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Resident tells council that forest access improves mental health; thanks firefighters for quick response to recent brush fire
Summary
A resident described scientific and personal observations that exposure to forests improves mental health and cognitive function and thanked the Madison Fire Department for its response to a recent Drew Forest brush fire.
During the meeting's public-comment period, a resident thanked the Madison Fire Department for its response to a recent brush fire near Drew Forest and urged continued community support for forest preservation and access.
The commenter cited a 1984 study by Roger Olrich and referenced more recent reviews, saying forest exposure reduced stress and improved mood and cognitive function. "A scoping review of many related scientific studies was done in 2022 and showed that mental health outcomes improved across 98 percent of the science-based studies," the speaker said, describing observed benefits in young people who participated in a Drew Forest tour.
The resident urged the council to continue support and action for the June Forest and similar natural areas and thanked members for their ongoing work.
