The Purpose of Campus RX
I collaborate with staff and students at NC State University and UNCW to provide meaningful opportunities for nature-based engagement and improved well-being each semester.
Through these programs, students gain lifelong tools for self-efficacy, empowering them to navigate future challenges with resilience and confidence.
University and college campuses offer green spaces even in developed urban areas. Many schools are embracing this space as a resource to support their students' social, physical, and mental well-being, university performance, [and] education outcomes" (Foellmer, 2021).
Cover of brochures promoting engagement with nature
Campus Rx at NC State
At NC State, I work with Housing Student Resident Assistants to create a planting activity each semester. Students are offered the opportunity to choose and pot up a houseplant to take to their dorm or apartment. Care sheets for each plant are that also list some of the benefits of keeping houseplants. I also work with an Interpersonal Violence Response Coordinator to provide plant material they can use with students seeking services through the Women's Health Center. Our focus on easy care plants including aloe vera, highlighting its healing properties.
Campus Rx at UNCW
On the University of North Carolina Wilmington campus, I have worked with the Gardening Physical Activity and Wellness Lab to explore ways to improve health with plants. I also work with public health students to develop nature-based activities. Examples include, yoga in the garden, brochures on Reconnecting with Nature through Art and Embracing Nature.
I am looking forward to continuing to develop activities for students in higher education and open a door to enjoyment of nature for years to come.
Resources
Resources:
- NC State - How Parks and Green Spaces Can Improve Your Health
- Campus Nature Rx Network
- Cornell Health Nature Rx
- Nature RX at Penn | Wellness at Penn
- Nature Rx - The Conservation Foundation
References:
Foellmer, J. Kistemann, T & Anthonj, C. (2021). Academic Greenspace and Well-Being — Can Campus Landscape be Therapeutic? Evidence from a German University, Wellbeing, Space and Society, Volume 2, 100003.
