Newsletter from Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Dear NCH2 Community,

This newsletter highlights upcoming events as well as news articles and recent research that may be of interest.

Upcoming Events:

Smith Nature Symposium Livestreams 
Dates and topics listed below:
Oct 2, 07:00 PM CDT – Awards Ceremony Honoring Bill
Register here

Join these live-streamed conversations to build a more just and sustainable future in the midst of the climate crisis and COVID-19. The Smith Nature Symposium is a seven-part series, hosted by Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, and features solution-driven artists, scientists, and environmental leaders.  The Symposium series begins on August 13th and culminates in the Awards Ceremony on October 2nd with the 2020 honorees: Bill McKibben and Sue Halpern. Bill Kurtis and Donna La Pietra join the Awards as Masters of Ceremonies, along with special guests.

​The Smith Nature Symposium is a celebration of nature, the arts, and individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the science of conservation and deepened the study and understanding of the natural world. The event supports Brushwood Center’s community programs and COVID-19 crisis response. All programs are available in English and Spanish.

For more information, click here. 

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The Conservation Foundation's Forest Therapy Walks

Photo of a forest in Copeland Valley in Westland Tai Poutini National Park, taken by Kiersa Berg.

   The Conservation Foundation is partnering with local park districts to provide a nature immersion experience. These forest walks will help you immerse yourself in nature and experience the healing effects of forest therapy or Shinrin-Yoku (Japanese for forest bathing). The walk is not about the destination, but instead the awakening of your senses to the natural environment around you. The walk is entirely outdoors. Be prepared to walk over uneven terrain. Wear comfortable clothing and walking shoes. We will practice social distancing and follow CDC guidelines.

​Find locations, dates, and specific registration links below:

Dates:
Thursday, September 30th, 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM (Register here)
Thursday, October 7th, 14th, and 21st 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM (Register here)
Location: Oak Brook – Dean Nature Sanctuary, 1215 Canterbury Lane, Oak Brook 60523
Certified Forest Therapy Guide: Jodi Trendler
 
Dates:
Sunday, October 25th 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM (Register here)
Location: Wheaton – Lincoln Marsh, Harrison Ave. & Pierce Ave., Wheaton 60187
Certified Forest Therapy Guide: Jeanne Lovenelli
 
Dates: 
Saturday, October 10th 10:00 AM- 12:00 PM (Register here)
Location: Naperville Knoch Knolls Park, 320 Knoch  Knolls Rd., Naperville 60565
Certified Forest Therapy Guide: Jeanne Lovenelli

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SHIFT Summit
Dates: October 14-16, 2020
Topic: HEALTHY BY NATURE: Equity, Access and The Mental Health Benefits of Time Outside
Register here. Registration opens Tuesday, July 21, 2020. ​

The 2020 SHIFT Summit will be broadcast virtually from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, from October 14-16. Entitled “Healthy by Nature,” the Summit will focus on the mental health benefits of time outside, with a specific focus on health equity and access to nature. The 2020 SHIFT Summit has three main goals:

1.     Facilitate networking and transdisciplinary collaboration  
2.     Showcase best practices, i.e., work that is impactful, innovative and replicable
3.     Develop substantive outcomes that help advance nature as a social determinant of health

The program will be developed around two elements integral to these objectives: 

• Official Selections for The SHIFT Awards, which feature representatives of the work determined to be the most innovative, impactful and replicable in the space by our researchers
• The Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) which prepares early career leaders to address issues related to public health, conservation, advocacy, structures of oppression and community engagement

The Summit will be feature a combination of keynote presentations, think tanks, workshops, panel discussions and world café-style breakout groups.

See frequently asked questions, summit agendas, and more here. ​

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Past Events

September 2020 Coffee & Discussion
Topic: Active Transportation and Slow Streets in and around Chicago
Date: 9/17/2020
Overview: As more and more seek access to walkable and bike-able streets, the movement to set aside streets for slower traffic is gaining traction.  Presentations by Jenna Holzberg of Bike Walk Oak Park and Julia Gerasimenko of the Active Transportation Alliance will discuss their perspectives of what has worked to make walking, biking, and the use of public transit more safe and equitable.
Click here to see the minutes

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Education Opportunity

ParkRxAmerica.org has just released an online CME module Nature & Human Health: Evidence & Action.
Speakers include Dr. Robert Zarr, MD, Dr. Suzanne Bartlett-Hackenmiller, MD, Dr. Kathleen Wolf, PhD, and Dr. Courtney Schultz, PhD. The module is accredited jointly by the American Public Health Association and the National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health. Click here to see other details as well as the course description. 

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NCH2 Library

This book might be of interest to read. Here are the details:

Title: Health of People, Health of Planet and Our Responsibility Climate Change, Air Pollution and Health
Editors: Al-Delaimy, Wael, Ramanathan, Veerabhadran, Sánchez Sorondo, Marcelo (Eds.)  https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030311247
Description from the publisher’s website:

• The first book to include a wide range of scientific and non-scientific disciplines and views regarding health impacts of climate change
• Rather than just stating the problem, it includes actions and recommendation for solutions from the diverse perspectives of authors
• Includes contributions from four Nobel laureates, religious leaders, as well as thought leaders, politicians, and eminent scientists

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Paper of the Month:

Citation:
Wolf, K. L., S. T. Lam, J. K. McKeen, G. R. A. Richardson, M. van den Bosch and A. C. Bardekjian (2020). "Urban Trees and Human Health: A Scoping Review." Int J Environ Res Public Health 17(12). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32570770
Overview: 
A review of 201 papers describes the diversity of studies and results demonstrating the health benefits of urban trees.
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Check out our Recent Research Page for more peer-reviewed articles of interest!

Happy Reading!