CVNRA #866, from the Federal Lands series

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In 1986, the Akron Art Museum commissioned photographer Robert Glenn Ketchum to document the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area (now a National Park). Photographs that he took over several years and in every season captured both the area's natural beauty and the sometimes troubled relationship between humans and nature. There is a deep-seated bond between humans and nature, and various scientific studies have shown that our connection with the natural world is integral to our physical and mental wellbeing, as well as our societal health. Even short periods of being in natural areas provide benefits, which increase the longer someone spends in nature. Activating an individual sense—like sight, smell, or hearing—through exposure to nature has measurable impacts on an individual’s mood and health. This can include looking at an artwork depicting a natural environment, or hearing or smelling natural objects, especially sounds and smells that suggest a forest. Benefits of exposure to nature include improved cognition, improved creativity, increased rejuvenation, lower stress and anxiety, lower blood pressure, longer attention spans, and increased overall happiness.