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How Nature Enabled Freedom for Groundbreaking American Women

News Feed
Friday, March 28, 2025

From Harriet Tubman to Louisa May Alcott, the natural world was a catalyst to slipping their bonds.Interview by Paloma BeltranFrom our collaborating partner “Living on Earth,” public radio’s environmental news magazine, an interview by Paloma Beltran with Tiya Miles, a professor of history at Harvard and author of “Wild Girls: How the Outdoors Shaped the Woman Who Challenged the Nation.”

From our collaborating partner “Living on Earth,” public radio’s environmental news magazine, an interview by Paloma Beltran with Tiya Miles, a professor of history at Harvard and author of “Wild Girls: How the Outdoors Shaped the Woman Who Challenged the Nation.” Harriet Tubman talked about how she was a “neglected weed.” She recognized the way […]

From Harriet Tubman to Louisa May Alcott, the natural world was a catalyst to slipping their bonds.

Interview by Paloma Beltran

From our collaborating partner “Living on Earth,” public radio’s environmental news magazine, an interview by Paloma Beltran with Tiya Miles, a professor of history at Harvard and author of “Wild Girls: How the Outdoors Shaped the Woman Who Challenged the Nation.”

Read the full story here.
Photos courtesy of

Related News

Scientists Reveal “A Fundamental Process in Nature” – The Environmental Rules That Plants Cannot Break

Global research team explores how environmental factors and dispersal barriers influence biodiversity. Why do certain plants flourish in some regions but not in others? A study led by researchers at the University of Göttingen sheds light on the factors that determine where plants grow and how these patterns have evolved over millions of years. The [...]

Global research team explores how environmental factors and dispersal barriers influence biodiversity. Why do certain plants flourish in some regions but not in others? A study led by researchers at the University of Göttingen sheds light on the factors that determine where plants grow and how these patterns have evolved over millions of years. The [...]

Nature
Forests
Mountains

Time Spent in Nature is Good for Your Brain, but an Excess Can Negate These Benefits

A “Goldilocks” measure of green space might help stave off dementia, but an excess could lead to cognitive decline

Time Spent in Nature Can Be Good—and Sometimes Bad— for Your BrainA “Goldilocks” measure of green space might help stave off dementia, but an excess could lead to cognitive declineBy Teresa Schubert edited by Gary StixThere's nothing like a good walk through your local park to unwind and release stress from a busy day. Taking some time in nature is undeniably good for you, with well-documented benefits to physical and mental health. But new research suggests that when it comes to the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, easy access to nature can sometimes help but, at other times, can be too much of a good thing.The causes of dementia—a broad category of conditions that can affect memory, language and other brain capacities—are multifaceted and complex. There is often a genetic component, but there are also contributions from health risk factors that arise throughout life. In 2024 the Lancet Commission on dementia identified 14 such factors that reliably increase the risk of developing dementia. These include physical health factors such as cardiovascular disease, high LDL cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity and traumatic brain injury, as well as psychological factors such as depression and social isolation.Thousands of studies provide solid evidence about the dangers of these risk factors, but researchers are far from having all the answers about dementia. In the past 10 or so years, researchers have begun looking beyond these established risks to the effect of an individual’s physical and social environment, which might be more under our control than factors such as genetic predisposition. You might not be able to change your genes, but in some cases, you can change where you live or your hobbies or habits. According to Marco Vinceti of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy, “there is growing and convincing evidence that risk of neurodegenerative disease, including cognitive impairment and dementia, can be substantially reduced by environmental and behavioral factors, and this may even be true in individuals having high genetic susceptibility.” Studying the role of environmental factors has led to the recent discovery that exposure to air pollution (such as from wildfire smoke or heavy traffic) increases your chances of developing dementia. This is also the line of questioning that led researchers to discover the positive effects of green space.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.The benefits of green space for mental and brain health are numerous. Living near and spending time in green space (including parks, wooded areas and even farmland) can decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes and is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia later in life. According to Anjum Hajat, an epidemiologist at the University of Washington School of Public Health, access to green space “is important because it provides people with an easy, low-cost option to improve their health. Spending time in nature may have other benefits, too, like increasing physical activity or increasing time spent with friends and family; both of these things have many health benefits.”Based on this research, you might be ready to give up city life. You might presume that more green space is better, and that living on a few wooded acres with nothing but trees for miles around will lead to the lowest possible chance of dementia. It turns out this is not so simple. A 2022 research study led by Federico Zagnoli of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia revealed that more green space is not always better. The researchers found a U-shaped association between exposure to green space and dementia risk—low levels of green space were associated with a higher likelihood of developing dementia, and medium levels were linked to a lower risk. But the highest level of green space exposure didn’t reduce dementia risk relative to the medium level—and in some cases even increased it! In other words, too little green space has an adverse effect, but so might too much of it.Why might more of a good thing be bad? Living out in nature can mean lower access to medical and social services, fewer places to socialize and higher chances of social isolation—circumstances that would otherwise support brain health and reduce dementia risk. Although research on some of these factors is still ongoing and not yet certain, there is solid evidence for the risks of social isolation. As Vinceti puts it, “The higher risk of dementia associated with ‘extremely high’ green spaces around the place of residence is likely attributable to social isolation and socioeconomic disadvantage in certain rural areas. Rurality may also be correlated with other risk factors, such as lower socioeconomic status or high pesticide exposure.” So the conclusion is that green space itself is not bad for your brain health, but living on a few acres of land surrounded by forest and farmland might increase your risk of dementia in other ways. Although trees have a positive effect, they are no substitute for a nearby hospital, local community center and a walkable neighborhood with friendly neighbors. Aiming for the lowest possible dementia risk is all about a balance: enough neighborhood density to have easy access to services and social support but plenty of trees for a walk in the park..

