.png)
By: Joe Wilson
Much like Amy Poehler’s beloved TV character, Leslie Knope, I have tremendous appreciation for my local parks and recreation department.
It’s easy to take for granted, but local governments play an important role in preserving natural landscapes for the community to enjoy. While I have never considered myself to be a proper outdoorsman by any stretch of the imagination, I have always cherished the access to beautiful greenery that local parks provide. Spending just a few hours at a park allows me to clear my mind of all the stress that builds up over the course of daily life. Moreover, it gives me the opportunity to admire all the simple marvels that can be found in the natural environment, such as the vibrant colors of flowers in full bloom or the sweet songs of birds flying across the sky.
My keenness for my local parks began when I was young. I grew up in Boone County, Kentucky—just a stone’s throw away from Cincinnati, Ohio. I remember my parents taking me to nearly all the community parks throughout Boone County whenever my older brothers would have baseball games or cross-country races. While my brothers competed with their teams, I would run off and explore other spots in the park. I loved to stomp around in the muddy waters of a creek, collect brittle autumn leaves, and climb up tree branches as if I were aiming to touch the sky. As an adult, I still feel that sense of wonderment and adventure when I visit my local Boone County parks, even though I’m no longer climbing trees or running through the creek.
Whenever I return home over the holidays, I always make a point to spend some time at my favorite Boone County parks—Central Park, Giles Conrad Park, and England Idlewild Park. Since moving to Louisville, I have reveled in exploring the city’s parks. Although it doesn’t quite compare to my hometown parks, I enjoy wandering through the winding paths of Cherokee Park and the wonderful riverside view of Waterfront Park. Whether I take a long walk or sit underneath the shade of a large tree with a good book, I always return home from the park with lifted spirits.
In Japan, this practice is known as shinrin-yoku (“forest bathing”). The phrase was dubbed in the early 1980s, when urbanites would escape the noisy, bustling pace of the city to find serenity in the countryside. Scientists have studied shinrin-yoku and believe it yields many benefits to a person’s physical and mental health (such as reducing stress, anxiety, and depression). If the need to practice shinrin-yoku was evident forty years ago, it is even more important today. Think about it: We spend almost the entire day staring at a computer screen, in some form or another. We are constantly bombarded with email notifications, text messages, and news alerts on our phones. We pass the time scrolling through social media or watching the latest Netflix series. If you go out to a restaurant, chances are there will be a dozen televisions mounted to the wall, each playing a different channel. If you buy a new car, there will most likely be a touchscreen installed in the center console. Of course, there is nothing inherently wrong about these technological innovations. In fact, so many aspects of modern technology have made our lives more convenient comfortable. I don’t wish to discount those real benefits. Nevertheless, it is important to strike a healthy balance in evaluating the time we spend on our devices, and I have found that an afternoon at the park serves as a perfect break from all the noise and distractions of technology.
To quote Henry David Thoreau: “How important is a constant intercourse with nature and the contemplation of natural phenomena to the preservation of moral and intellectual health! The discipline of the schools or of business can never impart such serenity to the mind.”
Joe, of Hebron, Ky., is a member of the McConnell Scholar Class of 2025 at the University of Louisville. He studies political science and history.