Interested in visiting Pacific Northwest parks and gardens, but don’t always have the ability to get there in-person? Check out this growing collection of virtual tours, and visit the Public Green Spaces resource page for options as well!
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, I launched an educational blog inspired by my background in edible gardening and mindful eating, and recorded a series of videos, which included tours of local green spaces. Even though I’ve moved on to other projects, I’m still visiting parks and gardens regularly – all part of my personal mindful movement practice and ongoing passion to connect with nature, in a variety of ways. And as a nature-based healthcare professional, I’m sharing these resources with you.
In case you missed it, check out my recent blog post, Let’s Take Ten for Nature, on the mind/body health benefits of moving our bodies in nature. Exercise is one of the six pillars of lifestyle medicine, designed to treat (or even prevent) chronic health conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. And while “virtual nature” (which includes watching nature videos) is never a replacement for IRL encounters with nature, it’s a useful tool.
“Accessing outdoor natural environments is not possible for all people…While it is crucial to address barriers to access greenspace in real life, some of the benefits of nature contact have been observed in studies of virtual nature.”
Browning et al (2023)
Ideally, these video tours will provide you with an micro nature break while also sparking an interest to visit in-person.
Nature Patches: Beginning in June 2024, I’ve challenged myself with visiting many of the Nature Patches created as part of the Portland Parks & Recreation’s Ecologically Sustainable Landscapes Initiative. I’m no stranger to our city’s many green spaces, as a long-term resident of the Portland-metro area. These nature patches (a total of 19) are a much-appreciated addition and offer year-round opportunities for sensory engagement.
(A personal note: I first visited the Alberta Park Nature Patch back in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when I needed my own self-care outlet as a special needs parent. What a great space! Can you tell the difference in growth, between my two videos?)
The Portland Memory Garden: Recorded in May 2020, this beloved Eastside Portland garden was designed by an interdisciplinary team to meet the needs of individuals with memory disorders (and their caregivers) and is celebrating its 22nd anniversary this month. If you’re in the area, the Memory Garden is open to the general public and is well worth a visit.
Check out videos of these gardens, as part of the Nurtured by Nature virtual tour collection, and stay tuned as new videos are added!
Dawnn Meiers, Psy.D 