Nature
Forests
Pollution

Defra asks England’s biggest landowners to come up with plans to restore nature

Exclusive: Representatives of king, National Trust and others called on to work together to protect environmentUK politics live – latest updatesSteve Reed called in some of England’s biggest landowners for a meeting on Thursday, asking them to come up with meaningful plans to restore nature on their estates.Representatives for King Charles and Prince William were among those at the meeting, asked by the environment secretary to draft new land management plans to help meet the country’s legal Environment Act targets. Continue reading...

Steve Reed called in some of England’s biggest landowners for a meeting on Thursday, asking them to come up with meaningful plans to restore nature on their estates.Representatives for King Charles and Prince William were among those at the meeting, asked by the environment secretary to draft new land management plans to help meet the country’s legal Environment Act targets.The landowners also included third-sector organisations such as the National Trust, RSPB and the Wildlife Trusts, along with representatives from the government estate such as the Ministry of Defence and Natural England.Between them, the assembled “National Estate for Nature” group own 10% of England’s land, making their cooperation crucial if ministers are to meet legally binding environment targets and stop the decline of nature.Reed called them to action to collectively protect and restore nature on their estates across England, asking them to report back on potential new approaches for sustainable land use, land management, change, or investment. He said the group should set minimum standards for land management plans, with clear milestones for nature restoration and protections.He said: “Landowners must go further and faster to restore our natural world. The National Estate for Nature, who manage a tenth of the land in this country, have a responsibility to future generations to leave the environment in a better state. We have a unique opportunity to work together on common sense changes that create a win-win for nature, the economy, and make the best use of the land around us.”Just 8% of the land and sea in England is protected for nature. The government has a target to reach 30% by 2030, but wildlife groups say the proportion of land “effectively protected” for nature is even lower than the official statistic, at 2.93%. Nature across England continues to be in decline, with wild bird numbers decreasing each year. The 2023 state of nature report described the UK as one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, based on declines since the 1970s.The Labour government hopes to accelerate efforts to meet these targetsand recently legalised the wild release of beavers and announced a land use framework that will provide guidance on how to best use land for food and nature.The environmental campaigner Guy Shrubsole said: “Major landowners in England like the Forestry Commission, crown estate and water companies own millions of acres of land – it’s only right that we expect them to repair the badly damaged habitats that they own.”He argued that large landowners should make their plans to protect nature public so that they can be scrutinised and held to account: “The government must mandate these landowners to publish their plans for nature restoration, so the public can see how the land is being looked after on our behalf – and change the outdated legal duties of public bodies to prioritise restoring ecosystems and fixing the climate crisis.”skip past newsletter promotionThe planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essentialPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionHarry Bowell, the director of land and nature at the National Trust, said: “We are delighted to join the National Estate for Nature group, bringing the National Trust’s stewardship of 250,000 hectares to the table. As the government’s land use framework makes clear, a transformation in the use of land is needed if we are to meet our nature and climate targets. The biggest landowners – us included – have the power, and responsibility, to drive forward that transformation.”Further quarterly meetings are expected to focus on developing and implementing agreed on-the-ground plans to drive nature’s recovery.

