Mental Wellness for Parents & Caregivers Through Nature
Turn the Blues Green: Supporting New Parents with Nature-Based Mental Wellness
The Turn the Blues Green program promotes mental well-being for new caregivers, with a special focus on maternal wellness and postpartum support. By integrating nature-based interventions into prenatal and postpartum care, we work to create a holistic, accessible approach to mental wellness that benefits both families and communities.
In collaboration with community health workers, we provide new parents with:
✔ A safe, supportive environment to heal and thrive.
✔ Tools to manage postpartum depression, Baby Blues, and mental health challenges.
✔ Community connection to reduce isolation and increase resilience.
✔ Nature as therapy, integrating outdoor experiences into early parenthood.
💡 By addressing perinatal mood disorders and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Turn the Blues Green supports healthier outcomes for families—and a stronger future for our communities.
Why This Matters
🌿 The Need for Nature-Based Mental Health Support
✔ Up to 80% of new parents experience Baby Blues, and Postpartum Depression is the #1 complication after childbirth (March of Dimes).
✔ 64% of adults have experienced at least one Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE), leading to $748 billion in ACE-related health costs across North America (CDC).
✔ Early exposure to nature has been shown to improve mental health, lower stress, and build resilience—helping families thrive in the early years of parenthood.
"Part of my job as an obstetrics nurse is to help new moms learn to take care of themselves. The Turn the Blues Green Program helped me show new moms in my community that going outside made them feel better."
-Alejandrina, Nurse Facilitator for Turn The Blues Green
Where We’re Working Now
Turn the Blues Green is currently being piloted with the support of the REI Cooperative Action Fund in:
📍 Portland, OR
📍 Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation (CA/OR coastal border)
📍 Denver, CO
💡 Applications for the next round of cohort communities (2026-2028) will open in late 2025.
Turn the Blues Green is made possible thanks to these partners:
Reflection Journal for New Parents
A Small Tool for Big Moments
In partnership with Intermountain Health, we created the Turn the Blues Green Reflection Journal—a pocket-sized support tool for new parents. This resource includes:
✔ Peer reflections from caregivers who’ve been there.
✔ Mindfulness prompts to help parents process the emotions of new parenthood.
✔ Quick tips to encourage getting outside as a way to ease the overwhelm of early caregiving.
💡 This journal is available through our program partners and select community health providers.
Turn the Blues Green is made possible thanks to these partners:
