From Aron’s Desk

Friends,

It has been about a year since I first visited the area around RFU’s beautiful campus, and I have made it a point to walk as much of our 97 acres as I can. I don’t think I can map out all of the disc golf course, but I have visited all of the baskets. I am not a golfer of any sort, but I do like to walk through a park or a woods. The forest preserves and “wildish” areas in our area are amazing resources for our neighbors, human and non-human.

There is a large literature linking the natural, or semi-natural, to human introspection and happiness. The scales fell from Lizzy Bennet’s eyes, and she saw Darcy as he really was when she walked through his garden, which was more natural and engaged with nature than older Georgian affairs. Well done parks, like Olmsted’s Jackson Park design and the new prairies in Millennium and Lincoln Parks, bring nature and city life together. I always feel better when I get a chance to walk through a park. Even lingering to watch pigeons and gulls navigate city life drops my sense of stress. (Slow roll this cartoon, change the light colors and directions.)

Famously, Thoreau called walking in the woods and fields “so sanative, so poetic.” And, if we focus on that sanative piece, there is a large literature on how green spaces have health benefits. I am particularly interested in how we use and preserve our green spaces on campus. I am concerned that we have lost some oak trees; and if oak wilt accelerates on campus, a large part of our tree canopy is in trouble. We are looking into when and where we should be planting new trees and what trees we should be planting. I am not an expert, but we almost certainly need a distribution of trees on campus - “distribution” of all types makes for a more interesting and lively campus.

The Rosalind Franklin University Health Clinics have partnered with Growing Healthy Veterans (led by GHV President Ellen Ewing) on a healing garden in the courtyard of our clinic buildings. The gardens provide tomatoes, basil, and squash among other veggies, and an opportunity for veterans and active duty personnel to work together on projects as a part of therapeutic agriculture. (This year the garden also provided beans to the local bunnies.)

Earlier in the month, I had a chance to visit the gardens with Illinois State Senator Adriane Johnson, our clinic staff, and veterans. Based on the success of that project and with support from our legislators, the state has funded a Growing Healthy Veterans hoop house project on campus that will expand our partnership with veterans, provide more gardening opportunities for our community, and produce food for those in need. The hoop house project should be ready for spring. So sanative.

Improving the wellness of all people with you, 

Aron