The Delaware and Lehigh Trails
Bryce Dunn
The Delaware and Lehigh Trails run for more than 140 miles throughout Eastern Pennsylvania. These trails provide surrounding community members and visitors with an opportunity to get outside and appreciate the natural world. Growing up in my hometown, it was a very rural area with not much to do. I had a love for the outdoors and spent a great deal of my childhood hiking on nature trails local to me. Being young, I never took the chance to step back and appreciate what was provided for me by these trails. The work that goes into creating and maintaining them is admirable and my partnership with The Delaware and Lehigh Trails helped me realize this. This organization was introduced to me through my college course titled "Who Owns the Outdoors". When I had first learned of this organization I was immediately interested due to my past experiences with nature trails as a child. Upon looking deeper into the Delaware and Lehigh Trails I began to realize all of the benefits that were provided by this organization and in specific the benefits to a person's' mental health and what they provide for the community as a whole. When conducting research on the mental health benefits of outdoor exposure, this organization fit the narrative perfectly as one of their mission statements is to connect people to health and wellness through outdoor recreation. "Exercise. It improves our overall health and lowers rates of obesity. But did you know that exercise outdoors along a nature trail (rather than indoors) is even more effective in improving cardiovascular and mental health? Through outdoor recreation opportunities and health and wellness programming, the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor connects people with opportunities to improve their overall health" (Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor). After gaining some insight of the mental health aspect of utilizing what this organization provides, it also motivated me more to partner with them. As previously mentioned much of my experience with nature trails took place when I was young. Just as I wasn't able to appreciate the work that went into creating and maintaining these trails, I also wasn't able to appreciate the personal health benefits that time outdoors provided for me. My partnership with the Delaware and Lehigh Trails has inspired me to get back to my roots and begin spending more time outdoors like I did when I was young. For those who want to get involved, there are a number of things you can do. Volunteer work is a large part of the Delaware and Lehigh Trails and is a great way to support the organization. "D&L Ambassadors are an extension of our D&L staff who can lead projects, speak out in the community about our mission, and help us enhance and protect the treasures of the D&L Trail and Corridor region. Interested individuals can look out for future trainings in Spring 2021" (Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor). Those interested can fill out an application and if accepted they go through training in which they are taught about the inner workings of the organization. Individuals can volunteer to help maintain trails and even lead events that are held on the trails as well.
What This Means To Me:
As a child I grew up in a very rural town with farms on every corner. To keep occupied I spent the majority of my time on local trails with my family and pets, enjoying the realm of the natural world that was provided to me through these trails. Being young, I never took the time to step back and not only appreciate the work that went into creating and maintaining these trails, but the health benefits it provided me as well. After educating myself further I have gained much more respect and appreciation for organizations such as the Delaware and Lehigh Trails and what they provide for their respective communities.
Delaware and Lehigh Trails Through the Lens of Mental Health
The Delaware and Lehigh Trails provide an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds to get outside and get in touch with nature. Outdoor exercise and activities have been linked to improved mental health in individuals. By utilizing what this organization provides, community members are taking a step in the right direction in regards to benefitting their mental state. Click on the red words in quotes to learn more about what the D&L Trails provide!
"We connect people to the enduring industrial heritage of the Corridor through education and preservation of historic sites and cultural resources."
"We connect people to health and wellness through outdoor recreation by reclaiming the historic transportation route as the D&L Trail."
"We connect towns and cities to opportunities for economic development along the D&L Trail and Corridor."
Studies on Mental Health and Nature
Throughout the past many studies have been conducted to analyze the benefits to mental health of outdoor activity. A systematic review conducted using a number of data sources* aimed to compare the effect of indoor activity on mental health to the effect of outdoor activity on mental health. In this particular study 11 trials were performed consisting of 833 adults, the majority (523) being young adult college students. "All interventions consisted of a single episode of walking or running indoors with the same activity at a similar level conducted outdoors on a separate occasion. A total of 13 different outcome measures were used to evaluate the effects of exercise on mental wellbeing, and 4 outcome measures were used to assess attitude to exercise" (Coon, J. Thompson et al. "Does Participating in Physical Activity in Outdoor Natural Environments Have a Greater Effect on Physical and Mental Wellbeing than Physical Activity Indoors?"). Out of these 11 trials 9 showed improvement in mental wellbeing. Outdoor activity was also associated with greater feelings of revitalization and positive engagement, decreases in tension, confusion, anger, and depression, and increased energy. Participants additionally experienced greater satisfaction and enjoyment with outdoor activities in comparison to indoor activities.
Data sources*: Medline, Embase, Psychinfo, GreenFILE, SportDISCUS, The Cochrane Library, Science Citation Index Expanded, Social Sciences Citation Index, Arts and Humanities Citation Index, Conference Proceedings Citation Index
"Increasingly, evidence suggests that the availability and quality of neighborhood green spaces are associated with greater well-being (White et al. 2013) and lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress (Beyer et al. 2014)."
Coon, J. Thompson et al. "Does Participating in Physical Activity in Outdoor Natural Environments Have a Greater Effect on Physical and Mental Wellbeing than Physical Activity Indoors?".