VIRTUAL: “Let’s Talk”: Rooted in Wellness
Join us Thursday, October 8 from 12–1 PM ET for our latest “Let’s Talk” conversation, held in honor of Mental Illness Awareness Week.
Rooted in Wellness — Growing Mental Health Through Nature & Gardens will bring together an incredible panel of mental health advocates to explore the powerful connection between nature, gardening, and mental well-being. Together, we’ll:
- Explore the research behind the mental health benefits of spending time in nature and gardening.
- Discover practical ways to reduce stress, improve mood, and cultivate greater calm and connection.
Let’s Talk is YTP’s free bi-monthly virtual conversation series, creating a supportive space for educators, volunteers, and community members to connect, learn, and take action around mental health.
This session will be hosted on zoom and recorded as an educational offering for future use.
Panelist & Facilitator Bios:
Emma Martindale (she/her) is the Training and Standards Officer at Trellis, Scotland’s national charity for therapeutic horticulture. With a background in ecology, horticulture and social work, she has experience across community gardening, frontline social work, horticultural and therapeutic horticulture settings. Emma develops and delivers therapeutic horticulture programmes and training, including Scotland’s first accredited practitioner-level training in therapeutic horticulture. She also works with colleagues to develop and launch the UK Association for Social and Therapeutic Horticulture and its practitioner register. Alongside Trellis, Emma runs Nature on the Mind, providing wildlife-friendly gardening services and coaching. Her work brings together people, plants and nature to support wellbeing.
Dr. Sigrun Sigurdardottir (she/her) is a professor at the faculty of Nursing at the University of Akureyri in Iceland and a Nurse at Rehabilitation and Health Clinic in Hveraerdi. She has a BS in Nursing, MSc in Health Sciences and PhD in Nursing and finished the Icelandic Police Academy. She is also a Kundalini yoga teacher and Certified Chopra meditation teacher. She is a mother of three children and has a dog. She has been working as a police officer, a nurse at psychiatric units, rehabilitation centers and public health services.
Suzanne Fox (she/her) Suzanne co-founded The Yellow Tulip Project with her daughter Julia in 2016. She currently serves as the Director of Global Initiatives and as an advisor to YTP’s special projects including the I Am More: Facing Stigma and Young Men Moving Mountains exhibits, Storytelling Alchemy and other community partnerships. Suzanne served as YTP’s Executive Director from its creation until June 2023. Prior to her work as a mental health activist, Suzanne has over 30 years of experience in building understanding and cross-cultural awareness as an adjunct professor, principal of an intercultural consulting company and a facilitator. She has a B.A. in Asian Studies from Bowdoin College, an MA in Chinese Politics from SOAS in London and an MA in Global Mental Health from the University of Edinburgh. Suzanne is the recipient of The New England Patriots Foundation Myra Kraft Community Volunteer Award, United Way of Southern Maine Individual Advocate Award and the Maine Biz NEXT Award recognized as one of seven individuals who are changing Maine’s economy and making a significant impact in their industry.
You can reach Suzanne at: suzanne@theyellowtulipproject.org