There are lots of different ways to grow up; however, there is a theory that those who grow up more in touch with nature are more likely to be happy as adults. While the reasoning behind this hypothesis was unclear at first, it is now obvious that being close to nature is better for the soul. The night sky is darker, making it easier for people to sleep. The air is cleaner since there isn’t as much pollution out in the green areas. Finally, there is something that is claiming about watching the harmony of nature at work. Even though some people might be a bit hesitant to move this far away from civilization, there is now research showing that this kind of environment simply makes people happier.

Of course, people are always going to have their own personal preferences but the results of a recently published research paper are still intriguing. In a research paper that was completed in Denmark, a team of professionals followed close to 1 million people over the course of their childhoods. These were all children that were matched with appropriate controls for the completion of this study. The results of the study showed that the farther away from green children were, the more likely they were to develop a mental illness. Specifically, children who grow up exposed to the lowest levels of green were more than 50 percent more likely to develop mental health issues later in their life. This information was provided by databases kept by the Danish government. 

To complete the study, researchers took a look at satellite images of the various parts of Denmark. They used these images to figure out how much green was located around the areas in which these children grew up. Green was used to indicate how much nature was nearby. Specifically, the participants did not have to grow up near a forest to be exposed to a ton of green and be free from mental illness. Simply being close to public parks and green spaces, which might include forests, would be enough.

One interesting finding was that people who were located in a higher socioeconomic class, despite living closer to the city, were still exposed to plenty of parks. This means that they have the ability to protect their children from being exposed to a risk factor of mental health issues, despite living in the city. It should come as no surprise that those who have access to more resources are less likely to develop mental health issues.

On the other hand, even controlling for this important factor, the researchers still showed that more green means a healthier mind and a happier life. The greater the percentage of someone’s childhood spent near green spaces, the less likely they are to develop mental health issues as an adult. The researchers suggest that access to green spaces should be increased to allow people to spend more time near nature. 

The professionals also say that more research is needed. Even though they found a strong correlation in the study, they also say that correlation does not necessarily increase causation. The results are still strong. People should make every effort to spend more time outdoors near green spaces. The air is cleaner. The mood is calmer. It is healthier for the mind. With these factors considered, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that research is now showing that people need to spend more time disconnected from their devices communing with nature. Without a doubt, more parks are needed.

The technology field has undergone a lot of changes over the past few decades. One of the biggest changes has been the growing interest that women are taking. In secondary schools across the country, there has been an increased focus on STEM fields. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. Because of the increased focus, children of all backgrounds are beaming with a desire to learn more about these fields. This includes girls. Sadly, these are fields that have been historically dominated by men. This causes young women to be hesitant about joining these fields, knowing the societal pressure they might face. Fortunately, there is a nonprofit organization that exists to help women get into this field. This comes in the form of Girls, Inc.

The focus of this field is to help girls between the ages of six and 18 learn more about themselves and these fields as they strive to discover what it takes to build a successful career in these fields. This organization helps girls find mentoring relationships in a pro-girl environment and pushes them to conduct research that will help them build their resumes as they look to learn more about STEM fields. In this organization, girls learn about the various characteristics that are necessary to navigate social, gender, and economic barriers as they try to gain confidence and independence while also receiving a top-notch education. 

Thie program also gives girls the chance to partner with one of the largest banks in the world. This comes in the form of CApital One, a well-respected financial institution that has a program known as Capital One Program. This program places girls in a position to work with volunteer coders, who are professionals in the tech field. This gives girls the chance to learn more about coding and computer design. In some situations, the girls might even be able to build their own applications. This gives participants a unique experience with app-building tools. They learn about algorithms and get to ask questions of some of the most successful and generous professionals in the field. The mentors play a critical role in helping girls enter this field. The goal of this program is to help people acquire the skills and resources they are going to need in order to survive in an economy that is largely driven by the tech field.

There are numerous locations throughout the country that Capital One has set up programs like this, including Texas and the Bay Area out in California. Given the tremendous success that this program has already seen, the program is likely to expand to other parts of the country. Capital One desires to partner with other nonprofit organizations that work to break down barriers in the STEM fields of all types. This organization is always trying to find ways to increase the amount of diversity in this field, including encouraging women to get more involved. In the eyes of many, the STEM fields are the future. These fields are going to produce novel products and services in fields such as engineering, computers, healthcare, and more. 

It is incumbent on all of these organizations to push everyone, including girls and young women, to push people to think outside the box. Only when people start to step outside of their comfort zone will they discover what they are truly capable of accomplishing. This is true for young girls who would like to learn more about STEM fields and how they can turn a hobby into a long and rewarding career.

If you are like most people then you are likely fascinated with the ocean and all the creatures inside it. While we can talk forever about massive whales, scuttling squids, and scary sharks, we’d rather highlight a cute little crustacean known as the hermit crab. Now, you’ve likely heard of the hermit crab and, perhaps, you even know what it looks like. As a member of the superfamily known as the Paguroidea, hermit crabs manage to stand out all on their own. In fact, after learning about this natural ritual that hermit crabs complete, you might even want one of your own!

In a post shared on Facebook by a user named Melody Flowers, it was revealed that hermit crabs are always looking for bigger shells to live in. While you probably knew this already, what you didn’t realize about this ritual is far more fascinating. According to the post, which has since been backed up by other scientific journals, hermit crabs like to line up next to shells that happen to be too big for them. Hermit crabs can wait for up to eight hours for another crab to come along and try the shell out. Why do these crabs wait next to shells that are too large for them? As it turns out, the first hermit crab is simply waiting for the second crab in line to discard its shell. 

