Nature Therapy for Conflict

07/13/2010

We’re all water from different rivers, that’s why it’s so easy to meet; we’re all water in this vast, vast ocean, someday we’ll evaporate together.
Yoko Ono, performance artist and peace activist

In the Wonder newsletter included in the July/August issue of Exchange, World Forum Nature Action Collaborative for Children Leadership Team member, Bishnu Bhatta, described how Nepal's minister's council meeting was recently held at the highest mountain peak in the world. After the meeting, both the prime minister of Nepal and the chairperson of the Maoist party proclaimed that meeting in the tranquility of a mountain top can help leaders solve complex problems. Bishnu then observed...

"I don’t know the extent of tranquility that Himalaya can give, but it certainly can bring healing to your mind, body, and your eternity. The crumbling of snow into small musical springs and the chime of pine trees are able to heal the trauma you experience during conflict. Put a small child along the riverside or seashore and she will start healing herself and try to talk with the flow of the river or the sea. Catching starfish and collecting small pebbles or watching butterflies dance around a flower can be great sources of healing through nature. We can follow the example of a small child enjoying our parks and zoos, and playing with animals. Taking enjoyment from nature helps us to relax and refresh our minds."

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Guide to Learning with Nature

The Learning With Nature DVD provides examples of Nature Explore Classrooms that have been designed around the country. Discover techniques for using outdoor classrooms as an integral part of preschool and elementary children's daily learning. See how well-designed outdoor spaces facilitate children's overall development in traditional academic areas. As you watch footage from a variety of settings and hear stories from educators, you will gain new insight into ways to help children make deeper connections with the natural world.

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