Teacher Workshop and Health Webinar with Erin Largo-Wight, University of North Florida Professor, Department of Public Health PhD and Director, Institute of Environmental Research & Education (IERE)

The relationship between passive nature contact and health is both intuitive and supported by a growing body of research evidence. The nature and health relationship has broad implications ranging from public health policy to urban design to conservation. Join Erin Largo-Wight, PhD, Professor and Director from the University of North Florida’s (UNF) Institute of Environmental Research and Education to learn about the real-world nature research being conducted at UNF. Dr. Largo-Wight's research is applied and focuses on the reciprocal relationship between the health of the environment and the health of people. Specifically, she focuses on measuring nature exposure and testing nature contact interventions in the real world – at work, school, home, and more. In this presentation, Erin will share a snapshot of nature contact research and theory. In addition, she will tell the story of her applied research at UNF exploring the impact of nature exposures on health and well-being in schools, workplaces, clinical settings, and the home. Participants will learn about the power of outdoor classrooms, the importance of taking outdoor work breaks, bringing nature inside, and more. Future research ideas and needs will also be explored.

Bio: Erin Largo-Wight, PhD is a Professor and Director of the Institute of Environmental Research and Education at the University of North Florida. Dr. Largo-Wight’s teaching focuses on behavioral and social solutions to public and environmental health problems. In the classroom, Dr. Largo-Wight strives to motivate and engage students and connect them to the community for real-world learning and personal growth. In addition, she studies the effectiveness of environmental behavior change strategies and interventions to ultimately inform practice and policy related to single use plastic and other environmental behaviors. This research has been supported by federal agencies and national associations and foundations, and has been published and well cited in the research literature, as well as widely covered in news and popular press outlets in the U.S. and Europe. Erin also serves on local and national boards and alliances to further nature and environmental research.

Webinar offered at 7:00 Central on October 16th

Registration: https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/texaschildreninnaturenetwork/nature-contact-and-health-recommendations