Neurons and Nature Festival
The Neurons and Nature Festival is due to take place on 10th May 2024 at the Down to Earth Project in Swansea. This is a unique conference which will focus on nature-based clinical activity and opportunities to experience therapeutic nature-based interventions and workshops.
The Festival is committed to showcasing the compelling evidence for nature-based interventions with a focus on people living with neurological and long-term health conditions.
The idea for the Festival started when Dr Richard Coates, Consultant Neuropsychologist felt that he didn’t want to return to “business as usual” following lockdown and realised how much he had benefited from spending more time in nature. He joined a supervision group for outdoor therapies and started to use the nature connection within his work.
Through this work Richard connected with Dr Mary Delaney and Dr Claire McDonald on social media who were launching their community interest company “Neuro in Nature” which provides forest bathing sessions for public wellbeing with the aim of subsidising people with neurological conditions. Richard had the idea for the Festival in order to bring people together with an interest in nature-based therapies and neurorehabilitation.
Dr Jen Attwood, Clinical Psychologist also has an interest in nature-based therapy, having taken a sabbatical from the NHS neurorehabilitation to learn more about this.
Chris Winson, an academic researcher, has an interest in nature connection and Dr Kesta Purt, Consultant Clinical Psychologist in Neuropsychology, is currently undertaking forest bathing practitioner training. They were all keen to join the team and so the Neurons in Nature Festival was born.
What to expect at the Festival
At the Festival there will be a mixture of talks from leading academics that are part of the Nature Connection Research Group and the University of Derby, Clinical Psychologists and Neuropsychologists currently working within the NHS who all use nature connection as part of their work.
The speakers will include Emma Warren – clinical psychologist who will talk about when Neuropsychology meets Environmental Art Therapy and Tim Kirwin, Wilder Things who will be doing a hands-on session to demonstrate his work with woodland therapy for people with brain injuries. There will also be talks about ecotherapy and wellbeing and forest bathing to name but a few.
The Festival will be a mix of formal talks and workshops and activities to provide practical examples of how nature can be used within practice.
The Festival is aimed at professionals working in neurorehabilitation and physical health settings including psychologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists who have an interest in nature connection.
There will be plenty of opportunity for networking with a bell-tent, a campfire and space for quiet reflection with the trees or on the beach.
There will be opportunities for attendees to camp overnight and further activities to join.
RWK Goodman are pleased to support this event as one of the sponsors.
Tickets can be obtained from Eventbrite where there is a full list of all speakers and the agenda for the day.
