Studies show that green space and landscaping contribute to health, happiness, and intellect.

It’s natural to long for spring when it’s cold outside. But did you know there’s a good reason why you may pine for green? Living landscapes are an important part of the outdoor lifestyle that Americans enjoy, but the benefits go beyond the barbeque and backyard baseball. Green spaces are necessary for your health.

The advantages of grass and landscaping surpass the usual physical benefits that result from outdoor activity. Numerous studies have found that people who spend more time outside or are exposed to living landscapes are happier, healthier, and smarter.

Researchers have studied the impact of nature on human well-being for years, but recent studies have found a more direct correlation between human health, particularly related to stress, and the importance of people’s access to nature and managed landscapes.

Getting dirty is actually good for you. Soil is the new Prozac, according to Dr. Christopher Lowry, a neuroscientist at the University of Bristol in England. Mycobacterium vaccae in soil mirrors the effect on neurons that Prozac provides. The bacterium stimulates serotonin production, which explains why people who spend time gardening and have direct contact with soil feel more relaxed and happier.

Children who are raised on farms in a “dirtier” environment than an urban setting not only have a stronger immune system but are also better able to manage social stress, according to the National Academy of Sciences.

Living near living landscapes can improve your mental health. Researchers in England found that people moving to greener areas experienced an immediate improvement in mental health that was sustained for at least three years after they moved. The study also showed that people relocating to a more developed area suffered a drop in mental health.

Greening of vacant urban areas in Philadelphia reduced feelings of depression by 41.5 percent and reduced poor mental health by 62.8 percent for those living near the vacant lots, according to a study by a research team.

Green spaces can make you healthier, too. People who live within a half mile of green space (such parks, public gardens, and greenways) were found to have a lower incidence of 15 diseases by Dutch researchers — including depression, anxiety, heart disease, diabetes, asthma and migraines.

A 2015 study found that people living on streets with more trees had a boost in heart and metabolic health. Studies show that tasks conducted under the calming influence of nature are performed better and with greater accuracy, yielding a higher-quality result. Spending time in gardens, for instance, can improve memory performance and attention span by 20 percent.

Living landscapes make you smarter. Children gain attention and working memory benefits when they are exposed to greenery, says a study led by Payam Dadvand of the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology in Barcelona, Spain. In addition, exposure to natural settings may be widely effective in reducing attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms in children.

This applies to adults as well. Research has also shown that being around plants helps you concentrate better at home and at work. Charlie Hall, professor and Ellison Chair in international floriculture at Texas A&M University, believes that spending time in gardens can improve attention span and memory performance by as much as 20 percent.

A National Institutes of Health study found that adults demonstrate significant cognitive gains after going on a nature walk. In addition, a Stanford University study found that walking in nature, rather than a concrete-oriented, urban environment, resulted in decreased anxiety, rumination, and negative affect, and produced cognitive benefits, such as increased working-memory performance.

Living landscapes help you heal faster. Multiple studies have discovered that plants in hospital recovery rooms or views of aesthetically pleasing gardens help patients heal up to one day faster than those who are in more sterile or austere environments.

Physicians are now prescribing time outdoors for some patients, according to recent reports. Park Rx America is a nonprofit with a mission to encourage physicians to prescribe doses of nature.

All of these benefits reinforce the importance of maintaining our yards, parks, and other community green spaces. Trees, shrubs, grass, and flowering plants are integral to human health. Not only do they provide a place for kids and pets to play, they directly contribute to our mental and physical well-being.                         

Kris Kiser is president and CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), a trade group for power equipment, small engine, and UTV, golf car, and personal transport vehicle manufacturers and suppliers. This viewpoint is drawn from a news release the organization issued. More information can be found at www.SaveLivingLandscapes.com

Our Central New York region has had remarkable success through the Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) process, receiving the most funding to date out of all 10 council regions. This funding has advanced hundreds of projects and allowed businesses in our community to expand and create thousands of new jobs.

Again this year, more than $750 million in in state economic-development resources will be distributed in Round IX of the REDC awards. This includes up to $150 million in capital grants and $75 million in Excelsior Tax Credits for projects statewide identified as regional priorities. Additionally, more than $525 million from state agency programs will be awarded through the CFA process.

I strongly encourage those considering an expansion project to review the application and funding opportunities and submit a Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) (https://apps.cio.ny.gov/apps/cfa/) by the July 26 deadline. You can also attend an upcoming informational workshop on June 21 in Auburn to learn more (https://regionalcouncils.ny.gov/central-new-york/events/central-new-york-cfa-workshop-auburn-jun-21-2019).

In this round, the CNY REDC will also develop strategies that: support community investment in placemaking and downtown revitalization; advance the state’s Workforce Development Initiative; identify and develop childcare solutions in collaboration with local businesses and communities; and develop an economic and environmental justice strategy for the region. 

