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By:  Sharon Wren

Green Horizons for Girls

Gustav Stickley, an American designer, once wrote, “We are influenced by our surroundings more than we can imagine.” While he was probably talking about furniture and home decorations, researchers at the University of Illinois have discovered that girls with views of nature at home score higher on tests of concentration and self-discipline than those who don’t. A summary of the results can be found at the University’s website (http://www.herl.uiuc.edu/IMAGES/2-pager%20GG.htm) Researchers Andrea Faber Taylor, Frances E. Kuo and William C. Sullivan studied mothers and children in a Chicago public housing development. The residents were predominantly African Americans who were receiving public assistance. The buildings in the development were the same, but some had green areas outside while others didn’t. The mothers were asked to rate the amount of nature that could be seen from their homes. The children were given standard tests on concentration, impulse inhibition and the ability to delay gratification. The results showed that boys had no differences in test scores. However, the greener a girl’s view from home, the better she concentrated, the less she acted impulsively and the longer she could delay gratification, meaning that she had better self-discipline. A girl with self-discipline can handle peer pressure, sexual pressure, challenging situations, make more thoughtful choices and do better in school. Taylor, a Child Environment and Behavior Researcher at the Human-Environment Research Laboratory of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign says, “This study on self-discipline adds to a catalogue of research that finds near home nature and time spent in the green outdoors helps children and adults in important ways.”

Why is there a difference between the boys’ and girls’ test results? It might be because boys and girls often play in different areas. Previous studies on children’s play areas show that boys play farther from home than girls; therefore greenery near home may have less of an influence. One study did show that there is a relationship between boys’ ability to pay attention and the amount of nature in their usual play area.

Research has shown that nature views lead to feelings of satisfaction and well being, better coping skills and greater personal effectiveness in subjects. Nature views for prisoners lead to less demand for health care services. Surgical patients in hospitals recover faster when exposed to green scenes. Children with Attention Deficit Disorder have better concentration and behavior after nature activities. Being around plants helps people, regardless of background, race or socioeconomic level.

In light of this evidence, what should parents do? After all, not everyone is able to or wants to move to the country. The University of Illinois researchers have these suggestions:

• Encourage girls to study or play in rooms with a view of nature.
• Encourage children to play outdoors in green spaces and advocate recess in green schoolyards. This may be especially helpful for renewing children’s concentration.
• Plant and care for trees and vegetation at your residence or encourage the owner to do so.
• Value and care for the trees in your community. Caring for trees means caring for people.

No matter how small your home is, there’s room for a few plants.

Windowsills, shelves and dressers can host a few pots. Don’t worry if you don’t have much bright light; grow lights come in a variety of sizes and are inexpensive. Contrary to what you may have heard, a couple of grow lights won’t raise your electric bill very much or make the police think you’re growing marijuana. I have had four grow lights in my basement for three years for orchids and seedlings and have never had a problem.

The Internet is loaded with websites that will help you get started. Indoor Jungle ( http://www.indoorjungle.com ) is an excellent website geared towards indoor gardening. Plants are widely available at grocery stores, discount chains and nurseries. Ask friends and family; someone is bound to have a cutting or plant that you could have. You don’t have to stick with houseplants; many fruits and vegetables can be grown in limited spaces.

Cherry tomatoes do well in pots and many salad greens can be grown in long containers, such as window boxes. Herbs and spices can be grown right in the kitchen. Miniature fruit trees do well in pots. If you have a patio, roof or balcony you can grow berries or other edibles in tower containers, such as the Agro Tower ( http://www.agrotower.com/ ). It measures 20 inches across and about three feet high and will hold about 20 small plants, such as strawberries.

Having plants in the home alone won’t guarantee that a girl will turn into a confident young woman. Other factors such as love, education and access to health care are important. Still, it’s amazing that nature can have such an impact without anyone knowing it.

Links:

University of Illinois Human-Environment Research Laboratory - Girls and Greenery, Views of Green Help Girls Succeed http://www.herl.uiuc.edu/IMAGES/2-pager%20GG.htm

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