Biophilia Network
Join Pittsburgh’s new network of creative minds working together to strengthen the bond between people and the natural world.
Biophilia: Pittsburgh is the pilot chapter for a global Biophilia Network. Read on to learn about our next event!
Virtual Biophilia: Connecting Children to Nature: Lessons from Research in Iceland
Join us Thurs., July 11 at 6 p.m. as we hear from Meghan Orman, who will address and expand on the research that has shown connecting children to nature can be beneficial for their well-being and promote sustainable behaviors. Iceland, one of several Nordic nations, prioritizes nature in education and views connecting with nature as part of the good childhood. Meghan will share insights from her doctoral research studying early childhood nature connection in Iceland. She will discuss the psychology behind nature connection and illustrate how young Icelandic children described their connection to nature. She will also provide insights into how to connect children with nature, including lessons learned from the Icelandic school system. She will also discuss the importance of culturally responsive and trauma-informed approaches to connecting children to nature.
Register in advance for the meeting here. The Zoom meeting will begin promptly at 6 p.m. (EST), 3 p.m. (PST). After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Meet the Speakers:
Meghan Orman, Ph.D
Meghan Orman began her educational career as a Montessori toddler teacher with a focus on nature-based pedagogies. She recently earned her PhD in Applied Developmental Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. Her research interests are in applied child development across a wide range of educational settings including community spaces, schools and homes. She is particularly interested in how young children form relationships with nature and the potential for these relationships to support human and environmental well-being. Most recently, she completed a Fulbright-National Science Foundation Arctic Research fellowship in Iceland (2022-2023) where she developed a self-report measure of nature connection for preschool children.
Meetings are free to attend; however, advance registration is required. To R.S.V.P., please use this link.
Designed as a series of posts on the Phipps blog and a hashtag for use on Twitter and Instagram, #bioPGH is a new social call-to-action for people throughout the region to more closely examine the beauty and importance of the nature around them.
The Biophilic Mind is a blog focused on presenting primary-source articles at the intersection of human health and the natural world. The Biophilic Mind aims to highlight high quality, recent research about the connections between well-being and nature.
Inspired by the Biophilic Cities initiative, the Biophilia: Pittsburgh Directory seeks to present an overview of the biophilic organizations, events, activities and projects in Pittsburgh, to aid the public in enhancing their connections to nature and discovering collaborative opportunities.
In this archive, you may access presentation materials and video recordings from previous installments of our monthly Biophilia: Pittsburgh meeting series. Additions will be made often, so visit regularly for the latest materials to deepen your Biophilia: Pittsburgh experience.
Biophilia: Pittsburgh meets monthly at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens where, over delicious small-plates and light refreshments, an expert guest speaker discusses ways of connecting people to nature and showing how these connections can improve our lives in the interest of sharing ideas and identifying opportunities.
Our Goals
• To welcome and inspire others with the concept and principles of biophilia
• To foster collaboration and learning between professionals from a wide variety of disciplines
• To communicate biophilic principles in action-oriented ways to a wider audience for exponential and regional impact
What Is Biophilia?
The term “biophilia,” which literally means “love of life,” was coined by social psychologist Erich Fromm and popularized by biologist E.O. Wilson, who defined it as “the innately emotional affiliation of human beings to other living organisms.”
The implications of biophilia extend across a vast array of disciplines including design and engineering, nutrition, psychology, public health, education, biology and the humanities. Biophilia is expressed all over the world every day, through complex collaborations such as the design and construction of buildings and landscapes; and intimate, personal encounters including nature hikes and home gardening.
Photo © Paul g. Wiegman, Phipps staff
