Research on Well-Being.

 

Nature is a powerful source of healing. Research shows that both children and adults regulate their nervous systems more effectively when they spend time in natural environments on a regular basis.

Image by: Shelby Kirk

Eco-Therapy

Benefits of Trees in Urban Areas: What the Science Shows

Urban forests – the natural networks of trees, plants and green spaces that are woven into our urban neighborhoods – provide a boundless range of environmental, health, social and economic benefits. Trees not only beautify our streets, they provide critical infrastructure that cleans the air, cools the city, manages water, supports biodiversity, builds community and improves mental and physical health.  

At a time of unprecedented anxiety, loneliness and depression among our youth, we are recognizing the crucial benefits of nature on our mental health. Science shows that moments of awe and focused time in nature are a simple path to improve overall feelings of wellbeing. 

TREEAMS is founded on the principle that by bringing young people together and enabling them to experience moments of connection in nature, joy and wellbeing will increase. These are not just lofty ideals, but are backed by serious science. The scientific references below cite key studies that document the benefit of trees on our well-being.

Benefit of Trees on Health and Wellbeing

  • Environmental 

    • Air Quality Improvement: Trees filter pollutants like ozone, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, making city air healthier to breathe

    • Carbon Sequestration: Trees absorb and store carbon dioxide, helping mitigate climate change

    • Temperature Regulation: Tree canopies provide shade and cool the air, lowering city temperatures by several degrees in heatwaves

    • Stormwater Management: Tree roots and soil absorb rainwater, reducing flooding, runoff and water pollution

    • Biodiversity Habitat: Trees provide food and shelter for birds, pollinators and small mammals, sustaining urban ecosystems

    • Mental Health: Exposure to trees has been shown in scientific studies to reduce stress, anxiety and depression, and promote relaxation, attention and overall feelings of wellbeing.

    • Physical Health: Cleaner air lowers rates of respiratory and cardiovascular disease. Tree shade encourages walking and outdoor play, increasing physical activity. Large-scale studies (e.g. in Toronto and the US) link more tree-lined streets to lower rates of premature death. 

    • Community Cohesion: Green spaces foster social interaction, community events and stronger neighborhood ties.

    • Reduced Crime: Research shows greener neighborhoods tend to have lower crime rates, possibly through enhanced community pride and surveillance.

    • Property Value: Homes near tree-lined streets or parks sell for higher values.

    • Energy Savings: Shade reduces the need for air conditioning in the summer and blocks wind in winter, lowering utility costs.

    • Business Appeal: Beautiful places attract people and encourage spending in local businesses.

Awe Improves Mood and Feelings of Wellbeing

Awe reduces depressive symptoms and improves wellbeing — Scientific Reports, 2025

A growing body of research shows that experiencing awe — the feeling we get when something is vast, beautiful, or inspiring — can significantly improve mental health. A new 2025 study published in Scientific Reports offers some of the strongest evidence yet that awe can reduce depression, lower stress, and improve emotional wellbeing. This research provides some of the strongest scientific evidence to date that awe is a powerful, natural tool for improving mental health.

The study found that even brief moments of awe — such as looking at a towering tree, watching light move through a canopy, or standing in a beautiful natural space — can lead to measurable improvements in mood, especially when repeated overtime. The study also showed that awe can be experienced with simple actions, like focusing your attention on something you find amazing, like a beautiful tree or flower, slowing down, pausing and amplifying those feelings. Participants who engaged in an awe-inducing activity showed:

  • Lower levels of depression

  • Reduced feelings of stress

  • Improved sense of emotional well-being 

This study shows that even a brief, structured program focused on awe can reduce depression and improve wellbeing. This study provides powerful scientific support for creating opportunities for students to experience awe: through trees, nature, beauty, and meaningful shared experiences. Through TREEAMAS, we can teach our young people how to experience moments of awe and to notice how even small encounters with the natural world can make a meaningful difference in their lives. 

