Safety First! Do's and Don'ts on Your Public Lands_2

Is there any better place to express your inner wild than the great outdoors? We don’t think so. With 54 national wildlife refuges and 14 national fish hatcheries in the Columbia Pacific Northwest Region, the opportunities for reconnecting with nature and disconnecting from stress are almost endless.

We are sure you don’t need a study to tell you that time outside = good vibes, but we love science so we will cite one anyway. Studies show that around two hours per week of outdoor recreation positively impacts our sense of wellbeing. From bird watching to “forest bathing” (or what some people call walking in the woods), research demonstrates that as long as we do so safely, outdoor recreation benefits our brains and bodies.

Safety is a key part of the equation – it’s hard to take full advantage of Mother Nature’s soothing properties when we are, say, in pain from an injury sustained from walking off trail and into a tree because we were too caught up in our binoculars. Not that we have ever done that.