Originally published by the Faculty of Environment.
There is a crisis in mental health at Canadian universities which is intimately interlinked with sustainability. We know that connection to the natural world and to supportive communities is a requirement for both sustainability and well-being, yet the academic environment is increasingly virtual, cerebral and can be isolating and competitive, trends which have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a new project spearheaded by聽PhD student Jim Jones聽from SERS and聽Dr. Steffanie Scott聽from Geography and Environmental Management aims to address this issue.
The newly funded project, Land Skills for Wellness and Sustainability (LSWS), builds on the evidence that both mental health and attitudes to sustainability can be improved by connection to nature and nature-based activities, such as making from natural materials and engagement in 鈥渇low鈥 activities where opportunities for material consumption are replaced by mindful experiences. With an emphasis on experiential learning, students, staff and faculty will be invited to a series of workshops this spring term to learn the benefits of green woodworking, basket weaving, scything, nature weaving, herbal tea making and nature walks. After each activity, there will be an opportunity for participants to increase their knowledge, clarify their values, and develop capacity and skills to contribute to their communities.
Running concurrently with the workshops, research will be conducted into the changing attitudes of participants as they engage with these land-based skills. Stay tuned to聽the LSWS webpage聽for more details and to register for workshops.
The project is funded by the聽蓝莓视频 Sustainability Action Fund聽in partnership with the聽.