Biophilia: Pittsburgh
Thursday, May 1, 2014 – 5:30 p.m.
Free to attend – RSVP required.
The June 5 Biophilia: Pittsburgh meeting will feature Melissa Harding, who will talk about the importance of connecting children to nature.
As more and more of life so often happens in front of a screen, there is a growing chasm between the world we live in and the natural world right outside the window. This disconnect costs us all in our physical and mental health, as well as our overall well-being. This cost is especially high in our young people. Studies have shown that children and youth who spend time outside connected to nature are happier, kinder and more self-disciplined. They have better-developed cognitive skills and higher self-esteem. In short, connecting our children to nature is an imperative that we all must work towards. At Phipps, we feel that the key to connecting children to nature is to spend time observing and understanding it, ask good questions, and have fun finding out the answers. Melissa Harding, Phipps science education specialist, will explain how the public garden’s educators use observation exercises and imaginative play to connect students to the natural world, fostering a new generation of scientists and naturalists.
About Biophilia: Pittsburgh
Biophilia: Pittsburgh is the pilot chapter for a Biophilia Network dedicated to strengthening the bond between people and the natural world through education, discussion and action. The group meets monthly at the Center for Sustainable Landscapes classroom at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens where, over delicious small-plate food and a happy-hour cash bar, a discipline or behavior will be identified — often by an expert guest speaker — and discussed among the participants in the interest of sharing ideas and identifying opportunities. Join the conversation!
RSVP by sending an email or signing up at the group’s Meetup page.
What is Biophilia?
The term “biophilia,” stemming from the Greek roots meaning “love of life,” was coined by the social psychologist Erich Fromm. It came into use in the 1980s when Harvard University biologist E.O. Wilson defined biophilia as “the innately emotional affiliation of human beings to other living organisms.”
In the last twenty years, studies examining human attraction to nature have yielded convincing evidence that links interactions with nature with positive gains in productivity, increased healing rates, and even enhanced learning comprehension in a wide range of sectors.
The top image was taken by Corey Doman.
