2018 DuPage Environmental Summit Presented By The ...... · mindfully moving through the landscape...
Transcript of 2018 DuPage Environmental Summit Presented By The ...... · mindfully moving through the landscape...
7:30-8:30 Registration/Exhibits/Light Breakfast
8:30-8:50 Welcome
Brook McDonald, President/CEO, The Conservation Foundation
Amy Grant, DuPage Environmental Committee Chair
Barb Szczepaniak, Vice President for Programs, DuPage Foundation
Joe Cantore, President Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
8:50-9:30 Where’s the Tree: Documenting the Health Benefits of Nature
Dr. Teresa H. Horton, Bachelor of Science in Zoology, University of Washington, PhD, Biology,
subspecialty: Ecology, Evolutionary, and Organismal Biology, University of Utah. Current
Position: Associate Professor of Research, Department of Anthropology, Northwestern
University, Evanston IL. She is also a member of E2HD, a research collaboration focused on
Evolutionary and Ecological Approaches to Health and Development.
It is probably safe to say that most people attending the conference already know that
spending time outside surrounded by nature can make you feel better. However, as society
becomes more urbanized, we are removed from our connection with nature. We are only
just beginning to understand the consequences of that disconnection both to the
environment and to human health and well-being. This presentation will describe the
evidence for the health benefits of nature, the diverse mechanisms by which nature can
influence health, and the gaps on our knowledge that need to be filled as we work to devise
policies and programs that will conserve nature and improve the health of people and their
communities.
2018 DuPage Environmental Summit Presented By
The Conservation Foundation
Nature Rx: How Spending Time in Nature Is Good for Our Mind, Body, and Soul
January 25, 2018 7:30-12:00 PM Northern Illinois University, Naperville Campus
Thank you to our sponsors!
9:30-10:00 Rx for Health: Walking in Nature
The Story of an Equitability Expanding Initiative in Lake County, Illinois
Jon Ashworth, MDiv, MA, LPC, I/ECMH-C, Health Equity Coordinator with the Lake County
Health Dept. and Community Health Center in Lake County, Illinois
Jon is helping the health department fulfill its mission, which is “Promoting the health
and well-being of all who live, work and play in Lake County.” For the past four years,
the health department has been partnering with the Lake County Forest Preserve
District and NorthShore University HealthSystem to facilitate the Rx for Health:
Walking in Nature initiative. Jon will share with us today the story of how this initiative
started with limited participation, which also was not representative of the
demographics of the entire county. Then, by implementing a change in approach to
outreach and promotion, the initiative expanded greatly in its third and fourth years.
10:00-10:20 BREAK/RAFFLE- Exhibit Area
10:20-10:50 Health Benefits of Trees
Dr. Kristen Esposito Brendel, PhD, LCSW, E-RYT founder of Per La Vita Wellness, LLC.
Recent research suggests that practicing mindfulness in natural settings such as forest
preserves, parks, gardens, near water and even in our own backyard improves mental
and physical health, increases happiness and feelings of contentment, and reduces
pain and stress. During the presentation, Dr. Kristin Brendel will discuss implications of
current research and present practical, evidence-based applications of mindfulness in
nature.
10:50-11:20 Forest Therapy: Using Your Senses to Connect to Nature
Brenda Spitzer, Certified Forest Therapy Guide, The Morton Arboretum
Through her training as a Certified Forest Therapy Guide, Brenda will discuss the
history humans have with nature and why we are optimized for forest environments.
As people become more connected to technology, they need more nature to achieve a
balance.
2018 DuPage Environmental Summit Presented By
The Conservation Foundation
11:20-11:55 Panel Discussion - Existing Health and Nature Programs
Jodi Trendler, co-founder of The Resiliency Institute
The Resiliency Institute offers Nature Therapy and Shinrin-yoku walks which are led by
guides certified through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy. Walks are
attended with a specific intention to connect with nature for restoration and healing by
mindfully moving through the landscape in ways that cultivate presence, open all the
senses, and create opportunities for nature communication. The focus is on the
journey, not the destination with walks of typically a mile or less, ranging in duration
from one to three hours in various local wooded areas. You can find an example of an
invitation and register for a walk on our website http://www.theresiliencyinstitute.net/
learn/nature-therapy-shinrin-yoku/
Brenda Spitzer, The Morton Arboretum
(See description on previous page)
David Andrusyk, Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Keriann Dubina, Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
The Forest Fitness Walk officially began in the spring of 2011. It took the place of a
similar program that was led by a Naturalist who left the Forest Preserve District. At
that time, the program was only led a Fullersburg Woods and was kept to only walking
a 3-mile distance. The purpose of the program is to promote healthy living through
walking. The program is for adults who want to walk outdoors, but want to be guided
and walk in a social setting. Over the years, the program has changed, where now the
group walks in various preserves throughout the county and each week the distance
increases culminating with a 10-mile hike.