Urban Nature Supports Mental Health — Evidence from Stanford

Acute mental health benefits of urban nature, Nature Cities, 2025

A comprehensive Stanford-led meta-analysis that systematically reviews 449 peer-reviewed studies and collates data from close to 5,900 participants across 78 field-based experimental studies provides strong scientific evidence that spending even a little time in nature significantly improves mental health outcomes, especially for young people. While all types of urban nature provided benefits, the researchers found urban forests were even better for certain measures like reducing depression and anxiety. 

One of the study’s key findings is that even brief time spent in nature can have meaningful benefits. The researchers found that as little as 15 minutes in urban green spaces was associated with reductions in depression, anxiety, and stress, along with improvements in mood and emotional wellbeing. Importantly, the benefits were strongest for children, adolescents, and young adults, groups that are especially vulnerable to stress, anxiety and depression in urban environments.

Additionally, the study found that while larger city parks and forests are critical, the researchers suggest it is also important to create smaller “pocket parks” and additional street trees to increase access throughout cities.

For TREEAMS, this research reinforces the importance of planting and restoring our trees, and of actively engaging students in these efforts. By creating opportunities for young people to spend time among trees, participate in planting, and help restore green spaces, TREEAMS supports not only environmental recovery but also emotional resilience and healing. 

The study confirms that trees are more than environmental assets; they are powerful tools for supporting mental health and well-being in young people, especially for those growing up in cities or navigating the stress and uncertainty after experiencing natural disasters, like wildfires.

Forest Bathing Shifts our Biology – Studies from Japan

Effects of forest environment (Shinrin-yoku/Forest bathing) on health promotion and disease prevention — The establishment of “Forest Medicine”, –  Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine 2022 

A major body of research from Japan drawing on dozens of studies has established a new field called Forest Medicine, which scientifically studies the effects of spending time in forest environments (known as Shinrin-yoku or forest bathing) on physical and mental health. Forest bathing is not exercise or vigorous activity. It simply involves being among trees and nature with full sensory awareness, taking in sights, scents, sounds, and fresh air.

Key Health Benefits Linked to Trees & Forest Environments

Research compiled in this review shows that spending time in forest environments can produce measurable health benefits:

  • Boosted Immune Function: Forest bathing increases the activity and number of natural killer (NK) cells, important components of the immune system that help fight infections and disease.

  • Lower Blood Pressure and Heart Rate: Time in forests has been linked to reductions in blood pressure and resting heart rate, suggesting relaxation and improved cardiovascular health.

  • Reduced Stress Hormones: Forest environments can lower levels of stress hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline, contributing to better stress management and emotional calm.

  • Improved Emotions and Mood: Measures of mood show decreases in anxiety, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion, along with increases in energy and vigor, indicating positive effects on emotional well-being.

  • Enhanced Autonomic Balance and Sleep: Forest bathing may increase parasympathetic (rest-and-relax) nervous system activity and improve sleep quality.

The science of forest bathing supports the idea that being among trees and green spaces goes beyond “feeling good” and produces measurable changes in biology. These findings align with TREEAMS’ belief that engaging students in nature-based activities like tree planting will support emotional resilience and mood regulation, particularly as we recover from the stress and disruption of the Los Angeles fires.

A Walk Among Trees Reduces Stress-Related Brain Activity

How nature nurtures: Amygdala activity decreases as the result of a one-hour walk in nature – Molecular Psychiatry, 2020.

A 2022 neuroimaging study published in Molecular Psychiatry found that a single one-hour walk in a forest can produce measurable changes in the brain’s stress-related regions compared with an equivalent walk in an urban environment. The researchers used functional MRI (fMRI) scans to compare brain activity before and after each walk in healthy adults.

The key finding was that activity in the amygdala, a brain region strongly linked to stress, fear, and emotional reactivity, decreased after the nature walk but did not change after the urban walk. This suggests that brief exposure to natural environments directly reduces the brain’s stress response, beyond simply avoiding urban stressors.

Participants also reported that the walk in nature felt more restorative and enjoyable than the urban walk, consistent with theories that natural settings replenish attention and reduce mental fatigue. Although the study didn’t find changes in heart rate or self-reported stress immediately after the walks, the neural changes provide direct evidence that time among trees and natural scenery can calm brain circuits involved in stress processing.

