Walk On The Wild Side Analysis

Response to Marie Mason’s “Walk on the Wild Side”
In her article “Walk on the Wild Side”, Marie Mason addresses the issue of green space and its positive effects on a person’s physical and mental health. For the purposes of this article, green space was defined as “open, undeveloped land such as parks, forests, playing fields, and rivers”. Although not specifically defined in this article, mental health appears to imply anything dealing with psychological issues and a person’s state of mind, while physical health refers more to the function of the body itself. This article references a number of studies related to the effects of green space in a variety of contexts and for a variety of purposes. Mason advocates incorporating the use of green space into both the everyday lives of the individual and into the current healthcare system. This article also briefly goes over some theories as to just why green space is so beneficial. Although I cannot support Dr. Bird’s conception that it is all an evolutionary process which started millions of years ago, the physiological aspect of his theory is intriguing. Mason’s article refers to several specific positive effects which green space can provide. According to the studies mentioned in this article, some of the physical benefits experienced by …show more content…
Mason brings out the improvements in both physical and mental health that may be acquired by increasing one’s exposure to nature. Many benefits are listed, from reduced stress to quicker recoveries to a decreased chance of developing heart disease. In addition, Mason advocates the use of this knowledge in the daily routines of the people as well as in the medical field. After reading this article, one can think of several ways in which one might spend more time outdoors in order to reap some of the benefits mentioned in the