Nature Wellbeing

Goals

The Nature Wellbeing Program provides primary prevention (stopping problems before they start) by connecting students to existing accessible green spaces in and around campus and secondary prevention (supporting students experiencing stress, anxiety and other mental health issues) by teaching day to day practices for self care. We offer workshops that link preventative mental wellbeing with nature based solutions. Each workshop includes a breathing exercise, a nature-based activity meant to promote connection to the natural world, and a personal reflection or self-care activity. The program was founded by the Health and Wellness Department and the Edible Campus Program of the Sustainability Internships and Community Resources Department blending the expertise of practitioners from each area. 

The Nature Wellbeing Program educates students about the important role nature plays in mental health and their overall wellbeing. Nature Wellbeing serves as a collaboration between the Edible Campus Program (ECP) and the Department of Health and Wellness. Through hands-on workshops hosted across 8 community gardens, the program provides students with the opportunity to decompress in natural spaces and practice mindful self-reflections in the environment. 

Launched in 2021, Nature Wellbeing addresses topics such as anxiety, processing emotions, self-esteem, self-compassion, isolation and loneliness, sense of belonging, and mind and body awareness, among many others. The program aims to help the community learn and implement preventative mental health practices through spending time and connecting to the land and ecosystem. Nature Wellbeing interns Cindy Fabian, Nev O'Dea, and Apphia Tran are responsible for planning and leading workshops hosted by the program. Workshops include a wide range of activities such as journaling, scrapbooking, and gardening, all designed to promote mental health and personal reflection. They incorporate mindfulness exercises, such as breathing techniques and guided meditations that address challenges college students may face. 

Prior to the start of each quarter, Nature Wellbeing interns brainstorm potential workshop ideas, focusing on how to integrate collaborative efforts with different clubs and organizations on campus. Interns attend club events to build relationships and identify potential workshop partners. From there, a jointly hosted workshop is proposed. After workshop ideas a finalized, interns develop lesson plans and curriculum to guide the workshops. 

In Winter 2026, interns collaborated with the Environmental Affairs Board (EAB) to host a planting seeds worksop, which involved participants setting intentions for their futures and the new year. Other workshops included a mindfulness workshop with Campus Democrats centered on political anxiety, which helped participants talk through their emotions regarding the current political climate and offered ways to destress. Another worksop with Mental Health Peers focused on climate anxiety, and participants discussed ways to be mindful of the self. While planning for Spring 2026 is still underway, many organizations, including those that Nature Wellbeing collaborated with in Winter 2026, have expressed interest in collaborating again.