Embedded Files
The Nature Connection Leadership Certification is starting in September!
ETP 3500
Are you interested in helping to create a more nature-connected culture to advance pro-environmental behavior and community mental wellness? All UVA students are eligible to participate in the Nature Connect Leader Certificate program, a yearlong extracurricular learning community hosted by Environmental Thought and Practice students and professors in collaboration with the local non-profit Nature Connection Lab. At the end of the program, participants will be equipped with the content knowledge and facilitation skills needed to lead nature connection initiatives. Together, we work to inspire the transformational relationships with nature needed for human and planetary health. We gratefully acknowledge grant support from the Karsh Institute of Democracy.
Why enroll in the Nature Connection Leader Certification Program?
Why enroll in the Nature Connection Leader Certification Program?
More and more communities and organizations are recognizing the role of strong emotional bonds with the natural world as foundational for environmentally responsible behavior and employee and community wellness. To address the symptoms of environmental degradation and climate change, we must address the root causes - pervasive disconnection from nature, amnesia for our interconnectivity with all of life, and mindsets valuing profit over the planet.
Pathways to nature connection may be shared, but where we arrive is deeply personal and for many, a source of meaning, purpose, and belonging. At the completion of the leader certification program, not only will you expand your sense of kinship with nature, you will be able to design and lead nature connection initiatives to help others do the same. These skills are critical to help us collectively move beyond coping with existing harmful systems to create new ways to take care of the Earth and each other.
We welcome diverse perspectives and people from all backgrounds and courses of study to join us in restoring our relationship with nature and promoting nature equity for community mental health and environmental stewardship where we live, learn, work, and play.
Other benefits:
Pathways to nature connection may be shared, but where we arrive is deeply personal and for many, a source of meaning, purpose, and belonging. At the completion of the leader certification program, not only will you expand your sense of kinship with nature, you will be able to design and lead nature connection initiatives to help others do the same. These skills are critical to help us collectively move beyond coping with existing harmful systems to create new ways to take care of the Earth and each other.
We welcome diverse perspectives and people from all backgrounds and courses of study to join us in restoring our relationship with nature and promoting nature equity for community mental health and environmental stewardship where we live, learn, work, and play.
Other benefits:
- Skill building in program development, community engagement practices, planning and implementation, and group facilitation
- Increased sense of purpose, belonging, and meaning in working to address both the environmental and mental health crises through nature connection experiences
- Networking with like-minded peers, professors, and clubs who are intentional about strengthening the human - nature relationship and promoting nature equity
- Involvement in non-profit work with The Nature Connection Lab, a community nonprofit founded by UVA instructors who offer the Environmental Thought and Practice class, Nature Connection -- Pathways for Hope, Healing, and Community Building
- No-cost certification and continued educational opportunities beyond the certification program
Program Elements
Program Elements
Welcome Retreat
Over a two day period in mid-September (an afternoon on Saturday and evening on Sunday), you will be introduced to the science of nature connectedness and nature connection practices in the five exploratory areas - belonging, savoring, restoration, meaning making, and kinship care. You will also be introduced to the main facilitation skills and community engagement practices that you will cultivate throughout the certification program. A Nature Connection Concept Map will be provided to support your program planning.
During the welcome retreat you will connect with other like-minded individuals and start exploring potential community engagement projects at UVA or in the larger community. Participants may initiate new projects or assume a leadership role in existing projects.
We will close out this two-day retreat with a welcome dinner to kick-off the program!
Mandatory Welcome Retreat Dates:
Saturday, September 7th 12-4pm
Sunday, September 8th 6-8pm
Dinner is provided to celebrate the start of the nature connection leader certification process.
Community Engagement
To build confidence in leading nature connection initiatives, all certification candidates partake in a community engagement project on Grounds or in the larger community. You may choose an existing Nature Connection Lab project or start a new initiative with two or more students to serve a friend group, community organization, or green space. Projects are highly flexible and personally chosen to fit within your schedule and interest areas. Faculty leaders of the program will be available to support every step of your project from program design to feedback collection.
Projects qualify for the certification process if they integrate the program's foundational knowledge concepts, exploration areas, and facilitation skills. Volunteers may be invited to participate from the larger UVA community.
From September through April, there will be monthly Meetups offered to reinforce the practice exploration areas and group facilitation skills. Meetups are also an opportunity to discuss commmunity engagement projects. Attendance at a minimum of four meetups is required for certification.
Faculty leaders are available for consultation upon request.
Independent Exploration
To develop the expertise needed to promote the science and practice of nature connection, certification candidates engage in a self-paced study of a curated set of readings and videos. All of the materials are selected to prepare you to work within a wide range of settings from urban office buildings to remote wilderness areas.
Candidates are invited to set their own benchmarks for engaging with the learning materials. Concepts may be incorporated into community engagement projects and into a final personal mission statement shared at the certification retreat.
Readings and videos typically take no more than ten minutes at a time making them easier to fit into busy schedules. All are highly practical and adaptable to nature connection work in the community. Read what interests you and what you need to build confidence in the foundational knowledge areas.
To build community, we encourage informal meetups for meals and walks. Opportunities to discuss learning materials and to engage in practical nature connection practices with peers on Grounds are a critical part of the Nature Connection Leader Certification program.
Certification Retreat
During the May Certification Retreat (date TBD), you will have the opportunity to share your personal mission statement reflecting knowledge of foundational concepts. A flexible format for the mission statement will be provided at the welcome retreat.
As part of the certification retreat, there will be opportunities for leading activities, sharing your overall experience, and discussing the implications of your project. We will end the retreat with reflections on the program, envisioning future work, and presenting certificates.
Certificate holders may say
-I have expertise in educating others about the science and practice of nature connectedness.
-I am practiced in leading dialogues on concepts related to the importance of human-nature relationships.
-I have expertise in leading community engagement experiences in the form of events, retreats, workshops, and projects.
-I work to raise awareness about the vital role of nature connectedness in increasing pro-active care for the Earth and improving community mental health.
Lead Instructor
Carolyn Schuyler is a UVA Visiting Scholar, a Morven Sustainability Lab Community Scholar, a psychotherapist/ecotherapist and the founder of Wildrock and Nature Connection Lab, two local nonprofit organizations seeking to promote nature connection for health and happiness. Her joy is joining with others to find meaning and purpose in relationship with nature. Carolyn is supported by Dorothe Bach, Associate Director and Professor at UVA's Center for Teaching Excellence. She is committed to helping students create a life for themselves that is in keeping with their deeply held values and in consideration of their natural and social environments.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse