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Reconnecting to the Earth: Reclaiming Our Relationship to Nature and Ourselves by Aaron Hoopes, Ozark Mountain Publishing, 112 pages. $13. If there s a silver lining to be found in the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, it s that Vermonters are spending more time outdoors and finding myriad reasons to embrace nature. According to a University of Vermont Gund Institute for Environment study released on December 16, 2020, Vermonters especially women have significantly increased time spent on outdoor activities such as walking, gardening and wildlife watching due to COVID-19. What does this newfound appreciation for the outdoors mean for our mental, emotional and physical wellness?