropologist is using equations to teach police about how street gangs operate.

Scientists create scarily strong drones inspired by wasps

Source: TechRadar

Researchers study wasps to figure out how to create a drone that can move and lift other objects.

Poetry and the Environment

Source: Poetry Foundation

Read about the difference between nature poetry and environmental poetry and explore a curated colletion of poems.

The Perks of a Play-in-the-Mud Educational Philosophy

Source: The Atlantic

Researcher Conor Williams questions how to balance outdoor play with academic learning.

‘The Abundance,’ by Annie Dillard

Source: The New York Times

Critic Donovan Hohn profiles the work of nature writer Annie Dillard as he reviews her latest book, The Abundance, a curated anthology of her essays.

What if nature, like corporations, had the rights of a person?

Source: The Conversation

Anthropologist Chip Colwell suggests thinking about natural sites as people would help legal institutions better respect the culture of Native Americans.

John Muir’s legacy questioned

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The work of environmentalist John Muir helped create the national parks system and preserve the natural beauty throughout the country. Now some question whether his view of nature is relevant to today’s challenges.

We Are Wired To Be Outside

Source: National Geographic

Reporter Simon Worrrall talks to Florence Williams, author of The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative, about the postive effects of spending time in nature.

Nature: Closer Than It Seems

Source: Scientific American

Writer and scientist Amanda Baker argues that getting out into nature isn’t as hard as some people think.

Today’s movement toward sustainable living echoes the not-so-distant past

Source: PRI

In this radio piece, author Kate Daloz discusses her childhood growing up in an off-the-grid geodesic dome and other “back to the land” communities of the 1960s and 1970s.

Women Writing About the Wild: 25 Essential Authors

Source: Outside

This list describes how 25 women  were inspired by nature and used it heavily in their writing.

Naturally Curious Introduces City Kids to the Great Outdoors

Source: Sierra

A teacher inspired by research that showed the benefits of nature for childhood development, started a curriculum that introduces kids to the outdoors.

Do Michael Pawlyn’s nature inspired creations hold the key to designing buildings for the future?

Source: Architecture & Design

Architect Michael Pawlyn recently presented an exhibition of architectural structures that use the power of nature’s designs. See how plant tissue and marine organisms could influence buildings in the future.

What Animals Taught Me About Being Human

Source: The New York Times

Helen Macdonald, author of the best-selling memoir H is for Hawk, wonders about the desires and needs of animals. She suggests we can only imagine what they can be through our own lens of human experience.

Are we raising a generation of nature-phobic kids?

Source: Los Angeles Times

James Campbell, author of Braving It: A Father, A Daughter, and an Unforgettable Journey into the Alaskan Wild, discusses scientific research that shows children have become more afraid of being outside and argues that parents should take their kids out into nature.

* HMH is not responsible for the content of third–party websites.