Months of near isolation due to the COVID-19 outbreak has many people going a bit stir-crazy. Actual depression has even been observed and documented. These conditions have led many people to look for new things to do in settings that provide social distancing but still allows them to do things in small groups.

This explains why the number of visitors to Hartig Park and Nature Preserve have skyrocketed over the past several months. The number of new visitors to the park has jumped 300 percent, and the number of returning visitors has doubled. The park has also witnessed a five-fold increase in the number of horseback riders and those launching canoes and kayaks.

While it’s difficult to ascertain exact numbers, visually, it appears that more parents with young children are taking advantage of Hartig Park. This makes perfect sense; with their children home from school, parents are actively looking for healthy activities for them and their kids to do.

Interviews with Hartig Park visitors, especially those who are walking, riding, or paddling alone, invariably yield the same response: [I just HAD to get into the woods!]. This idea of “feeling better while in the forest” is actually backed-up by scientific data.

Nearly 40 years of extensive research shows a wide range of health benefits from spending time in a forest. These documented benefits include decreased stress, improved mood states, improved vigor, reduced fatigue and feelings of awe. In Japan, spending quiet time in the woods is called “shinrin-yoku”. “Shirin” means forest and “yoku” means bath. This refers to the practice of immersing oneself in the forest and soaking in the atmosphere through the senses.

Hartig Park has also seen a huge increase in online traffic; a “cyber-jump” if you will. The park’s Facebook page has nearly three times as much traffic as pre-pandemic times. These increases include a larger number of page shares which is exactly what every social media site wants to see.