GET OUTSIDE, STAY HOME: VIRTUAL NATURE AND MENTAL WELLNESS

 GLAM Gets Mindful | Melissa Mertsis 

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Anyone else battling a case of the winter blues these past few weeks? Finding yourself itching to go outside, but wanting to stay safe at home? Missing the glorious rush of serotonin that comes from being immersed in nature? Never fear — virtual nature is here!

Being outside immersed in nature is always fun, but also has proven benefits. Research shows that exposure to nature and the outdoors might help reduce stress, increase attention span, and improve overall emotional wellness. Green, tree-filled spaces are also known to have an impact on blood pressure, lowering it as well as other stress-inducing hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. Even though we're all stuck at home (for good reason, of course) it's still important to get your fix of nature and all the good things that come along with it. Take a look at some of the tours and experiences below to get you outside, while staying home. 

A Clipper butterfly (Parthenos sylvia). Image retrieved from Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory website.

Visit the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory through a 360-degree YouTube video featuring beautiful greenery, tons of natural light, and, of course, butterflies! If you want to venture a little further than Cambridge, Ontario, the American Museum of Natural History also has a 360-degree tour of their conservatory (complete with classical music, of course). 

Butterflies aren't your thing? No problem! Parks Canada has put together an extensive list of National Parks and Historic Sites to explore, powered by Google Street View. Venture all over the country, from Terra Nova National Park in Newfoundland and Labrador to the S.S. Keno National Historic Site in the Yukon. 

Terra Nova National Park. Image retrieved from Parks Canada. 

If you're less about the trees and more about flowers and foliage, you can also tour botanical gardens from all around the world. Check out the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens in New York with a virtual tour, or head across the ocean to the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland and take a peek at their herbarium or Palm House. 

If you're more of an animal person, we've got you covered — after all, "nature" can mean a lot of things! Lucky for you, places like The Toronto Zoo are also bringing nature to you. You can watch live streams of gorillas, giraffes, penguins, and meerkats on The Toronto Zoo's Twitch, TorontoZooLife, with zookeeper talks every weekday at 2pm EST. If you want more options to watch your favourite furry (or non-furry) friends, Explore.org offers live videos from all around the world — when else will you be able to watch Brown Bears fish at Katmai National Park in Alaska? 

A Brown Bear from Katmai National Park in Alaska. Image retrieved from National Park Service.

No matter your interests (or the state of our stay-at-home advisory) it's never impossible to enjoy nature. One of the benefits of operating online is that institutions and organizations are getting more and more clever with how to bring their in-person experiences to you at home, so take advantage of these amazing digital experiences.  Let's not forget the benefits that nature (virtual or otherwise) can have on our wellbeing —  get outside, stay home, and take care of yourself!