Eco-therapy, also known as green therapy, is a practice of nature-based exercises to address mental and physical health and enhance healing and growth. The Swetland Center will be integrating time in nature as part of their monthly seminar series, where participants will have the opportunity to connect with and explore beautiful spaces near ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ's campus.
For this eco-therapy seminar we will be hiking a short segment of the , which flows through Shaker Heights, Cleveland Heights, and the Cleveland neighborhoods of Larchmere, University Circle, Glenville, and St. Clair Superior before entering into Lake Erie. This quiet brook is nestled invisibly in a ravine between MLK and Fairhill Boulevards that many of us traverse each day going to and coming from work. A walk at the base of the ravine, or along its sides, provides a tranquil and soul-restoring interlude in nature.
Meeting Instructions: Two separate hikes will be available for this session. All participants will meet outside the front door of the BioEnterprise Building [11000 Cedar Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106] at 9:00am. We will leave promptly at 9:10am and will stroll together about 300 yards under the rail bridge at the bottom of MLK Blvd through Rudy Rodgers Memorial Scout Park (formerly Ambler Park). It is here that participants will split into two groups:
- Shorter/Easy Hike: a short (~200 yards each way) flat walk through the woods by the Brook led by Swetland Center Director, Dr. Darcy Freedman.
- Longer/Advanced Hike: a 30 minute walk on a trail along the side of the ravine, across the dam at the top, and down the other side led by the Center for Community for Health Integration Director, Dr. Kurt Stange, a family and public health physician and faculty member at CWRU who enjoys the proximity of his office to the Doan Brook trail for when he needs some nature therapy.
Please ensure you wear comfortable walking shoes (with good traction for the advanced hike) and bring a bag to pick up litter along the way! We will be hiking rain or shine!
This eco-therapy session is co-sponsored by the Center for Community Health Integration (CHI).