Annotated Bibliography 4: “How Natural and Built Environments Impact Human Health”

Khmer, Steve. Children playing on tree. Digital image. Panoramio.com. N.p., 2 Nov. 2009. Web. 19 Feb. 2016.

 

Wells, Nancy, Dr. “Natural Environments and Human Health.” Outreach and Extension (2014): Human.cornell.edu. Cornell University College of Human Ecology, 2014. Web. 19 Feb. 2016. <http://www.human.cornell.edu/outreach/upload/CHE_DEA_NaturalEnvironments.pdf>.

Dr. Nancy Wells’ research led to her conclusion that a natural environment featuring wildlife and plants is beneficial to humans in more ways than one.  Not only did she confirm the findings of the authors of “Recognizing Campuses as Learning Spaces,” but she also went more in-depth into the actual benefits of an open landscape.  Her article states that a natural living space promotes exercise, offers a sense of community, and opens up new forms of recreation to the public.  Her studies also show that citizens who live in such an environment are prone to living longer lives.  In built-environments, where the land is not as pedestrian-friendly, citizens have shown less recreational activity and higher rates of crime.  There is one flaw in her experiment however, as her subjects were not selected randomly.  Wells also tested children for data as well.  Research shows that green environments foster social interaction and offer more social support while children of more built environments undergo more stressful experiences.  I plan to use this article in my research to support my arguments about the built environments affects on humans through the facts she presented.  The statistics and examples will help to make my writing more credible.