fun facts about open space
- People who live in areas with plenty of open space have lower overall disease prevalence.
- Living in greener environments is associated with better mental health and lower all-cause mortality.
- People who use the natural environment for physical activity at least once a week have about half the risk of poor mental health compared with those who do not.
- Research shows that residents of communities with green common spaces enjoy stronger social ties.
- High levels of green space presence in childhood is associated with lower risk of many psychiatric disorders later in life.
- Individuals with access to open space have less mental distress, less anxiety and depression, greater well-being, and healthier cortisol levels.
- It decreases government spending through the natural provision of ecosystem services.
- It decreases the cost of recreation.
- By providing opportunities for children to play, it helps them develop muscle strength and coordination, language and cognitive abilities.
Sanderlings seek hard-packed beaches where they chase the waves back and forth.
Sanderlings sometimes winter along the New England coast, including West Haven, while others will fly more than 6,000 miles to temperate beaches in South America. Some will linger in our area into June, fly to the Arctic to breed, and return in late July.
You’ll typically discover sanderlings running back and forth with the waves of Long Island Sound, feeding on small marine invertebrates disturbed by the wave action.