Additionally, one downtown in each of the state’s 10 regions will be awarded $10 million in the fourth round of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), to execute downtown strategic investment plans that support the community’s vision for revitalization. Cortland, Oswego, and Auburn’s downtowns were prior DRI recipients.

I look forward to continuing the progress we have started and supporting CNY REDC co-chairs Randy Wolken, president and CEO of the Manufacturers Association of Central New York; and Deborah Stanley, president of SUNY Oswego, in this important work. Should you have any questions about the application process, please contact Andrew Fish, CenterState CEO’s senior VP of business development at afish@centerstateceo.com.                                  

Robert M. (Rob) Simpson is president and CEO of CenterState CEO, the primary economic-development organization for Central New York. This viewpoint is drawn and edited from the “CEO Focus” email newsletter that the organization sent to members on May 23. 

Across Central New York, thousands of graduating high-school seniors will soon begin preparing for the next chapter of their lives as incoming members of the college class of 2023. They enter a higher-education system that has been shaken to its core.

Like peeling the layers of an onion, Los Angeles federal prosecutors in May announced criminal charges against a new set of parents for college-admissions fraud. This is in addition to the 33 parents who were charged in March for participating in a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme run by a Southern California–based consultant.

The origins of this ethical dilemma in college admissions have been evident for some time — they just weren’t apparent to everyone. Thanks to a few entitled celebrities and “Entertainment Tonight,” it’s on the forefront of everyone’s mind now. For colleges and universities, this is more than just a crisis of confidence, it’s a case for better managing risk.

According to Moody’s, at least 25 percent of private colleges are now running deficits. Even in a good economy, public college expenses generally outpace tuition revenue. And, to make matters worse, demographics are beginning to work against traditional colleges and universities. The pool of 18-year-olds in the Northeast continues to decline. Education Drive reported that 20 nonprofit public and private colleges closed from 2016–17 to 2017–18.

For many institutions, this is an unsustainable business model as they struggle to bring in enough revenue from a mixture of tuition, government funding, endowment returns, and donations. Reduced revenues give rise to staff consolidations and staff reductions. Less training happens. Less process is followed. Less oversight occurs. Yet, the pressure to raise money and fulfill enrollment quotas remains. This is where the crisis of confidence begins, and risk escalates.

As evidenced by the recent scandal, well-endowed private schools are not immune to having compromised admissions standards either. Their involvement perpetuates a related ethical dilemma — that elite colleges favor the elite. A recent USA Today/Suffolk University poll found that by more than three to one, those surveyed say college admissions favor the wealthy and well-connected in an unfair way. Fewer than one in five Americans say the admissions process is generally fair.

Colleges and universities have been known to give preference to legacy students. In these challenging times, it’s difficult for an institution to say no to a seven-figure gift, even if it is tied to the unspoken promise of an education for the offspring of the philanthropist. Colleges and universities, historically revered, have become a target of public disillusionment over decisions made with finances in mind.

Should we just accept this denigrated image of higher education? Most colleges and universities would say that their admission policies are fair, and that they strictly adhere to their approval processes. Now that the lurid details of the current admissions scandal have made it to grocery aisle tabloids, a skeptical public says otherwise.

 To establish greater integrity in higher-education admissions, institutions must recommit to managing risk in four keys areas: better process, adherence to training, heightened oversight and accountability, and enhanced transparency.

Better process 

Conducting an independent audit of current admissions policies and procedures, which includes staff interviews, can help identify opportunities to improve current processes and locate any gaps. Having a documented third-party review is also something credible that you can point to when prospective students, parents, the community, and your board ask questions about your admission processes. Not only will this provide peace of mind, but this is also a good way to mitigate risk.

Adherence to training

A recurring exercise to review training curriculum can assure that staff-development tools are the most up-to-date. It’s also important to review the training and continuing-education credentials of staff, including new hires. Sometimes, between new hires, staff transfers and staffing reductions, training cycles are missed by critical employees. Also, are requirements for ethics training in place? Some institutions are moving to annual ethics certification for all employees.

Heightened oversight and accountability

Decision makers in the admissions and fund-development offices should be required to complete conflict-of-interest statements. In addition, every college and university should have a whistleblower policy. Some institutions even have a hotline that encourages internal feedback.

Enhanced transparency

Colleges and universities should be completely upfront about their efforts to reduce exposure to fraud in their admissions processes. Given the notoriety of the current scandals and the high-profile nature of the institutions involved, having responsible and ethical admissions practices is expected behavior. This activity should be documented on school websites, annual reports, board presentations, brochures, and other marketing materials.

Regardless of what happens with the scandal, colleges and universities should see this as an opportunity to be proactive. It’s a chance to evaluate their risk and put the right controls in place so they can stand up and say, “This is what we do to maintain integrity in our admissions process.” That way, they’ll be able to answer the most important question before it is asked.       

Jean Close, CPA, is a partner in The Bonadio Group’s Healthcare/Tax Exempt Division, specializing in providing financial audit, benchmarking, finance, and risk management consulting services to higher-education institutions.