Nature
Climate
Food

Green leader Adrian Ramsay: Labour’s ‘growth v nature’ framing is an outrage

Co-leader says deprioritisation of net zero is ‘extremely dangerous’ as he rejects ‘nimby-in-chief’ characterisationLabour’s push for economic growth at the expense of climate and nature is “extremely dangerous”, the co-leader of the Green party has said.Adrian Ramsay, the MP for Waveney Valley between Norfolk and Suffolk, was one of the five Green MPs elected to parliament last July in their best ever result. He said and his colleagues knew they would be holding Labour to account, but did not expect to be as disappointed as they have been. Continue reading...

Labour’s push for economic growth at the expense of climate and nature is “extremely dangerous”, the co-leader of the Green party has said.Adrian Ramsay, the MP for Waveney Valley between Norfolk and Suffolk, was one of the five Green MPs elected to parliament last July in their best ever result. He said and his colleagues knew they would be holding Labour to account, but did not expect to be as disappointed as they have been.In recent weeks, Labour has given the green light to airport expansion and vowed to change planning rules to deprioritise nature, while ministers have repeatedly disparaged bats and newts and ridiculed measures to protect fish. The chancellor Rachel Reeves has suggested economic growth trumps the government’s legally binding target of reaching net zero emissions by 2050, and there are suggestions the national wealth fund, meant for green projects, will be coopted for defence.Ramsay said: “This whole depiction the government’s coming up with is completely false and actually extremely dangerous, because green spaces are crucial to people’s wellbeing, crucial to the natural environment, and we can and must do development in a way that not just protects nature … the government is signed up to a requirement to restore 30% of land and sea in the UK for nature by 2030.“And when Labour talks about growth versus nature, it sort of castigates communities who are working to protect their community, protect the environment from being trodden on by a planning system that that should be there to protect them, but the government’s looking at removing those safeguards.”Ramsay also questioned whether Boris Johnson was a greener prime minister than Keir Starmer, saying: “[Johnson] did have some understanding of the need to regenerate the natural world, which Labour are very weak on. While there were early signs of some positive moves on renewable energy targets, that’s now being undermined by climate-wrecking decisions around things like airport expansion.”Ramsay, who is co-leader with fellow MP Carla Denyer, has had a bruising start to his parliamentary career. One of his biggest critics has been Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, who has accused him of being against renewable infrastructure.Miliband’s criticisms of Ramsay have resulted in the Green MP being labelled the “UK’s nimby-in-chief” after he used his first day in parliament to call for a pause on plans for a route of 520 pylons passing through his constituency. Ramsay says he is representing his constituents, who want alternatives to pylons to be discussed before they are built. His critics, including Miliband, say alternatives are too slow and expensive to implement and will impede the government in reaching its target to decarbonise the grid by 2030.Before Ramsay was an MP, he was for many years a Green councillor and worked for renewables campaign groups. Of being referred to as a nimby, he said: “I think that the claims are so absurd that they are laughable. I mean, people have called me Mr Renewables, because my whole career and campaigning background since I was a teenager has been in advancing action on climate and in particular action on renewables. I’m the first to say we’ve got to see more renewables.”MPs for the rightwing Reform party have also opposed pylons as part of their drive to cancel net zero, of which Ramsay said: “Reform have jumped on a bandwagon quite recently. There’s been a cross-party group with the other four parties in East Anglia, working on these issues for some time.” He said the party was “selling people a pup” because “they’re trying to pretend that they’re there to support the ordinary person, but their policies would undermine the NHS, allow the ultra-rich plutocrats from abroad to buy up our democracy, and crucially, would stop the drive for net zero, which will bring down people’s bills and keep people’s homes warm.”There are also rumours that Labour is considering weakening plans aimed at ensuring all new homes are powered by renewables. Government sources say new homes will be “technology agnostic”, allowing housebuilders to meet climate targets how they like, rather than mandating solar panels and heat pumps.skip past newsletter promotionThe planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essentialPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotion“It would be an absolute outrage if the Labour government does not require renewable energy in all new homes,” Ramsay said. “People say to me all the time, why on earth are we seeing new homes being built without solar panels, without renewable heating systems? And the only reason the government wouldn’t do this is if they caved into the developers, because it’s a win-win all the way around.”Ramsay said he would continue to challenge Miliband. “My challenge to Ed Miliband is, don’t undermine the whole of your national strategy by allowing this major airport expansion to go ahead,” he said.“Don’t allow the whole of your carbon plan to be completely undermined by allowing the new Rosebank oilfield. They’re failing to focus on energy efficiency, how we insulate people’s homes to bring bills down, you’ve got to look at energy reduction as well as renewables if we’re going to deliver a green future.“And in terms of nature, they’re actively opposing the nature restoration agenda with this damaging suggestion that that economic success and nature are somehow at loggerheads. So that’s what’s led environmental campaigners like George Monbiot to increasingly suggest that Labour may be even worse on the environment than the Conservatives were.”

