Strengthen Your Connection to Nature: 5 Activities to Try Today

Blog post by Courtney Jackson, member of Nova Scholar Sara Warber’s Mutual Reawakenings project 

Modern day life is full of networks and connections. Networking with existing or potential colleagues. Connecting to wifi at your favorite cafe. Engaging on a digital social network. Finally getting your work-from-home laptop to connect with your employer’s shared network . . . And the list goes on and on. Unfortunately, for most modern-day humans it is becoming increasingly difficult to find time to connect to the most important network of all: nature.

Connecting to nature benefits our mental and physical health immensely. We are intrinsically linked to the planet, and require a connection with nature for optimal health. This is a fact that many of us understand and agree upon. Of course, agreeing and understanding does not quite carve out time in our busy modern day schedules for nature. But what if the connection only needed 10 minutes or even less? Read about 5 activities that you can complete in 10 minutes or less (or more if you choose!) to strengthen your connection to nature. 
 

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You’re invited: Help co-create the future of Nova’s digital communities

After three years of sparking connection and dialogue around transformative ideas in health and flourishing, the Nova Integration Hub will be closing on November 12, 2026. We’re currently in the lab developing new online community building initiatives—and you’re invited to help shape what comes next.

From the beginning, the Hub was created as a communal space that would help break down silos and foster dialogue across disciplines. It has been an experiment in connecting the dots, and with over 42 member-created groups and 654 active discussions, it has been a meaningful gathering place—a space where so many of you have generously shared ideas, wisdom, and inspiration in service of a more integrated and compassionate approach to health and well‑being. That spirit will carry forward into our next chapter.

As we look ahead, our goal is simple: Continue to pilot innovative forums for broad audiences to engage with researchers, creatives, educators, clinicians, policymakers, advocates, community organizers, journalists—anyone who wants to make a change in the world. We want to provide welcoming opportunities for conversation that will foster belonging rather than othering. We want to make unexpected connections that will lead us to the next bold leaps forward in health. Above all, we aim to spark joy and optimism about what’s possible for the planet we share.

So, where shall we go next? Your feedback about the Hub is extraordinarily meaningful to us, so please RSVP to attend one of our upcoming virtual town halls on Wednesday, November 4 at 3 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time and Thursday, November 12 at 3 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time. You may also submit comments in writing via our community listening form.

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