The outdoors is everywhere: a shaded bench in a city park, a winding trail through the woods, a neighborhood garden, or a vast mountain range. Whether it’s a short walk or a weekend in the wilderness, time outside restores us, sharpens our minds, and deepens our connection to the world around us.
Think of nature as a recharging station. Studies show that spending just two hours a week outside — or even 15 minutes a day — can ease stress, improve focus, and boost creativity. Step outside and feel the difference. Communities with more trees and parks also report stronger social bonds and better health. Access to safe green space is one of the strongest predictors of resilience and well-being. Parks and street trees also help cool neighborhoods, reducing heat-island effects and keeping people healthier and safer during extreme heat.
Spending time outside isn’t only about health, it’s about perspective and presence. Looking up at the stars, sitting near water, or watching a bird in flight reminds us that we’re part of something larger. These moments spark creativity, gratitude, and belonging. Every outdoor space, whether urban, suburban, or wild, has the power to teach us, ground us, and bring us back to ourselves.
Still, not everyone experiences these benefits equally. Around the world, Indigenous peoples have been displaced from ancestral lands in the name of conservation, violating global human-rights standards; sacred sites have been closed off; pastoralists pushed aside for tourism; and communities cut off from forests by extractive industries. Even today, inequities in how parks are planned and distributed mean many low-income and marginalized communities have far less access to safe, healthy outdoor spaces.
Despite these obstacles, progress is being made. In 2025, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued a landmark ruling recognizing that Nature itself is a subject of rights, affirming the Earth’s intrinsic value and strengthening the global movement to live in reciprocity with it. At the same time, powerful movements are reimagining nature’s place in daily life — gardening in schoolyards, bird-watching in cities, reclaiming trails, and building belonging in every kind of space. Groups like Black Girls Hike UK, Latino Outdoors, Outdoor Afro, and The Venture Out Project help more people see themselves reflected in outdoor adventures.
Businesses like Patagonia Provisions are growing regenerative food systems that align with nature, while Leave No Trace equips people with principles for responsible recreation, ensuring outdoor spaces remain healthy and accessible for generations to come.
Together, these efforts highlight a simple truth: the outdoors belongs to all of us. Caring for nature means more than protecting land — it means protecting people, honoring ancestral ties, and ensuring everyone has the chance to thrive outside. When diverse voices and experiences are embraced, we create healthier people, stronger communities, and a more resilient planet.
PARTNERS
RESOURCES
CHALLENGE
The outdoors is more than a beautiful backdrop — it’s proven to boost health, happiness, creativity, and connection. From quieting the noise of daily life to inspiring awe and care for the planet, time outside is essential to our well-being. When spaces are welcoming and accessible, more people are able to connect with nature in ways that are meaningful to them.
Every neighborhood has the potential to grow greener. Urban trees, rooftop gardens, schoolyard microparks, and native plant corridors can transform concrete spaces into living ecosystems that cool cities, support wildlife, and bring people together. Reimagining shared spaces helps ensure everyone — not just a few — has access to nature.
Adventure isn’t just for faraway places — it can happen right outside your door. A “microadventure” could be a sunrise walk, lunch under a favorite tree, a hidden neighborhood trail, or lying beneath the stars at night. These small escapes recharge us, inspire joy, and remind us that beauty is everywhere.
Adventure becomes stewardship when we step outside with intention. Every choice — from the food we pack to the way we travel — can be made with the Earth in mind. Guided by Leave No Trace, every step becomes a promise to care for the places that sustain us.
Each Greener Winner will receive:
Each Greenest Winner will receive:
