Active Hope - Resilience and the Healing Power of Nature

The City of Winston-Salem Department of Sustainability and the Wild Ones Central North Carolina Chapter are pleased to invite you to this very inspiring program.

The program embraces the notion that the quality of our environment is critical for our well-being. Nature is very much tied to our physical and mental health.

Spending time in nature has many benefits. It provides a refuge and a sanctuary to nurture and heal our spirit, body, and mind. There is no better place than nature to seek and find peace, delight, and joy. If in the process we get to enjoy ourselves, move our bodies, breathe fresh air, and eat and drink healthier, we receive a bonus. We also heal and provide healing for others, as nature allows us to reach way beyond ourselves, into our families, the community, the country, the world and the planet Earth.

The program highlights the power of nature for our personal and collective resilience and well-being. The panel discussion focuses on the importance of native ecosystems, landscaping as a form of healthcare, happiness as an active process, and how our commitment to ecological consciousness and environmental justice can be a force of healing for individuals and communities, and for the regeneration of the planet Earth.

Our speakers, Dr. Chris Johnstone, empowers us to be a source of active hope for our communities. Mr. Justin Thompsons highlights biodiversity and all its power. Emphasizing the biodiversity is our lifeline. Dr. Mark Ellison takes us into an enchanting journey into the woods to recharge and restore ourselves, and to renew our commitment to a wholistic approach to health, that includes not just ourselves but also our planet Earth.

Agenda:

8:30 - 8:40 am Opening Remarks Dr. Siham Muntasser

8:40 - 9:00 am Introduction

Dr. Shaleen Miller, Sustainability Director, City of Winston Salem

9:00 - 10:45 am Panel Discussion - Resilience and the Healing Power of Nature

Moderator: Dr. Stan Meiburg

Panelists:

- Dr. Venkat Srinivasan - The Art of Living

- Preston Montague - Landscaping as Healthcare

- Jennifer Lawson - Nature for Healing

- Dr. Roger Vilardaga - Ecosystem Resilience and Native Plants

10:45 - 11:00 am Coffee Break

11:00 - 12:00 Could Hope Happen Through Me?

Dr. Chris Johnstone (Virtual)

12:00 - 1:00 pm Lunch Break and Conversation on Active Hope in your Life with

Pastor Craig Schaub

1:00 - 2:00 pm Biodiversity as a Lifeline for Hope and Resilience

Mr. Justin Robinson

2:00 - 2:30 Reflections and Wrap up

Dr. Shaleen Miller

2:30 - 5:00 pm A Walk in Nature and a Forest Therapy Experience

Dr. Mark Ellison

Venue:

The conference is held at the beautiful Salem Lake Marina Center located at 815 Salem Lake Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27107. The facility is handicap accessible. Parking is free.

Catering:

Catering is provided by Chef Charles Smith with CLC Catering. This is the link to purchase your lunch: https://clscateringnc.square.site/s/order#most-popular.

Registration:

The conference is free. However, registration is required to secure seating. Registration for the therapy walk (also free) is separate as it is limited to 25 participants. Please email Siham Muntasser: [email protected], if you would like to participate in the walk.

Organizers:

Moriah Gendy, Food Resilience Coordinator, Office of Sustainability, City of Winston Salem, Winston Salem, NC.

Shaleen Miller, Ph.D. Director, Office of Sustainability, City of Winston Salem, NC.

Siham Muntasser, M.D. Psychiatrist and President Wild Ones Central North Carolina

Craig Schaub, Pastor, Parkway United Church of Christ, Winston Salem, NC.

Participants:

Mark Ellison, Ed.D. Certified Forest Therapy Guide, Cullowhee, NC.

Jennifer Lawson, M.D. Pediatrician, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC.

Christopher Johnstone, M.D. Psychiatrist and Director, College of Wellbeing, United Kingdom.

Stan Meiburg, Ph.D. Co-Executive Director, Andrew Sabin Center for Environment and Sustainability, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC.

Shaleen Miller, Ph.D. Director, Office of Sustainability, City of Winston Salem, NC.

Preston Montague, Landscape Architect and Artist, Durham, NC

Siham Muntasser, M.D. Psychiatrist and President Wild Ones Central North Carolina, Winston Salem, NC.

Justin Robinson, Special Project Botanist, Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh, NC.

Craig Schaub, Pastor, Parkway United Church of Christ, Winston Salem, NC.

Venkat Srinivasan, Ph.D. Director, Art of Living Retreat Center, Boone, NC.

Roger Vilardaga Viera, Ph.D. Department of Psychology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC.

Book Reference:

This conference is based on the book by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone, Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re in with Unexpected Resilience & Creative Power. It was published by New World Library, Novato, California in a revised form in 2022.

Contact Person:

Siham Muntasser - [email protected].

For more information visit our website: https://centralnorthcarolina.wildones.org/home/events/

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Salem Lake Marina Center & Fishing Station, 815 Salem Lake Road, Winston-Salem, United States