MERIT AWARD
Research Category
From Trees to Tweets: How Birds Connect Nature to Mental Wellbeing
Los Angeles, California
“The project successfully presented a fascinating and well-researched concept bridging human mental health and green space, highlighted by fantastic graphics, great clarity, and a thorough process that clearly defined complex relationships.”
PROJECT STATEMENT
This project empirically tests whether bird species richness mediates the relationship between greenspace and mental health, bridging ecology, public health, and landscape design. Using spatial regression models and mediation analysis, along with high-resolution satellite imagery and national public datasets, the study confirms a partial mediation effect, highlighting the role of biodiversity in mental well-being. Findings offer actionable design guidance for biodiverse urban greenspaces, advancing interdisciplinary methods and positioning landscape architecture at the forefront of health-supportive environmental planning.