Recreation

Touch the Earth

When I think of Earth Day, the first thing I think of is spring. My mind fills with images of bumblebees and butterflies gliding around spring flowers and of groups of people gathering in their local park to plant trees or collect litter. I think of soil and worms and […]

Open to Rediscover the Magic in our World?

Imagine… you are walking through a forest that is lush, green, and enchanting. The trees seem to creak and talk to one another in the breeze. A small group of dragonflies flit about in circles around you before zipping away. The sunlight stretches its arms through the cracks in the […]

School Gardens: The Change-Makers

Introduction: Community School Gardens The traditional purpose of gardens was to grow and cultivate plants for food and medicine. For centuries, it has provided individuals with the opportunity to learn more about the environment and better appreciate nature. Gardens have become a widespread practice in schools across the globe. Implementing […]

A Being in Nature: How the Mourning Dove’s Call of Inspiration Quieted My Busy Mind

The Power of Taking a Walk Around the Block Over the past week or so, my world has been very high-energy, productive, and busy, busy, busy! I have been maximizing my time at A\J by writing, thinking, creating, editing, and giving as much of myself to my work as I […]

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10 Things at Hillside

When you attend Hillside Music Festival at Guelph Lake, Ontario you enter an eco-village where sustainability and community are top priorities. This 36 year old grassroots organization opens up a world of possibilities and solutions that other events can strive towards. They set the bar high with thoughtful innovations that […]

CIBC Pan Am/Parapan Am Aquatics Centre and Field House competition pool.

Going for the Green at the Pan Am Games

Constructing unique world-class competition facilities for multisport events often leaves behind overbuilt, expensive and underused relics. With this harsh reality in mind, organizers for this summer’s Pan Am and Parapan Am Games in Toronto are taking lessons from other host cities to develop best practices for infrastructure design and construction […]

Prescription for Nature 2 | nik harron

Prescribing a Dose of Nature

Psychologist Elizabeth Nisbet explains why greenery takes away the blues. MUCH OF OUR discourse around environmental issues involves hazards like air and water pollution, deforestation, species extinction or the looming consequences of global climate change. Rarely do we ponder the importance of protecting the natural environment as a mental health resource.