Rooted in Science: The Health Benefits of Trees (on demand)

Discover the healing power of trees and nature.

Trees are good for the environment, but did you know that trees have both direct and indirect benefits to your personal health and wellness? Research studies show links between trees and lowering stress levels, improving blood pressure, shortening hospital stays, and even feeling younger! After completing this course you will:

understand how spending time in nature can improve your physical and mental wellness.
become familiar with different “nature prescription” programs from around the world.
explore some of the social implications of access to trees and green space.
discover examples of how trees have been used in healing across different cultures.
create a plan for how you can incorporate spending time in nature into your everyday life.

This program includes self-paced online components.

Instructor: Jessica Turner-Skoff, PhD, science communication leader, The Morton Arboretum

Contributors: Aurélie de Rus Jaquet, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at Laval University; Yvonne Wolf, founder, Chinese Intercultural, LLC; and Wendy Makoons Geniusz, editor of Plants Have So Much to Give Us, All We Have to Do Is Ask.

Age: 18 and older

Course number: WELL100-OD

Jessica Turner-Skoff, PhD, science communication leader, The Morton Arboretum

As the Arboretum’s first science communication leader, Jessica Turner-Skoff shares the expertise of the Arboretum’s science and conservation teams with multiple audiences. She spent her doctorate studying plants in the heart of Appalachia and the wilds of the Alaskan tundra, cultivating her passion for telling the story of plants and science. Throughout her professional career, she has developed science communication and environmental workshops for all ages, published scientific papers and popular press articles, and presented at national and international conferences.

Aurélie de Rus Jacquet, assistant professor, Laval University

Aurelie de Rus Jacquet leads a research program aimed at understanding the causes of Parkinson’s disease in the department of psychiatry and neuroscience at Laval University in Canada. She is also looking into how natural products from plants could stop the course of the disease and improve the quality of life of people living with neurodegenerative disorders.

Yvonne Wolf, founder, Chinese Intercultural, LLC

Educator Yvonne Wolf makes Chinese and East Asian culture accessible and relatable to a wider audience. She speaks at libraries, museums, and community centers about East Asian arts, culture, and people. She has lived in four countries, visited over 25 countries, speaks three languages, English, Chinese (Mandarin), and Danish, and has studied three others, Spanish, Japanese, and Greek.

Wendy Makoons Geniusz, assistant professor, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire

Wendy Makoons Geniusz, PhD, editor of Plants Have So Much to Give Us, All We Have to Do Is Ask, is of Cree and Métis descent. She teaches Ojibwe language courses at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire.

What to Know

This class is held entirely online.

The online materials will take approximately 90 minutes to complete.

Participants will have access to the online materials for 60 days after the course start date.

Please provide a unique email address for each registrant at registration.

Registrants will receive an email with instructions on how to access Treelearning, the Arboretum’s online learning portal. Your access to the class lasts for 60 days.

Complete self-paced activities, such as e-learning modules, reading material, short videos, interactive activities, and quizzes to check your understanding. The self-paced activities do not need to be completed in one sitting.

Questions about Registration
630-719-2468
Registrar-ed@mortonarb.org
Weekdays, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Format
Self-paced, online
Anytime
Online, Treelearning
WELL100-OD
Cost: $32
Member cost: $25
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