This June, Lorax had decided to participate in the 30×30 Nature Challenge. The 30×30 Nature Challenge was originated by the Wisconsin Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council to encourage people to live healthier lives, however, we were challenged by the Maryland Chapter of the USGBC to participate and drive each other to get outside! And we are hitting the ground running!
We plan to track progress towards our nature goals on this poster!
The challenge is to spend 30 minutes in nature, each day, for 30 days in June. The 30×30 Nature Challenge starts today, June 1st!
We thought that the challenge would be a good excuse to soak up the sun and the nice weather in June, but it turns out there are so many more benefits to being outside than just getting a tan!
We learned that average Americans spend more than 90% of their time indoors and more than 6 hours per day in front of screens. This mass indoor epidemic has caused many symptoms both personal and professional, including stress, obesity, heart disease, asthma, depression, reduced productivity, lower job satisfaction, and higher rates of absenteeism. But how do we undo these ailments? The answer is simple: get outside! We have learned that just being outside has a whole range of benefits.
Did you know:
- Nature breaks and green time reduces stress.
- One hour in nature can boost attention span by 20%
- Four days away from electronic devices can increase creativity by 50%
- Just two minutes in nature can reduce stress, muscle tension, and blood pressure.
- One hour in nature can improve memory and attention span by 20%.
- More than two days in nature can boost cancer fighting white blood cells by 50%
- Gardening reduces the stress hormone cortisol.
How do we plan to meet the challenge?
The 30×30 Nature Challenge is a great opportunity to examine your daily routine- some people may find they’re getting 30 minutes of outdoor activity each day without realizing it, perhaps walking or biking to work, taking the dog out, gardening, or running errands. Others may use it as a chance to rethink their schedule, swapping an episode of the latest Netflix series for some quality time in the great outdoors. At Lorax, we have each developed a plan to achieve our goal!
Katie Fink plans to participate in outdoor yoga and fitness classes several days per week and ride horses with her friends and family.
Tim Barranco is excited to try something new. Each day he’ll venture out to a new park in Baltimore City. He is expecting to explore new neighborhoods, see new faces, and feel more connected to the city and all it has to offer – rain or shine!
Andrea Shoaf will be spending time in nature by going for long runs, walking her dog, Maya, with her family, and playing soccer with her kids.
Krystal O’Hara plans to take her dog, Rosco, and her son, Wyatt, on long walks, and spend some time swimming in her pool.
Jacqueline Lusk will volunteer at her local animal shelter, BARCS, and spend time walking the animals outside.
Katie Stanford will participate by going on long runs and walking to do errands rather than driving.
Kristy Fiorelli will take her dog for walks, play in the sprinkler with her daughter, ride bikes, and create bonfires in the back yard in the cool evenings.
Hailee Griesmar intends to go for runs around the city, walk her sister’s dog, go on weekend hikes, and spending time on her rooftop deck.
Maria Fiorelli expects to spend time in her lovely backyard, walk around her neighborhood in the evenings, and run at Centennial Lake in Howard County.
Neal Fiorelli will spend time outside working in his organic garden and going for long walks around Federal Hill.
SO COME JOIN US… OUTSIDE!