Nature and social connections have both been proven to have positive mental health benefits. Gather a group of friends and explore The Morton Arboretum to discover resources and activities rooted in nature and mindfulness.
This is a self-guided wellness adventure through the beautiful, peaceful setting of The Morton Arboretum’s West Side. You and your group will follow an adventure map to discover up to 10 outdoor wellness stations placed throughout the grounds. Each station introduces you to a different nature-based mental health practice and invites you to try it for yourself.
Wellness Stations
Choose from 10+ wellness stations that invite you to move, sense, create, and reflect.
Move
Yoga, stretching
Sense
Forest therapy, therapeutic horticulture, sensory reset ritual
Create
Watercolor, ephemeral art, nature journaling
Reflect
Kundalini yoga, values reflection, nature-based meditation
At each station, you get an introduction and then a short taste of the activity. For example, at the forest therapy station, you’ll learn what forest therapy is, why it works, and then experience a small piece of the practice before collecting your stamp and heading to the next stop.
It’s part scavenger hunt, part wellness retreat—and entirely good for you!
Two-hour and four-hour Thrive Outside Wellness Program sessions are available.
- Two-hour experience: Unlock four wellness stations and all the adventure that comes with them
- Four-hour experience: Access to all 10 wellness stations, plus a Thrive Outside drawstring bag packed with goodies to enjoy throughout the day
Complete your adventure card and everyone in your group will walk away with a special prize!
More than anything, this is a day to slow down and to deepen your connection to nature, to yourself, and to the people who matter most to you. Science backs all of it—time in nature, mindfulness, and meaningful social connections are some of the most powerful things we can do for our mental health. Thrive Outside brings them all together in one beautiful experience.
This program is co-presented by The Morton Arboretum and NAMI Illinois.
Instructors: Stations are led by NAMI Illinois mental health professionals and wellness instructors from The Morton Arboretum.
Age: 13 and older
Course number: WELL350
