Forest Bathing Training & Well-being
\ Outward Journey / \ Inward Discovery /
\ Outward Journey / \ Inward Discovery /
Human & Nature Webinar Series
Join The Mindful Tourist for monthly virtual gatherings as part of our Human & Nature webinar series. It’s your chance to hear from leading scientists, artists, podcasters, nature practitioners, and other specialists and get practical tools on connecting with nature.
Register for upcoming webinars at the links listed under each event below. You must register* to attend—information for joining the webinars via Zoom will be provided upon registering.
You will be able also watch previous webinar recordings.
Speaker: Prof. David Sheffield
Title: Improving Wellbeing through Urban Nature and Biodiversity
Date: September 9, 2022 (Friday)
Time: 2:00 – 3:30 pm (GMT +1)
Breakdown: 1h for a talk, and 30 minutes for Q&A
Where: Online via Zoom
I’m a health psychologist and Professor of Psychology at the University of Derby. My work aims to understand the impact of stress on health, wellbeing and performance. I use a range of methodologies (e.g. epidemiological, experimental, psychophysiological, interviews). My current research interests include: Nature Connectedness; Music and well-being; Pain and Pain Management in Patients and Athletes; Compassion and mindfulness based approaches to living; Inequalities and justice in healthcare; and Cardiovascular Responses to Stress.
Improving Wellbeing through Urban Nature and Biodiversity
Nature affords a range of resources to directly promote wellbeing and facilitate problem solving. These benefits are not restricted to rural environments as I will describe.
The strength of an individual’s connection with nature is related to both hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing in adults and children. In a series of studies, we have demonstrated how nature connectedness can be increased in urban environments by tapping into aspects of biophilia. In our initial studies using a noticing nature intervention delivered online and via an app, we find that nature connectedness can be increased and that these increases are sustained. Relatedly, well-being and pro-environmental behaviours were increased; It was good for people and for nature. Considering other aspects of biophilia lead us to test which biophilic values are related to nature connectedness and how they might be used to increase nature connectedness and, consequently, wellbeing. Our research indicated that five values were important and interventions that focused on them increased nature connectedness and wellbeing. Interestingly, although these approaches can benefit individuals in a range of environments, greater biodiversity is associated with greater benefits.
Speaker: Prashant Miranda
Title: The Nature of My Sketchbook
Date: August 14, 2022 (Sunday)
Time: 3:00 – 4:30 pm (GMT -7)
Breakdown: 1h for a talk, and 30 minutes for Q&A
Where: Online via Zoom
Prashant Miranda grew up in Bangalore, studied at the National Institute of Design, India, and moved to Canada in 1999. He designed children’s animated shows for TV in Toronto before moving on to pursue his passions as an artist. He spends time in the coastal rainforests on the west coast of Canada now, where he travels and documents his life through his watercolour journals, animates films, teaches visual art, illustrates children’s books and paints murals.
Speaker: Dr Freddie Lymeus
Title: Restoration skills training (ReST)
Date: May 20, 2022 (Fri)
Time: 4:00 – 5:30 pm (CET)
Breakdown: 1h for a talk, and 30 minutes for Q&A
Where: Online via Zoom
Dr Lymeus is a licensed clinical psychologist and postdoctoral researcher. His research concerns connections between nature experience, health and sustainability. More specifically, one research project has sought to integrate mindfulness theory and practices with knowledge of restorative effects of nature contact and resulted in the development of a training course called restoration skills training (ReST) which shows promise as a health intervention.
You can find one of his research articles here: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01560/full
Speaker: Stefan van Norden
Title: We are nature. Interpreting, manipulating, revisiting, communicating about, and cultivating nature.
Date: 30 April, 2022 (Saturday)
Duration: 10.00 am- 11.30 am (EST)/04.00 pm – 05.30 pm (CET)
Breakdown: 1h for a talk, and 30 minutes for Q&A
Where: Online via Zoom
Stefan is the founder of Norden Productions, a long time gardener, podcaster, and filmmaker. He made [Hand of Brick] and [Negotiating with Nature] films.
The making of [Hand of Brick] was sparked by an interest in observing what nature was doing to the old brick kilns at the Densmore Brick Co.; how nature was reclaiming its place. This act of documentation organically grew to include interviews with former employees of the brick company who offered their personal stories and insight into its history.
His podcast @nature_revisited_podcast explores our relationship with the natural world. It consists of interviews, stories, and discussions that highlight the notion that nature is not a place one goes to, but rather a place one is already a part of – that We Are Nature.
Speaker: Rachelle Macur
Title: Restoring with Biophilia. Biophilic design for health and healing.
Date: 25 April, 2022 (Monday)
Duration: 06.00 pm – 07.30 pm (CET)
Breakdown: 1h for a talk, and 30 minutes for Q&A
Where: Online via Zoom
Rachelle Macur brings a multi-disciplinary approach to the concept of sustainable development. With a background in Anthropology and Sustainable Design, her focus is on the cross-section of humans, nature, and the built environment and how we can create spaces that are regenerative, responsive, and resilient in design. Rachelle’s presentation will focus on how we can utilize biophilia to design for health and healing.