11:55-12:00 Closing comments
Exhibit Area Remains Open
2018 DuPage Environmental Summit Presented By
The Conservation Foundation
Dr. Teresa Horton grew up in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains north of Seattle, Washington. A
childhood spent wandering in the woods led to a career in biology. As an environmental physiologist,
she combines the principles of ecology, evolution, and physiology to investigatet he mechanisms by
which environmental conditions alter physiology and behavior. Her early research was among the first
to show that environmental information transmitted by females to their fetuses results in significant
changes in development. She has continued to examine the effects of the environment, biological
rhythms, and stress on physiology and behavior. Since joining the Department of Anthropology at
Northwestern University she has applied those skills to investigating the hypothesis that spending time
in nature improves health and well-being. She lives in Evanston with her husband and the dog and
chinchilla left behind when their son went to college.
Jon Ashworth is known as a system leader, specializing in helping organizations, systems and
communities develop and implement health improvement initiatives, through a team-based, quality
improvement approach. Jon formerly served for over 10-years as the Social-Emotional Child
Development Specialist with Child and Family Connections, within the Illinois Early Intervention System.
Jon also currently serves as the Director of Organizational Development and Quality Improvement with
Consulting Partnerships, a consulting firm in the greater Chicago area. He also currently serves as a
Consultant and Improvement Facilitator with the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
and has served as a Professional Development Instructor and Consultant with Erikson Institute in
Chicago. Jon has specialized in working with children, adolescents and families (and professionals who
serve these populations) over the past 25 years. Jon and his wife love going for walks together in their
neighborhood and in local forest preserves and parks.
Dr. Kirsten Esposito Brendel is the founder of Per La Vita Wellness, LLC., a company located in Geneva,
Ill. That is devoted to mindfulness-based clinical interventions for holistic health and wellness. At Per La
Vita Wellness, Dr., Brendel facilitates individual, group, and corporate classes on mindfulness-based
stress reduction, as well as organizes mindfulness and yoga retreats abroad helping participants connect
with nature as a means of increasing happiness and reducing stress. Dr. Brendel also works as an
assistant professor of social work at Aurora University where she teaches, conducts research, leads
study abroad and immersion courses on mindfulness, and presents nationally and internationally the
benefits of mindfulness for mental and physical health.
2018 Speakers and Panelists
Brenda Spitzer has been a member and volunteer of The Morton Arboretum since 1993. She has a
Bachelor of Arts in Art Degree from Northern Illinois University. She has earned certificates in Natural
History and Botanical Art and Illustration from The Morton Arboretum and a certificate in Sustainable
Landscapes from College of DuPage. After attending a Forest Therapy Guide Training Workshop,
facilitated by The Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs in June 2015, she
completed a six-month practicum and became a Certified Forest Therapy Guide. She established the
“Nature Rx: Forest Therapy Walk” program at The Morton Arboretum and has been guiding walks there
since 2015. She also guides walks for adults with special needs who are members of The Western
DuPage Special Recreation Association. Brenda is a featured writer, contributing blog posts, for the
website of The Association of Nature Forest Therapy Guides and programs. She also assisted at The
Association’s 2017 Forest Therapy Guide Training Workshop that was held at The Morton Arboretum.
Brenda is also an avid gardener and member of The Conservation Foundation. Her home landscape has
earned ‘Conservation@Home” status. Brenda’s mission is to guide others to connect with and
rediscover the healing powers of nature. Facebook Page: Shinrin-yoku Nature and Forest Therapy-
Wheaton@shinrinyokuwheaton
Jodi Trendler is a co-founder of The Resiliency Institute. Jodi has worked to build community
sustainability through several non-profit and municipal organizations over her career. She has advanced
training in permaculture teaching as well as with several veteran permaculture designers, and became a
certified Forest Therapy Guide in 2015. The Resiliency Institute’s nature connection programming is a
foundational component to all programs. It is our philosophy that re-connecting people to nature is the
necessary leverage point to ensure the success of all other resilience building programs. Jodi always
welcomes the opportunity to share a walk in the woods or forest garden with everyone who will join
her.
