Nature Prescriptions: Science and Practice of Outdoor Interventions for Physical and Mental…

Catalog description

The course will examine the burgeoning scientific evidence for the efficacy of medical and mental health interventions based on contact with natural environments. Further, direct experiences in the outdoors, including natural spaces on the WCU campus and surrounding community, will allow first-person exploration of the effects of many such interventions. Together, these streams of potential understanding will be processed in dyads, small groups, and the plenary group, providing opportunities to practice a range of modes of spoken and written communication, as well as providing challenges for critical thinking about science, the humanities, and oneself.