Building the World’s Largest Wildlife Crossing to Save P-22 (w/ Beth Pratt of #SaveLACougars) and the Health Benefits of the “Helper’s High”

Curiosity Weekly

Warner Bros. Discovery

Self-improvement, Science, Astronomy, Education

4.6 • 935 Ratings

🗓️ 7 April 2020

⏱️ 13 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Beth Pratt, leader of the Save LA Cougars campaign, tells the story of mountain lion P-22 and how he inspired a campaign to build the world’s largest wildlife crossing. Plus: learn about the health benefits of the helper’s high you get when you volunteer.

Ever Experienced A "Helper's High"? There's A Reason For That by Anna Todd

https://curiosity.com/topics/ever-experienced-a-helpers-high-theres-a-reason-for-that-curiosity

GiveDirectly: COVID-19 response https://www.givedirectly.org/covid-19/

Additional resources from Beth Pratt, California Regional Executive Director for the National Wildlife Federation and leader of the #SaveLACougars Campaign:

The #SaveLACougars campaign and the Liberty Canyon wildlife crossing https://savelacougars.org/
P-22 - Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service). (2016). NPS.gov. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/nature/p-22.htm
The Secret Life of L.A.’s Wildlife in Pictures | Los Angeles Magazine — https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/cougar-town-the-secret-lives-of-l-a-s-mountain-lions/
Beth Pratt’s website http://www.bethpratt.com/
Follow @BethPratt on Twitter https://twitter.com/bethpratt

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Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/building-the-worlds-largest-wildlife-crossing-to-save-p-22-w-beth-pratt-of-savelacougars-and-the-health-benefits-of-the-helpers-high

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, you're about to get smarter in just a few minutes with Curiosity Daily from
0:04.8	Curiosity.com. I'm Cody Goff. And I'm Ashley Hamer. Today you learn about the
0:09.2	real health benefits you can get from a helper's high when you volunteer.
0:13.0	Then you'll learn about the story of a very special mountain lion named P22
0:18.0	and how he inspired a campaign to build the world's largest wildlife crossing.
0:22.0	Let's satisfy some curiosity.
0:24.0	Do you get a jolt of pleasure when you find the perfect gift for someone,
0:28.0	volunteer your time, or donate money to charity?
0:31.0	That's what you might call a helper's high, and research suggests that it comes with significant
0:35.8	health benefits. Turns out it really might be better to give than to receive.
0:40.9	Over the past few decades, scientists have studied the health benefits of selflessness.
0:45.0	They've found that those who volunteer tend to have lower rates of depression, lower mortality rates,
0:51.0	higher self-esteem, and greater functional ability than those who don't
0:55.3	volunteer.
0:56.7	A 2005 study even found that volunteers actually experience greater benefits than the people
1:01.9	receiving their support.
1:04.0	Turns out, when we give to others selflessly, not expecting anything in return,
1:08.0	we get something in return anyway.
1:10.0	Our brains release dopamine, serotonin, and other happy hormones.
1:15.0	What's more, research suggests that human brains are actually hardwired for empathy and
1:19.7	generosity.
1:21.1	Our brains contain mirror neurons that activate with the behavior of others.
	...

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