Please joins us for the final program in the "Nature and Wellness: A Strategy for strength during a Pandemic" series brought to you by the Bi-State Conservation Action Network of which University of Illinois Extension is a member. Support for this series is provided, in part, by a grant to the Rock Island County Extension & 4-H Education Foundation from the Quad Cities Disaster Recovery Fund
Children and Nature
For more than 20 years, Dr. Andrea Faber Taylor has researched the benefits of nature experiences for children’s health. She is passionate about supporting children’s connection to nature. Her most recent research indicated a link between the frequency with which Kindergartners used greenspaces during the school-day and their capacity for self-regulation. Join us as she explains why nature experiences are so important for our daily functioning and overall well-being. She will share ideas for supporting the children in your life as well as your own health through gardening and other nature experiences.
More about the presenter: Andrea Faber Taylor, PhD is a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Department of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Dr. Faber Taylor is a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Department of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Her research examines child development in the context of nature and greenspaces to support healthy functioning and future stewardship of the earth. She is advancing our understanding of the importance of nature experiences in human development. She teaches a course on this topic and courses about sustainable home gardening, small fruits, and herbaceous perennials with an emphasis on planting design to support pollinators and other beneficial species.
More about the series:
2020 has been an unusual year for us all. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged many of us in ways not previously challenged but it has also brought about opportunities and upsides. One of the silver linings of the pandemic is that there has been a national increase in the use of outdoor spaces and people connecting with nature. As winter approaches the mid-West, we want to continue to encourage people to commune with nature as a form of self-care, source of wellness and comfort while facing life's challenges.
Join us as we hear from experts on the benefits of nature to our health and well-being. This series will be sure to inspire you to bundle up and head outdoors this winter and you will see that it just might be what the doctor prescribes.