| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.57 |
| Liaison | Rebecca Collins |
| Submission Date | Dec. 14, 2023 |
Temple University
IN-49: Innovation C
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Caroline
Burkholder Senior Sustainability Manager Office of Sustainability |
Name or title of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome that outlines how credit criteria are met and any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation:
Campus Nature Rx (CNRx) is a coalition of over 60 colleges and universities and 89 professionals dedicated to supporting campus mental and physical health through inclusive and equitable nature engagement teaching, research, and outreach. Temple University's Ambler Arboretum is an affiliate member of the network.
Learn more about Ambler: https://ambler.temple.edu/arboretum/about-arboretum
Ambler Arboretum is Temple University's public botanical garden, outdoor classroom and living laboratory. Encompassing the entire Temple Ambler campus, the Ambler Arboretum's diverse horticulture display gardens, botanical collections, and acres of woodlands and meadows are a resource to students, faculty, staff, researchers and the community. The mission of the Ambler Arboretum is to serve as a safe and accessible educational resource modeling the art and science of horticulture and environmental responsibility while fostering research, celebrating the achievements of women in horticulture, preserving the historic significance of the campus and highlighting the health benefits of nature, plants and gardening.
The Ambler Campus seeks to provide opportunities for members of the Temple and greater community to develop a healthy relationship with nature through various educational programs and activities. These programs are often delivered as a way to complement the work of university counseling centers and provide greater access to students to gain coping tools and build community. The Ambler Recreation, Outdoor Education and Wellness unit provides unique resources at the Ambler Campus that focus on holistic health and well-being. The Ambler ROW Department has partnerships with experiential therapy faculty including expressive arts, music, horticulture and recreation to develop opportunities for students to gain clinical hours through the delivery of nature-based wellness programs for students.
Read more here: https://ambler.temple.edu/arboretum/learn/naturerx
One example of a Campus Rx community-engaged, diversity, equity and inclusivity initiative is Healing Ourselves Outside Together (HOOT). HOOT is a multidepartment and campus program led by Temple University Harrisburg in collaboration with Let’s Go Outdoors and other community organizations. HOOT aims to address the disparities in access to outdoor recreational opportunities, particularly people of color living near Temple University’s campuses: the Harrisburg, Ambler and Center City campuses and Main Campus. The program seeks to alleviate barriers such as historical inequities, lack of transportation and limited community familiarity with outdoor activities. Read more about HOOT: https://ambler.temple.edu/news/2022/10/temple-university-harrisburg-brings-hoot-programs-temple-ambler
A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise or a press release or publication featuring the innovation :
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.