Walk With Claudia Kraut: Start Where You Are - Small Steps Back to the Natural World

Episode 3 Summary: Modern work has pulled us into built environments and digital spaces — but our nervous systems are still wired for wind, soil, and sunlight.

In this episode of Rooted: A Podcast About Nature & Wellbeing, Susan sits down with Claudia Kraut to explore the science and lived experience behind nature-based wellbeing. From forest bathing research and immune system benefits to walking meetings and native gardens, they unpack what happens when humans reconnect with the ecosystems that shaped us.

Together, they explore a core question of modern life:
How do we thrive in an increasingly artificial world without losing touch with the natural one?

Episode Length: 48 minutes

Episode Description

We don’t have to run ultramarathons or move off-grid to reconnect with nature. We can begin exactly where we are.

In this Walk episode of Rooted: A Podcast About Nature & Wellbeing, Susan sits down with Claudia Kraut to explore the science and lived experience behind nature-based wellbeing. From forest bathing research and immune system resilience to walking meetings and native gardens, they unpack what happens when humans reconnect with the ecosystems that shaped us.

Together, they explore a central tension of modern life: how do we thrive in an increasingly artificial world without losing touch with the natural one?

Key Themes

• The research behind forest bathing and stress reduction

• Nature’s impact on the immune system and nervous system regulation

• Small daily interactions with nature as meaningful interventions

• Walking meetings and movement as creativity boosters

• Technology as a bridge back to nature

• Native plants, ecosystems, and restoring balance

• The evolving role of organizations in supporting nature-based wellbeing

Key Takeaways

• Nature is not a luxury — it is regulatory. Time outdoors measurably lowers stress and improves overall health.

• Small steps matter. Even 10–15 minutes outside can shift mood, focus, and resilience.

• Movement amplifies the benefit. Walking and talking enhances problem-solving and emotional access.

• Workplaces are ecosystems. Biophilic design, outdoor gatherings, and even walking meetings can shift culture.

• We live in three layers — the natural world, the built environment, and the artificial world — and thriving requires remembering which one we come from.

Pull Quote

“We are nature. We’re not separate from it.”

Connect with Claudia

Claudia Kraut works at the intersection of digital health, wellbeing innovation, and evidence-based lifestyle practices. With a personal passion for trail running, camping, and native gardening, she brings both professional expertise and lived experience to conversations about nature and health.

LinkedIn

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• Forest bathing research (Shinrin-yoku studies)

• Walking meetings and movement-based creativity research

• Native plant nurseries and pollinator gardens

• Astronomy apps (e.g., Sky Map, Star Walk) — enhances time spent looking at the night sky

• Trail-finding apps (e.g., AllTrails) — locates nearby trails and parks by time available

Prefer to Read? The full transcript is available below.

• Full Transcript

  Susan:
  Well, hello Claudia. How are you today?

  Claudia Kraut:
  I am well, Susan. How are you?

  Susan:
  I’m good. I’m excited about this conversation. We had a fun prep conversation thinking about the many directions we might go, and I’m looking forward to seeing where we land today.

  Claudia:
  Sounds good. I’m ready to launch in wherever you think is most interesting.

  Beginning the Journey

  Susan:
  Let’s start at the beginning. Your background is varied, and yet when I announced I was hosting a podcast about nature and the connection between nature and wellbeing, you were one of the first to say, “I would love to talk about that.” Tell us a little about your grounding connection to nature and wellbeing.

  Claudia:
  Professionally, I spent about a decade in health plans and then 15 years in digital health solutions, including wellness programs and chronic disease work.

  Personally, I grew up fairly indoors. I went outside when I was made to. But sometime in adulthood, I really discovered the outdoors. It started slowly — one-mile runs every few days. Then a kickboxing class led me to try an obstacle race. From there, I started running longer distances.

  On my 50th birthday, I decided to try 50 new things. One was trail running. I went out into the woods — and it changed my life. I discovered I love being outside. I now run long distances and I never wear headphones. I listen to the wind, the birds, the water. I talk to people I encounter on the trail.

  And at about 57, I discovered I love camping after participating in multi-day adventure runs that involved sleeping in tents. I had no idea.