These results support the idea that spending time among trees has real effects on the brain that help reduce stress. For young people experiencing anxiety, experiences that lower amygdala activation may help them feel calmer and more resilient.

Beyond Restorative Benefits, Forest Therapy Enhances Creativity

Beyond restorative benefits: Evaluating the effect of forest therapy on creativity, Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, May 2020

A scientific study examining the effects of a three-day forest therapy program including 23 participants found that spending time in forest environments can significantly enhance creative thinking. Participants in the study took part in guided experiences in a forest setting, during which researchers measured both emotional and physiological responses as well as changes in creativity.

The results showed that participants experienced a 27.7% increase in creativity, as measured by standardized creativity tests. This improvement was closely linked to reductions in stress-related emotions such as confusion and mental fatigue. As participants became calmer and more emotionally balanced, their ability to think creatively increased.

The study also found that forest therapy supported overall emotional well-being by lowering stress responses and increasing positive feelings. Together, these findings suggest that time spent in forest environments not only helps people feel better emotionally but also enhances higher-level thinking skills like creativity, insight, and problem-solving.

For TREEAMS, this research reinforces the idea that engaging young people with trees and natural spaces can unlock creativity, support emotional regulation, and foster the kind of imaginative thinking needed to envision and build a healthier future.

Tree Canopy Influences Long Term Brain Health and Cognitive Resilience

Greener neighbourhoods, better memory? A longitudinal study – Health & Place, 2020.

Urban green space, tree canopy and 11-year risk of dementia in a cohort of 109,688 Australians – Environment International, 2020 

Research shows that green space, particularly tree canopy cover, may play a role in long term cognitive health, including memory. In a large Australian study of more than 45,000 adults, people living in neighborhoods with more trees relative to other kinds of open space reported fewer memory complaints and better self-rated memory than those in less tree-rich areas.

Other longitudinal work following nearly 110,000 Australians has found that greater urban tree canopy is associated with lower dementia risk over an 11-year period, suggesting that trees and urban forests may support cognitive health as people age.

Together, these findings support TREEAMS’ focus on planting and caring for trees not only for environmental restoration but also for long-term well-being, including brain health and cognitive resilience.

Links to Articles

  • Authors: Herriot, R. E., Wei, Y., Lehrfeld, J. M., Schmidt, S. R., Greenberg, L. S., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2025). Awe reduces depressive symptoms and improves well-being in a randomized-controlled clinical trial, Scientific Reports, 2025 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-96555-w

  • Source: Acute mental health benefits of urban nature, Nature Cities, 2025. https://purl.stanford.edu/mb869ss2129  Authors:  Li, Y., Mao, Y., Mandle, L., Rydström, A., Remme, R., Lan, X., Wu, T., Song, C., Lu, Y., Nadeau, K., Meyer-Lindenberg, A., Daily, G., Guerry, A. 

  • Effects of forest environment (Shinrin-yoku/Forest bathing) on health promotion and disease prevention — The establishment of “Forest Medicine”, –  Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine 2022, https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ehpm/27/0/27_22-00160/_pdf/-char/en

  • Sudimac, S., Sale, V., & Kühn, S. (2022). How nature nurtures: Amygdala activity decreases as the result of a one-hour walk in nature. Molecular Psychiatry. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9734043/ pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

  • Yu, Chia-Pen, Hsieh, Hsuan, Beyond restorative benefits: Evaluating the effect of forest therapy on creativity, Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, May 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2020.126670

  • Astell-Burt T, Feng X. Greener neighbourhoods, better memory? A longitudinal study, Health & Place, 2020. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32795668/

  • Astell-Burt, T., Navakatikyan, M. A., & Feng, X. Urban green space, tree canopy and 11-year risk of dementia in a cohort of 109,688 Australians. Environment International, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.106102

For additional information, please review this extensive list of peer reviewed studies that evaluate the healing benefits of nature immersion focused on trees (2015-2025). (Link to PDF “Peer Reviewed Eco Psychology Trees”) ––––––––––––––––>

Download PDF by Clicking Here