is a 天美影视传媒-wide institute connecting scholars with community partners to address environmental challenges. The institute announced awards for its 2020 on May 5.

Four research teams were chosen from 43 that applied. Proposals were reviewed by an 11-member committee including faculty and staff in several areas as well as an outside community member. This is the program’s second year.

Each team will receive up to $75,000 as well as administrative and communications support for a 16-month period ending in September 2021.

Crucially, the researchers also plan to collaborate with community partners from El Centro de la Raza locally to universities internationally for these projects. All of the community partners involved are listed on the .

Does vegetation help mitigate roadway and aircraft-related air pollution in Seattle?

, associate professor of environmental and occupational health sciences, is principal investigator on this community-engaged study using drones for 3D air quality measurements.

Co-investigators are professor and assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, and , professor of atmospheric sciences.

According to their proposal, “Findings from this study will provide local and highly relevant evidence on the effectiveness of urban planning initiatives that may utilize greenery as an approach to address particulate air pollution.”

Hazard planning, food sovereignty and climate adaptation in the Alaskan Arctic听

, assistant professor in the Department of American Indian Studies and the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, is this project’s principal investigator and co-director.

is a 500-person community in Northwest Alaska about 80 miles above the Arctic Circle. Sea-ice cover around this area has decreased dramatically in the last two decades, increasing coastal erosion during storms and the frequency of traveler distress calls, among other concerns.

For this research, an interdisciplinary team of UW polar researchers will work with area search and rescue volunteers to help Kivalina and its residents achieve more safety, resilience and food sovereignty, and become a model of community-driven polar research. The team also plans to develop new methods in sea ice forecasting to support local decision-making, among several other goals.

Other UW researchers involved are , chair and professor; and , research assistant professor, both in atmospheric sciences.

P铆kyav on the Mid-Klamath River: Peeshk锚esh Y谩v Um煤saheesh

The flows through parts of Oregon and Northern California. Four hydroelectric dams along the river are scheduled for removal in 2022. The , in that area, is among the largest in California.

This research team proposes a river restoration process on the Klamath that centers on Karuk tribal sovereignty using a model of justice, helping to bring tribal perspectives to large-scale governance. The title of the project, they write, translates to “the river will look good” 鈥� and the phrase “goes far below the surface to include function, connection and ceremonial renewal.”

The team plans an intergenerational, field-based school on the river, working with Karuk youth and cultural practitioners to gather historical maps, stories and spatial data on Karuk uses of floodplain ecosystems.

UW team members for this project are , assistant professor in the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs; , a lecturer in Comparative History of Ideas and the Program on the Environment; and Karuk tribal member Kimberly Yazzie, a doctoral student in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences.

Lessons from urban indigenous immigrants 听

“This project will compare a self-managed indigenous immigrant community still using traditional practices in Iquitos, Peru,” the team wrote, “to a similar indigenous immigrant community nearby that developed with social and political pressures to colonially urbanize and leave traditional practices behind.”

UW members of the research team are , affiliate assistant professor of landscape architecture; , photographer with the UW Center for One Health Research; , lecturer in the UW Bothell School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences; Kathleen Wolf, research social scientist with the School of Environment and Forest Sciences; and doctoral student of the School of Public Health.

“We use an innovative, mixed-methods approach by combining indigenous knowledge, science and art to document environmental conditions, ecosystem health, traditional knowledge practices, and human-nature connections in each community,” the team wrote.

Environmental and human health impacts of a new invasive species in Madagascar

A fifth project was in March, representing the second project funded in collaboration with the UW Population Health Initiative. The project’s UW leads are , assistant professor in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences; and , professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences.

For more information, contact the EarthLab Innovation Grants program lead at elgrants@uw.edu.

As studies have shown 鈥� and personal experiences can attest 鈥� spending time in nature helps reduce anxiety, improve mental health and well-being, and bolster physical health.

In light of stay-at-home orders, 天美影视传媒 researchers share that studies also show there is much to be gained from nature close to home, whether in a yard, on neighborhood walks or even indoors.

鈥淪tudies have proven that even the smallest bit of nature 鈥� a single tree, a small patch of flowers, a house plant 鈥� can generate health benefits,鈥� said , a UW research social scientist in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences. 鈥淟ook closely in your neighborhood, and the bit of nature you may have taken for granted up until now may become the focus of your attention and help you feel better.鈥�

Thousands of studies have shown nature鈥檚 positive impact on health and well-being, even in urban areas and for people living in more confined areas. One study found that a 20-minute 鈥渄ose鈥� of nature in cities . Another showed that more tree cover helped among residents of nursing homes. A study in Sweden found that access to a garden significantly . Access to gardens or views of nature can even .

Residents who have backyards or balconies can replicate these benefits at home by tending a garden or potted plants, sitting in the grass under a tree, walking barefoot, listening to birds sing or even studying a single flower or leaf and contemplating its every curve and feature.

For people who can鈥檛 go outside, studies have shown that gazing out a window or looking at nature photos or videos 鈥� including virtual tours 鈥� are also effective in promoting positive mental health.

A key aspect of accessing these benefits is to bring a level of attention and mindfulness to the activity, something we might not normally do when looking out a window, scrolling through photos or walking down the street.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important to be mindful, commit to the activity and think about your observations while looking at these materials or elements of nature,鈥� Wolf explained. 鈥淭hat means not merely scrolling through on your computer, but looking at photos or video streams with more intention. It鈥檚 essentially nature-oriented meditation.鈥�

To help with this attuned focus, Wolf recommends journaling or sketching nature you see each day, or forming an online discussion group with friends or family to share nature experiences. It can also be helpful to think back to a specific place or experience in nature where you felt calm, relaxed and rejuvenated. Try to conjure up those memories and share them as stories with others.

The relational, social aspect of this process is also extremely important, Wolf said.

鈥淓ven though we are physically distancing, it鈥檚 really important to our health to maintain our social connections. There is evidence that people who are lonely or who are socially isolated can be prone to poorer health,鈥� Wolf explained. 鈥淣ature might be a means, either by being outside a safe distance from others or by sharing stories with each other, of staying socially connected.鈥�

Experiences with nature can slow the mind鈥檚 natural process of rumination, in which we fret about the past and worry about the future in potentially destructive ways, explained psychologist , a UW professor of psychology and of environmental and forest sciences.

鈥淚n these times, I think our minds can be a little out of control. Part of the effect of nature is that it can soften negative conditioned mental patterns,鈥� Kahn explained. 鈥淚f you can find nature, engage with it and get your heart rate down, then your mind begins to settle. When your mind isn鈥檛 ruminating, it can then open to a wider world, where there’s great beauty and healing.鈥�

For those who are able to get outside and move 鈥� while keeping the recommended minimum distance of 6 feet between people 鈥� physical activity will continue to play an important role in maintaining health, especially in reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease, said , a pediatrician at Seattle Children鈥檚 Hospital and associate professor of pediatrics at UW School of Medicine.

鈥淪ocial distancing is essential and critical, and we have to follow the public health recommendations out there and play our part in supporting our community鈥檚 capacity in caring for everyone who is sick or might become sick,鈥� Tandon said during a recent UW webinar about nature and health.听鈥淭hat being said, I think being outdoors and being active can play an important role in promoting our health and preventing disease for when we do emerge from this.鈥�

Tandon encourages healthy people who can practice social distancing to aim for about 60 minutes of physical activity each day for children and 30 minutes each day for adults.

The program at the UW is keeping a of ways to engage with nature, including everything from responsible outdoor activities to 鈥渮oo cams鈥� and virtual national park tours.