Suffolk Community Foundation’s Post

Healthcare professionals and community leaders interested in the link between #nature, #health and #wellbeing are invited to join us for this panel discussion next week in Reading

Cornucopia Project: Cultivating a Healthier Future Cornucopia Project is a New Hampshire-based organization dedicated to fostering a healthier community through farm-to-fork education. They offer programs that teach people of all ages about growing, preparing, and enjoying healthy food. Their initiatives include: • Garden education programs • Culinary workshops • Educational farm experiences By empowering individuals to make informed food choices and connect with nature, Cornucopia Project is creating a more sustainable and vibrant community. Learn more and get involved https://lnkd.in/eDtvXybx #FarmtoForkEducation #HealthyCommunities #NewHampshire

Just had the second core community group session in Queanbeyan yesterday and it developed into something much better than expected We are at that point already where the group is co-designing the design process and future sessions around the energy and field of reciprocity that we all instantly felt from the first session Not only that, these suggestions are expanding past the technical sessions themselves to include site-based community garden work, ceremonies, group meditation sessions, youth group engagement program design, and the list goes on What’s also lovely is the fibres of narrative that are starting to thread through from session to session, almost like personal jokes that give us a giggle, though also functionally serve as a deeper way to connect with each other and place, and we also now have our official mascot for the project so I’m obviously happy As a post-debrief of the session, our own Sun Villages core team felt like there are still essential voices missing from this community core team that could really help us on our adventure into the true discovery of the living Being of Queanbeyan The immediately obvious are locals Indigenous to the region, local artists and cultural representatives, the youth as an entire cohort of voice, local environmentalists, bird-watching and gardening groups, self-organised associations fighting for affordable housing and the rights and care of the elderly, school teachers and Scout leaders, nurses doctors and essential workers, refugees, firefighter, emergency service workers, police and recovering addicts like myself… more people who really care about the future of Queanbeyan So this is the third and final community call before we officially start the Story of Place process, having now identified the size and scale of the region and the stakeholders missing This weekend, we will be having another regenerative gathering at the property to harmonise the community group as a co-evolutionary, co-designing, cohort of local characters ready for a deep dive into the magical and mystical world of what it means to live, work, and play in deeper connection with each other, the natural world, and the living moment that we all share together as one #community #regeneration #impact #investment #queanbeyan #regenerativedevelopment #aboriginal #firstnation #indigenous #art #culture #environment #socialimpact #Impactinvesting #affordablehousing #communitydevelopment #regionaldevelopment

Happy #WellnessWednesday Bees play a very important part in nature, helping to pollinate many different flowers in their search for nectar to produce honey. Read our easy read guide for tips to make more bee friendly gardens.🌷🌼🐝 #wellbeing #beefriendly https://lnkd.in/gmvS88Ts

Tailoring solutions for each community! 🌍 See how Garden of Life adapts to different regional challenges. 👉👉👉 Check Our Twin Trees Initiative 👉👉👉 Check Link In Bio Now. 👍 #LocalizedSolutions #GlobalThinking #gardenoflifemetaverse #gardenoflifecommunity #gardenoflifeinitiative #twintreesinitiative

Here are some key findings from our friends at the The Wildlife Trusts UCL report entitled "Nature Nurtures Children". This research looks into the incredibly positive benefits of children spending time out in nature. "After participating in supervised outdoor activities in nature: ƒ Children showed an overall increase in their personal wellbeing and health, with the greatest improvement being in those who initially reported low levels ƒ Children showed an overall increase in nature connection over time ƒ Children demonstrated high enjoyment levels, and were motivated and engaged ƒ Children showed an overall increase in pro-environmental values. These values were expressed as support for the protection of animals and the environment, recycling, and reduction in energy and water use. Increases were highest for children with the lowest initial levels of wellbeing, nature connection, and pro-environmental values. " You can read the full report below.

