top of page
The Benefits of Nature
A Guest Article Featuring Jenny Boling with The Chris Center
At Friends, we are firm believers in the power that the great outdoors holds for improving mental and physical wellness. We work hard to ensure the residents and visitors of Hamilton County have access to the benefits of nature through enhancing and promoting the parks and greenspaces of our communities.
We recently connected with The Chris Center, whose work focuses on improving mental wellness for teens and pre-teens in Central Indiana through education and experiences with nature and human-animal interaction. Jenny Boling serves as the Marketing and Content Strategist at The Chris Center, and we asked her to share more about the incredible work The Chris Center does every day to connect young people with the healing powers of nature.
By Jenny Boling
Marketing + Content Strategist, The Chris Center
At The Chris Center, we believe that time in nature and connecting with animals can greatly improve youth mental wellness. Our research-informed, nature-based, and animal-assisted programs equip young people in Central Indiana with essential coping skills. Through experiences at our partner alpaca farm—like Nature and Wellness Field Trips and Summer Camp—students build resilience and find calm. Our Mindful Arts Program uses nature-based art to encourage presence and provide a creative outlet, while our PAWS Wellness Support Programconnects middle and high school students with registered wellness support dogs to reduce stress and foster positive connections.
We share this belief with Friends of Hamilton County Parks, Inc., whose mission to enhance public parks and greenspaces is rooted in the understanding that time outdoors benefits overall well-being. By integrating these values into our programs, The Chris Center empowers teens and pre-teens to develop the tools they need to manage their mental wellness with confidence.
bottom of page