David Andrusyk has worked for the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County for 19 years. He spent
five years of his career working in Natural Resource Management, doing restoration work in the Forest
Preserves throughout DuPage County. He then moved on into teaching school, scout and public
programs in the District’s forest preserves working first at James ‘Pate’ Philip State Park in Bartlett, then
at Fullersburg Woods in Oak Brook. He has his Bachelor of Science Degrees in Environmental
Management and Geography from Elmhurst College. Dave is an Eagle Scout and is still involved in
scouting as a leader and merit badge councilor. He has also been a member of the National Association
for Interpretation for over 15 years.
2018 Speakers and Panelists (cont’d)
Keriann Dubina has been a Naturalist with the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
since 2009. She received her B.S. in Zoology and M.S. in Biology with a focus in Ornithology,
both from Western Illinois University. As a Naturalist, Keriann is involved in teaching school,
cout and public programs and events. Keriann is a certified Merit Badge Counselor for the Boy
Scouts of America and is currently a Master Naturalist Intern with U of I Extension. Some of her
favorite topic to educate on are birds and fish.
Bird walks began at FPDDC long before 2009. Beginning in 2011, I became a co-leader of the
walks and eventually took over the program called FullersBird Fridays. The early years of the
program involved walking at the same preserve for 8 weeks during the spring and fall migration
seasons. It has now evolved to travel to different forest preserves every week during those
migrations. In addition, there are feature walks peppered in throughout the year targeting
certain bird species or forest preserves. FullersBird Friday has a strong following of regular
attendees.
2018 Speakers and Panelists (cont’d)
2015 DuPage Environmental Summit
Presented By
The Conservation Foundation and
DuPage County Stormwater Management
Nature Rx: How Spending Time in Nature is Good for the Mind, Body, and Soul
January 25, 2018 7:30 AM-12:00 PM Exhibitors and Sponsors
Bedrock Earthscapes, LLC 1501 E. Harrison Ave Wheaton, IL 60187 (630) 428-11159
www.bedrockearthscapes.com
DuPage County Stormwater Management (sponsor) 421 N. County Farm Rd. Wheaton, IL 60187 (630) 407-6700
www.dupageco.org/swm
Cantigny 1S151 Winfield Rd. Wheaton, IL 60189 (847) 823-0500
www.cantigny.org
Faith in Place 70 E. Lake St., Suite 920 Chicago, IL 60601 (312) 733-4640
www.faithinplace.org
Christopher B. Burke Engineering (sponsor) 9575 West Higgins Rd. Rosemont, IL 60018 (847) 823-0500
www.cbbel.com
Forest Preserve District of Cook County 1140 W. Lake St. Oak Park, IL 60301 (312) 590-6361
www.fpdcc.com
Citizens Climate Lobby Email: [email protected] www.citizensclimatelobby.org
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County (sponsor) 3S580 Naperville Rd. Wheaton, IL 60189-8761 (630) 779-4893
www.dupageforest.org
Cool DuPage/DuPage County (sponsor) 421 N. County Farm Rd. Wheaton, IL 60187 (630) 407-6700
www.dupageco.org/CoolDuPage
Forest Preserve District of Kane County 1996 South Kirk Rd., Suite320 Geneva, IL 60134 (630) 232-5980
www.kaneforest.com
2018 DuPage Environmental Summit Presented By
The Conservation Foundation
Forest Preserve District of Kendall County 110 W. Madison St. Yorkville, IL 60560 (630) 553-4025
www.co.kendall.il.us/forestpreserve/
The Resiliency Institute 10S404 Knoch Knolls Rd. Naperville, IL 60565
(630) 447-9910
www.theresiliencyinstitute.net
Forest Preserve District of Will County 17540 W. Laraway Rd. Joliet, IL 60433 (815) 727-8700
www.reconnectwithnature.org
SCARCE 799 Roosevelt Rd. Building 2, Suite 108 Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 (630) 545-9710
www.scarceecoed.org
Hitchcock Design Group 225 West Jefferson Ave. Naperville, IL 60540 (630) 961-1787
www.hitchcockdesigngroup.com
Sierra Club, River Prairie Group Connie Schmidt (630)393-6276
www.sierraclub.org/illinois/river-prairie
Lake County Health Department 3010 Grand Ave., 2nd floor Waukegan, IL 60085 (847) 377-4881
www.lakecountyil.gov
Sustain DuPage
Andrew VanGorp
www.sustaindupage.org
The Morton Arboretum 4100 Illinois 53 Lisle, IL 60532 (630) 968-0074
www.mortonarb.org
The Conservation Foundation (sponsor) and Green Earth Institute 10S404 Knoch Knolls Rd. Naperville, IL 60565 (630) 428-4500
www.theconservationfoundation.org
www.greenearthinstitute.org
Nicor Gas/ Energy Efficiency Program Emily Rohan 630-388-3453 [email protected] www.nicorgasrebates.com