Back to the Land: Stories of people who are (re)connecting with nature
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our connection with nature.
For many over the past 18 months, a trip to the park was the only way to connect with friends and loved down while governments implemented restrictions.
In Back to the Land, a four-part series hosted by Duncan McCue, we explore our connections to nature — from prescribing nature for improving mental health to overcoming fear of the great outdoors.
How prescribing nature could make us healthier
Jon Cadang has struggled with his mental health since childhood, but he says spending time in nature proved to be a powerful treatment against his depression.
He's not alone, says Vancouver-based physician Dr. Melissa Lem, the director of PaRx, an evidence-based nature prescription program. She says there's a body of research that indicates spending time in the natural world can benefit our mental and physical well-being.
Read more | Hear the documentary
Preserving Indigenous languages could be good for the planet, researchers say
It's expected that 50 to 90 per cent of the world's 7,000 languages will be lost by the end of the century, with research suggesting a loss of languages is linked to a loss of biodiversity.
Plant medicine educator Joe Pitawanakwat has made teaching about medicine plants — and preserving their Anishinaabemowin names — his life work.
Read more | Hear the documentary
How a first-generation farmer hopes to make rural agriculture more diverse
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Aminah Haghighi faced what she calls her quarter-life crisis and began gardening at her Toronto home. Today, she runs a farm in Prince Edward County, Ont., that sells everything from tomatoes to seedlings at the local farmer's market.
But in her journey to launch Raining Gold Farms, Haghighi says she's faced racism from those living in the rural community.
Jacqueline Scott, a University of Toronto Ph.D candidate who studies race and the outdoors, says nature is often coded as a "white space" — and farmers are often considered to be white men.
Read more | Hear the documentary
These nature enthusiasts once feared the outdoors. Here's how they overcame it
Whether it's wild animals, unpredictable weather or treacherous landscapes, the great outdoors can be scary for many.
Both Mario Rigby and Eva Holland know that first hand. Neither grew up knowing much about nature. But by pushing themselves, they conquered their fears — and now they encourage others to do the same.
