Nature report links wildlife trends to human well-being

By Cynthia McCormick Hibbert March 24, 2026
A person fly fishing in a river at sunset

Billed as the first comprehensive report on the state of U.S. lands, water and wildlife, the Nature Record National Assessment includes the decline of butterfly populations and other species to the remarkable comeback of the bald eagle.

It’s not limited to non-human species, however, as the assessment also includes a chapter on how we humans — the species responsible for many environmental changes — feel connected to nature. 

“Originally the report was very focused on ecology and biology and didn’t really think about the kinds of human interaction with nature and how that connection is really important,” said John Coley, professor of psychology and marine and environmental sciences at Northeastern University. 

Read more at Northeastern Global News

Photo by Getty Images

Sign up for CONNECTS.

The College of Science newsletter delivered straight to your inbox.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.