So we outlined a natural ritual that hermit crabs undertake when finding a new home. Why is this so fascinating? While you may have summoned up an image of two hermit crabs swapping shells, that isn’t entirely accurate. As the second crab lines up behind the shell, more will come to follow. Before long, observers would be able to watch as dozens of hermit crabs all trade shells with one another to ensure that everyone has a comfortable home to live in. The smallest shell of the bunch gets left behind while the shell that started the queue will go to the largest hermit crab of the lot. That’s pretty amazing, isn’t it? The coordination and cooperation that these hermit crabs have to deploy is nothing short of impressive. If only humans could get along so well when it comes to making to sure everyone is comfortable and safe within their home.

Even though hermit crabs will work together in order to find homes, they are still a competitive species. Gastropod shells can become a limited resource due to a variety of natural and unnatural factors, such as climate change and pollution. When hermit crabs are of a similar size, they are more competitive and violent with one another. When hermit crabs vary dramatically in size, there are more resources available for every member of the group.  Hermit crabs are a fascinating sort of creature because they can come in varying sizes with a lifespan ranging between 12 and 70 years.  The next time that you see a hermit crab, make sure it has the perfect shell to call home. Maybe it will remember you a couple of decades later!

It is no surprise when we hear about another dog who has saved the day and become a hero. Duke is the name of a Belgian Malinois who works with his human partner, Corona Police Officer Michael Neff. They are true partners, spending time together and working hard. One night Duke stepped up and saved the day in a way his human partner couldn’t.

Belgian Malinois Police Dogs

Many people don’t realize that Belgian Malinois are often trained to be police dogs. They have a lot of characteristics that make them really great at the job. One of their best qualities is their highly developed sense of smell, which makes them able to detect everything from drugs to explosives to cheetah scat.

Another great thing about Belgian Malinois is that they’re great running partners. They are medium to large-sized dogs that have no trouble keeping up with even a fit running partner. Belgian Malinois have a lot of energy and quick, active minds, with a strong protective instinct. All those things plus a great sense of smell make them great police dog candidates.

Domestic Offender

A California woman filed a protective order against her estranged husband so she could try to keep herself safe from him. One day, he ignored the order and went to her workplace in direct violation. Not only did he break the law by approaching her after he’d been ordered not to, but he also tried to hit his wife with his car.

Thankfully, the police were quick on the scene to confront the 31-year-old man who was trying to stalk and injure his wife. But when they tried to confront him, he took off in his vehicle.

California Protective Orders

In order to get a protective order in California, you need to be able to prove that you were abused (or threatened) and that you had a certain kind of close relationship, such as husband/wife or parents sharing a child. At the very least, the protective order will tell the offender to stay away from the protected person, including that person’s school or work. If the person violates the order, he or she could go to jail or be forced to pay a fine.

Duke Takes Over

It wasn’t just one officer trying to stop the husband; there were several officers involved in a vehicle chase. They tried to coordinate a pit maneuver to stop the car, but the suspect was still in his vehicle refusing to cooperate. 

At that point, the police fired rubber bullets into the driver’s side window, breaking the safety glass. Then Duke did a mighty jump straight through the shattered window to nab the suspect, who stood no chance against the mighty jaws of the Belgian Malinois police dog.

Happily, Duke was fine after the incident, even though he and his partner had a long night. Duke didn’t ask for much in the way of a reward; he was satisfied with some extra hugs and praise before he finally got to go home and get some rest.

Pet Homelessness in the US

It is estimated that about 6.5 million pets enter shelters every year in the United States, and that number is about evenly split between cats and dogs. That number has gone down in recent years, as has the number of cats and dogs euthanized in shelters.

Over 3 million pets are adopted every year, and over 700,000 make their way back to their own families. Clearly, homelessness for pets is a huge problem, and there isn’t a happy ending for every poor animal that ends up on the streets.

Dog Adopts Family

One morning a family woke up to find that they had been adopted by a new puppy. While the family was sleeping, the dog, a lab mix, made his way into the home and got comfortable. 

The dad of the family, Jack, found the puppy and immediately wondered where he came from and how he got in. He checked all the doors and windows, which were closed securely. He also went to social media to see if he could find out what was going on.

Twitter Search

In hope that someone would be able to help with more information, Jack posted a picture of the puppy on Twitter and added the caption “I just woke up to find this puppy in my house and we have no idea how it got here.” 

People found the story very interesting, and the picture and caption were shared among a lot of people. Finally, someone checked the security cameras in the area and found the answer to the mystery.

Helpful Neighbor Helps Sleep-Deprived New Parents

Jack Joniken and his wife had just had a new baby and were operating under a great deal of sleep deprivation. Sleep-deprived people make some careless mistakes, such as forgetting things. One of the things they forgot that fateful night was to close the front door.

Jack was worried enough about security that when he found the puppy the first thing he did was run a security sweep to make sure there was no one else in the house. Leaving the door open was dangerous, but it was a complete accident. 

A neighbor was walking by and saw the door standing open and closed it to help his neighbors stay safe. Caught on camera, Jack doesn’t actually know who he is but is grateful to him. In a time where people are afraid to have presents delivered on Christmas, this helpful soul went by and, instead of taking anything, simply made sure the place was secure.

So Where Did the Dog Come From?

Jack already had one dog, and he had taken the other dog out for a walk that night. After returning home, he didn’t close the door all the way and the wind blew the door open wider. When the puppy walked by, he simply walked through the open door. 

New Member of the Family

Jack took the puppy to a vet, where he found out he had an older girl, about 9 years old. She only looked like a puppy because she was so malnourished. She also had fleas, damaged teeth, and some other problems.

Regardless, she is now Suzyn Pupman and she gets along great with the other dog in the house. Suzy looks and feels a lot better, and she has a loving family and a warm place to sleep. If she had another family before, the clearly did not take care of her. She won’t have to worry about that anymore, though.