Every other year, the NCH2 Network organizes a symposium highlighting current work being done about nature's affect on human health. At each symposium there is an objective and a variety of speakers who discuss different topics that will help achieve this objective. The next symposium will be held in 2020, but check out past symposium speakers and past symposium agendas on this page.

Symposium 2018
Nature, Stress Antidote

This symposium focused on the role nature plays in lessening diseases or disorders associated with chronic stress in urban life. This symposium also included round table discussions. 

​Click here to view the agenda for the 2018 symposium.

Roundtable 2016
Partners in Mental Health: Veterans, Therapists, and Nature

In place of a symposium, a workshop was held about how the 500,000 wartime veterans in Illinois can benefit from the natural and outdoor resources available in the Chicagoland area. 

​Click here to view the round table discussion.

Symposium 2014
Nature, Culture, and Human Health

Sophia Shaw, President and CEO of the Chicago Botanic Garden at the 2014 Symposium.

This symposium was part of the Cook County Forest Preserves Centennial Celebration.  It addressed one goal of the Next Century Conservation Plan, which was to engage more people with the nature preserves in the area by showing the health benefits of nature. This focus made the symposium a catalyst for further research on the health benefits of nature that will, in turn support evidence-based recommendations for policy and programmatic decisions.  This symposium lead to the creation of the Nature, Culture, and Human Health Network.

​Click here to view the agenda and speaker list for the 2014 symposium.