  There’s also a career nexus. My work has allowed me to stay current on research in this space. So I not only love it personally — I understand the science behind why it matters.

  The Science of Nature

  Susan:
  Let’s talk about the research. As people who work in wellbeing and help organizations create conditions where people can thrive, what stands out to you about the connection between nature and wellbeing?

  Claudia:
  There have been so many studies. In Japan in the 1970s, researchers began noticing that people who spent time outdoors — even walking slowly in nature — had lower cortisol levels, less stress, better cardiac function, and overall improved health outcomes.

  Japan developed government-sponsored nature walks — what we now know as forest bathing. The research shows that being in green spaces lowers blood pressure, reduces stress, and strengthens the immune system.

  You don’t have to be trail running. Simply being in a green environment helps regulate the body.

  There’s also fascinating research about exposure to soil and plant microbes and their impact on immune health. We are meant to interact with natural environments. Modern life has separated us from that interaction — and that separation has consequences.

  In the UK, one study sent people on two-week vacations — some to urban settings and some to nature environments. Everyone felt better afterward. But those who spent time in nature showed improved immune function that lasted for months after the trip.

  That’s powerful.

  We Are Nature

  Susan:
  Nature isn’t separate from us. We are nature.

  We live in three layers as modern humans:

  • The natural world

  • The built environment

  • The artificial world

  The built environment includes homes, plumbing, clothing, transportation. The artificial world includes screens, processed foods, and digital systems.

  We can’t — and likely won’t — abandon modern life. But the question becomes: how do we remain connected to the natural layer that regulates and sustains us while navigating the built and artificial ones?

  Technology as a Bridge

  Claudia:
  Technology can help, if used intentionally.

  Astronomy apps help you identify constellations. Trail apps help you find nearby green spaces. Plant and bird identification apps deepen understanding. The more you know about the natural world, the more interesting and accessible it becomes.

  But it requires intention. Technology can either anchor us inside or guide us back outside.

  Scale and Perspective

  Claudia:
  One of my most powerful experiences was running across the Grand Canyon. Standing at the rim, you feel incredibly small. The scale is almost beyond comprehension.

  Then you descend into it and see the intricate details — plants, rock layers, the river. You realize the massive is composed of thousands of small ecosystems.

  It shifts your perspective.

  Susan:
  You were the ant in the Grand Canyon.

  And you can reverse it — watching an ant on the ground and realizing how much complexity exists at that tiny scale.

  Nature expands and humbles us at the same time.

  Native Ecosystems

  Claudia:
  Last summer, my middle child and I removed all the decorative, non-native landscaping in front of our house and replaced it with native plants from a local nursery.

  By the end of the season, pollinators returned. We had frogs in our yard for the first time in years.

  My child looked at me and said, “Mom, it’s working.”

  It was a powerful reminder that ecosystems respond when we align with them.

  Nature and the Workplace

  Susan:
  Given your experience in workplace wellbeing, what can organizations realistically do?

  Claudia:
  Walking meetings are a great start. I love when “around the block” is listed as a meeting location.

  Community gardens. Corporate volunteer days outdoors. Walk/run events that welcome all levels. Even activities like terrarium-building workshops — small ways to integrate nature into work culture.

  These are accessible shifts.

  Susan:
  I’ve seen outdoor leadership retreats spark creativity and connection in ways conference rooms rarely do. Movement changes thinking.

  There’s research showing that even brief movement before therapy improves outcomes. The brain functions differently when the body is in motion.

  The Pandemic Shift

  Claudia:
  During the pandemic, we saw each other’s homes. We saw pets, children, plants. We became human to one another in a different way.

  At the same time, there’s been a broader shift toward whole foods, outdoor movement, and natural approaches to managing stress and sleep.

  I’m hopeful that we are reintegrating some of these foundational practices into modern life.

  We can’t go backward. But we can move forward with greater awareness of where we come from.

  Closing Reflections

  Susan:
  There’s tremendous potential here.

  Claudia:
  I love that you’re creating space for conversations about nature that are grounded in science and lived experience. We have to figure out how to live well in modern environments without abandoning the natural systems that sustain us.

  Susan:
  Thank you. I’m grateful for this conversation and excited to see where these explorations lead.

  Claudia:
  It’s been great. Thank you.