Nature
Climate
Government

A Story About Salmon That Almost Had a Happy Ending

How tribal leaders, commercial fisherman and a few small environmental groups won an uphill campaign against dams.

Completion of the world’s largest dam removal project — which demolished four Klamath River hydroelectric dams on both sides of the California-Oregon border — has been celebrated as a monumental achievement, signaling the emerging political power of Native American tribes and the river-protection movement.True enough. It is fortunate that the project was approved in 2022 and completed last October, before the environmentally hostile Trump administration could interfere, and it is a reminder that committed, persistent campaigning for worthy environmental goals can sometimes overcome even the most formidable obstacles.How tribal leaders, commercial fisherman and a few modestly sized environmental groups won an uphill campaign to dismantle the dams is a serpentine, setback-studded saga worthy of inclusion in a collection of inspirational tales. The number of dams, their collective height (400 feet⁠⁠) and the extent of potential river habitat that has been reopened to salmon (420 miles⁠⁠) are all unprecedented.⁠The event is a crucial turning point, marking an end to efforts to harness the Klamath’s overexploited waterways to generate still more economic productivity, and at last addressing the basin’s many environmental problems by subtracting technology instead of adding it, by respecting nature instead of trying to overcome it. It’s an acknowledgment that dams have lifetimes, like everything else, and that their value in hydropower and irrigated water often ends up being dwarfed by their enormous environmental and social costs.

Nature
Technology
Water

Suggested Viewing

El Monte (The Woodland)

In Sierra Maestra, Cuba, José Manuel explains to his granddaughter Malena his world view through deep knowledge of natures' mysteries. Plants and people have great resemblances and must respect each other. José Manuel hopes that Malena inherits the knowledge that he obtained from the father and she becomes a great mountain tree.

Forests
Nature
Family

Descended: The Fight for Harris Neck

The documentary film “Descended: The Fight for Harris Neck” explores an ongoing land battle in Harris Neck, Georgia. In 1942 the U.S. war department seized 2,687 acres of land from a self-reliant community of seventy-five African American families. Since 1962 the land has been a national wildlife refuge. The film seeks to answer the pivotal question: How has a community been shaped by its common goal to reclaim their land?

Social Justice
Government
Nature

Rise and Fall

A film to provide an awareness of climate change and the individual measures we can take to combat it. The production process of Rise and Fall began as your stereotypical documentary meant to showcase various aspects of the Earth and Ocean Sciences Department at UNCW. Still, as the interview process was underway, it was quickly decided to move in another direction. It is an essay film about the science of climate change, what we can do in our day-to-day lives to combat it, and its impacts. Without using talking heads, the images of the natural world provide a sensual look at what will be affected by climate change.

Climate
Nature
Documentary

Among Giants

Among Giants begins three years into the McKay tree-sit- a response to Green Diamond Resource Company’s clearcutting of redwood forests. Atop his tiny platform a hundred feet up in the ancient redwood canopy, Farmer must battle the elements and avoid isolation as he fights for a sustainable future. The film uses a restrained verite style that reflects the pace of life in the tree village. As Farmer outlasts a vicious storm, counts the rings on a felled tree, and trumps through a recent clear cut, the film asks questions about what it means to follow one’s beliefs and make a difference in the world.

Forests
Activism
Nature

In Praise of Insects [Sandbox]

Insects were here before humanity, but often we eliminate them as a nuisance. They are a fundamental element of this world. Without them, most of the plants would not be pollinated and birds would lose their food and become extinct. Despite their vital role, they are silently disappearing at a rapid rate.... without us noticing. ‘In Praise of Insects’ is a project to help us rethink the tiny subtle lives that are so entwined with our own. The common Bluebottle is one of the few butterflies that can be seen in central Tokyo. Even if you occasionally see the butterfly flying between buildings, you can see the miracle of life by closely observing its appearance and growth.

Experimental
Animals
Nature

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