🌿 What do a 13th-century Belgian town and the story of #mentalhealthcare have in common? More than you might think! In Geel, Belgium, the seeds of #naturebasedtherapy were planted when farming and gardening became part of caring for mental health. Centuries later, this profound connection between #nature and #wellbeing has grown into a movement shaping how we heal and thrive in the modern world. Today, we’re thrilled to share with you, the green care visual timeline, tracing the journey of nature-based solutions (NBS) for mental health—from medieval towns to groundbreaking initiatives like our #GreenMEProject in 2023. 📜 What’s on the timeline? 🌱 Stories of innovation, from small farms to urban green prescriptions. 🌳 Milestones that show how nature heals, restores, and inspires. 💡 Insights into how these timeless practices are shaping sustainable, equitable mental health care today. 🎨 Check out the timeline and explore how the past is inspiring the future! We’d love to know: 🌍 What’s the most inspiring story you’ve heard about nature’s role in mental well-being? #NatureBasedSolutions #MentalHealth #GreenCare #Innovation #Sustainability

My garden has struggled this year. Far more than any previous year, it's been a salad bar for deer, rabbits, and groundhogs. Seedlings that I'd nursed inside in early spring disappeared almost immediately. Simple "rules" that I thought I'd learned about what animal eats what when seem no longer to apply. Little interventions I've used in the past no longer seem effective. The whole endeavor - which has usually been a space of calm and joy for me - has felt very chaotic this year. I'm no longer quite sure I know what I'm doing. I feel like I need to adapt my whole approach. I couldn't help thinking of my garden problems in a call last week with a group of friends working in social change in North America, Africa, Europe, and Latin America. Our usual "check in" became the core of the conversation as friends wrestled with how to show up in the chaotic political and social circumstances in their nations. Old rules seemed no longer to apply. Usual strategies seemed woefully inadequate. Nearly everyone gave voice to a sense of inadequacy to the task and internal and external pressure to "do something." We didn't solve the problems in our 90-minute Zoom call. But we did attune to one another in meaningful ways and encourage one another to focus less on action and more on how we show up. We cared for one another. I don't recall a time when so many people in diverse places were feeling the complexity of sense-making amidst chaotic situation(s). Continuous adaptation is exhausting. We have no idea what lies around the corner. But what we do know is that people in any future will need the sort of attunement, care, and nurturing we experienced last week. Keeping that idea of care at the center makes everything seem a bit more doable. Very grateful for all my friends in unRival Network's Artisans of Peace and elsewhere. 

This week we mark the 75th anniversary of the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act. The Act built the foundations for modern nature conservation, enshrining in law protections for our wild spaces. It led the way for our iconic network of National Landscapes, Parks and Trails (collectively known as Protected Landscapes). Which is your favourite? From the Peak District to Exmoor National Park, Protected Landscapes welcome almost 270 million visitors a year and are home to internationally important habitats and our most iconic species. All in, they contain half of England’s priority habits and Sites of Special Scientific Interest, 60% of deep peat and around 88% of heather and acid grassland habitats. This makes them vital to restore nature and boost the nation’s health through access to nature. Personally, a childhood trip to the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, and visiting the vast open spaces of Northumberland, stand out in my memory. However, many of these landscapes are in a poor condition, with the wildlife that lives within their boundaries in steep decline and their waterways polluted. Did you know that less than 40% of rivers in National Parks are in good ecological status? This needs to be reversed and it is now more important than ever to invest in nature and protect these spaces. I had the privilege to support the English National Parks and the Broads Authority with an income generation feasibility and scoping project in 2023 with Philanthropy Company. Like many charities and other nonprofits, diversifying income streams is crucial for their ability to invest in nature restoration projects, and test and learn from other nature-based innovation iniatitives and campaigns. #Philanthropy #Nature #UKNationalParks National Parks UK

Howard Hubbard Memorial Hospital Partners with Golden Ranch Farm through the RAMPHH Initiative! Howard Hubbard Memorial Hospital is proud to announce its partnership with Golden Ranch Farm under the Referral Alliance for Mutual Partnerships of Howard Hubbard (RAMPHH)—a pioneering initiative focused on enhancing patient care and fostering community well-being. Golden Ranch Farm, owned by proprietor Engr. Rona Theresa Pineda, is a premier agri-tourism destination offering horsemanship classes and serving as a breeding sanctuary for exotic birds, Nishikigoi (KOI), Australian Boer Goats, and Damara & Dorper sheep. The partnership was formalized by Deputy CEO Paolo Vincent A. Torres, Deputy Chief Finance Officer Maria Elena Maureal, and a representative from Golden Ranch Farm. Together, we are committed to providing accessible, high-quality healthcare services to the Polomolok community, promoting healthier and happier lives. Join us in celebrating this milestone as we work toward a brighter future in healthcare and community development. #HealthcareCollaboration #RAMPHH #HowardHubbardMemorial #BetterTogether #CommunityHealth #HHMHCommunity #WeAreHowardHubbard #CommittedToCare #DedicatedToCure