Book Discussion | ONSITE at the Arboretum | Thursday, April 6, 2 – 3:30 p.m. Additional dates for reading together in April will be determined.
In April, it’s Arboretum Re-Reads! We’re looking back to The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier and More Creative by Florence Williams, who joins us Wednesday, April 12, at the Arboretum to lead a Forest Bathing experience in the afternoon and share her thoughts since writing the book and the accolades and acclaim The Nature Fix and her latest book, Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey, received worldwide.
For centuries, poets and philosophers extolled the benefits of a walk in the woods: Beethoven drew inspiration from rocks and trees; Wordsworth composed while tromping over the heath; Nikola Tesla conceived the electric motor while visiting a park. Intrigued by our storied renewal in the natural world, Florence Williams set out to uncover the science behind nature’s positive effects on the brain.
From forest trails in Korea, to islands in Finland, to groves of eucalyptus in California, Williams investigated the science at the confluence of environment, mood, health, and creativity. She delved into recent research and uncovered the powers of the natural world to improve health, promote reflection and innovation, and ultimately strengthen our relationships. As our modern lives shift dramatically indoors, these ideas — and the answers they yield — are more urgent than ever.
Arboretum Reads is a bi-monthly conversation that shares the best in science and nature titles. In-person meetings at the Arboretum encourage making connections in nature that celebrate where we learn and grow in place in Southern Appalachia. Online reading circles extend the conversation to those who can’t attend in person. Adult & Continuing Education Programs Manager Rebecca Caldwell facilitates these onsite and online discussions and will convene groups to continue reading together through April and May.
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Award-winning science and nature writer Florence Williams visits Asheville and the Arboretum on Wednesday, April 12, in connection with her acclaimed book The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier and More Creative. Chosen as the first Arboretum Reads selection in 2019, The Nature Fix set the tone for how many of us sought respite and healing in nature from the earliest days of the pandemic. Now three years later, we’re still reading and finding Williams’ amassing of research on the benefits of nature compelling evidence to get outside!