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Summer series looks at health

The summer Nature Connection Series continues this week at the WVU Core Arboretum’s woodland amphitheater.

The talk begins at 6 p.m. today. The series runs each Tuesday evening through the summer.

This week’s speaker is Samantha Moyers, PhD candidate at West Virginia University School of Public Health, Department of Social and Behavioral Health Sciences. Her talk is on spending time in nature for human health.

Spending time in nature often leaves us feeling refreshed, but what does the science have to say? The discussion will include the benefits that time spent in nature can have on human health, reasons for these positive effects and how nature-based programming has evolved over time. Find out about the array of nature-based interventions used today, challenges faced when implementing these programs and future directions in research and practice. There will also be a discussion of a nature-based intervention coming to the Core Arboretum this fall.

Moyers holds an MA in social responsibility and sustainable communities from Western Kentucky University. Her interest in the intersections of human health with the natural and built environments was sparked through work experience as a municipal planner in a remote coastal community. In addition to conducting her dissertation research, Moyers serves as the fellow for the Physical Activity Policy Research and Evaluation Network Rural Active Living Workgroup.

Nature Connection Series is a series of public talks by local and regional experts on a variety of nature-related subjects at WVU Core Arboretum. This summer, talks will cover topics such as birds, trees, geology, elk in West Virginia, butterflies and many other things.

The talks are free and open to the public, and no registration is required.

All the talks are outdoors, so dress for the weather.

Talks will be rescheduled if the weather is inclement. Free parking is available at the arboretum parking lot and the adjacent WVU Coliseum parking lot.

The 2022 WVU Core Arboretum Nature Connection Series is supported by the WVU Department of Biology, the WVU Core Arboretum Endowment and donations from the public. All speakers are volunteers.