SEDA Health and Wellbeing. Green Drinks: Hug a Tree

SEDA Health and Wellbeing Green Drinks

Edinburgh

Sunday 12 May 2024

Nature walk 2.30-4pm
(Astley Ainslie Hospital North Gate, pedestrian access, Newbattle Terrace, across from Whitehouse Loan. What 3 Words: https://w3w.co/carbon.lower.handle)

Wellbeing talks and Green Drinks 4.30-7pm
(Columcille Centre, 2 Newbattle Terrace, Edinburgh EH10 4RT)

SEDA Health and Wellbeing are delighted to invite you to the nature walks in the 100 years old Astley Ainslie hospital grounds followed by talks focused on health and wellbeing in greenspaces.

Access to quality green spaces and wildlife rich environments can support health and wellbeing of individuals and communities, prevent social isolation and illness. People thrive in nature and reciprocal relationship between human health and nature protection is one that is not sufficiently acknowledged but crucial: the importance of a collaborative not a competing approach.

Our speakers will share their experiences on how living in nature can enhance lives, improving health and wellbeing of people and the planet.

Nature walks in Astley Ainslie hospital grounds with forester Willie McGhee, ecologist Jonathan Silvertown and Green Health Programme Manager for NHS Lothian Ian Mackenzie including opportunity for befriending a tree.

Walk will start at the pedestrian entrance for Astley Ainslie Hospital at corner of Newbattle Terrace and Whitehouse Loan.

Transport: Frequent buses in Princes Street for both Edinburgh Waverley Station and the main Bus Station to Morningside Road Edinburgh.

Followed by wellbeing talks in Columcille Centre (in person only). A donation box will be available for contribution towards the cost of food with a suggested donation of £5.

Please email info@seda.net.uk if you have any dietary requirements for the Green Drinks.

The event is in person only. If you would like to attend part of the event, please let us know on info@seda.net.uk. The spaces for the walk are limited.

Speakers will include:

Ian Mackenzie - Green Health Programme in NHS Lothian

Dr Michele Hipwell - Mindfulness, forest bathing and nature

Dr Sara Stevenson - The history of the Astley Ainslie Hospital, with a focus on health and wellbeing

Rachel Codd - Surviving in space... Thriving in Place - Designing with Biophilia

Dr Scott Ogletree - The relationship between society and the natural envionment - Woods In and Around Town

Music from Karine Polwart and Pippa Murphy with Dave Milligan on piano.

Poetry from Sophei Cooke:

Sophie Cooke is a poet and novelist living in Edinburgh. Her poetry has been published in magazines and anthologies. She is now working on a collection of poems about home and journeying/pilgrimage. Website: http://www.sophiecooke.com.

About the walk guides and speakers:

Prof. Jonathan Silvertown - Nature walk leader

Jonathan is a plant ecologist. He moved to Scotland in 2014 when he was appointed Professor of Evolutionary Ecology in the Institute of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Edinburgh. He retired in September 2022, and is now an honorary Professor in the Institute. Prior to moving to Edinburgh, Jonathan was Professor of Ecology at the Open University where he devised the citizen science projects iSpotnature.org , Treezilla.org and Evolutionmegalab.org

Jonathan has written a number of popular science books, including most recently Selfish Genes to Social Beings: A cooperative history of life, which was published by Oxford University Press in April 2024.

www.JonathanSilvertown.com.

Willie McGhee – Nature walk leader

Willie served as co-convenor of AACT. He is a practicing forester who has worked in commercial and community forestry since 1990. He was, Director of Borders Forest Trust from 1996 to 2011, a Trustee and latterly Chair of Scottish Power’s Green Energy Trust (2002–2018), founder and Director of the Southern Upland Partnership (1999–2004), a Trustee on the Scottish Forestry Trust (2003–2012), a Director of the Millennium Forest for Scotland Trust (1996–2006) and served on two Forestry Commission Advisory Panels (Native Woodland: 1996–1999, Forests for People: 2000–2006) and is an active member and Secretary for the Forest Policy Group (2008–present). He currently serves as a fundraiser and Forest Manager for the Highland Perthshire Communities Land Trust and is an active campaigner and forestry consultant for community land ownership. He has been involved in purchasing and planning for community land purchase for the last 25 years and is a member of a forest owning partnership.

Ian Mackenzie - Nature walk leader and speaker

Ian Mackenzie is passionate about connecting people and nature to improve health and tackle climate change. As the Green Health Programme Manager for NHS Lothian he is at the forefront of integrating biodiversity and nature into health care settings and systems. Building on a 20 year career in wildlife conservation, he has a reputation for developing partnerships and collaborations that bridge the gap between conservation and other sectors. Working for Greenspace Scotland, Scottish Wildlife Trust and Forrest Research he has created partnership and projects that benefit both people and planet.

Dr Michele Hipwell - speaker

Michele is a practising Chartered Health Psychologist and academic psychologist who taught and trained post-graduate health psychology students. She has a strong focus in the integration of health and well-being activities in green spaces in her practice. Her family lived a few minutes’ walk from the Astley Ainslie Hospital (AAH) and were familiar with the lovely green spaces onsite.

An environmental and community activist, she co-founded and co-chaired the community group Transition Edinburgh South, started 15 years ago. One early activity included running a community garden in the AAH hospital grounds. She continues to be actively involved in community groups initiatives, including the Astley Ainslie Community Trust and is a member of SEDA’s Health and Well-being group. As a mindfulness practitioner, she co-facilitated a group of over 150 Health practitioners’ research and practice across Scotland and runs mindfulness groups every week, with a focus on nature.

Dr Sara Stevenson - speaker

Dr Sara Stevenson is a historian specialising in 19th century photography. She is currently the Editor of Leaves magazine, based on Patrick Geddes’ idea, ‘By Leaves we live’, and concerned with nature, health and creativity.

Rachel Codd - speaker

Rachel is a biophilic designer based in Edinburgh. From an early age, she had a profound appreciation for the beauty of the outdoors and this laid the foundation for her future endeavors: studying printmaking and illustration, working in natural healthcare, as a librarian and as a freelance designer before completing an MA in Interior Architecture & Design in 2022. Her final project was a place-based concept design for a tenement-based GP Clinic in Edinburgh.

Her approach to design is underpinned by a steadfast commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. She champions eco-friendly practices and materials, striving to minimise ecological footprints while maximising positive impacts on both people and planet. In 2023 she launched Make Better Interiors, providing clients with nature-inspired, eco-conscious interior design services.

Dr Scott Ogletree - speaker

Scott Ogletree is a Lecturer in Landscape and Wellbeing in the Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (ESALA), having previously joined OPENspace as a Research Fellow in June 2021. His research focuses on the relationship between society and the natural environment. Scott works within two projects at OPENspace, “Woods In and Around Town” (WIAT2) – looking at the impact of woodlands on mental health and child development, and GroundsWell – helping gather and manage data for green and blue space interventions.