Cultivating Connections Between Horticulture and Human Well-Being
Category: Community Engagement Poster
Author(s): Grace Barnett, Joanna Davis, Wendy DeYoung, Mengmeng Gu, Barry Braun
Presenter(s): Grace Barnett
Mentors(s): Kaigang Li
College students spend much of their academic lives indoors, moving between classrooms, lecture halls and study spaces that often separate them from their natural environments. This limited interaction with nature may reduce the benefits that natural elements provide for health, well-being, and environmental awareness. The biophilia hypothesis suggests that humans have an evolutionary and innate inclination to seek connections with nature. Building on this concept, the NatureFit program at Colorado State University was developed to reconnect students with living plants while increasing awareness of the floriculture industries. Funded by the American Floral Endowment, this program is led collaboratively by the Departments of Health and Exercise Science (HES) and CSU’s Office of Engagement and Extension (EE). NatureFit integrates biophilic design into academic spaces by cultivating and displaying plants grown in a NatureFit-sponsored indoor greenhouse within the HES building. Through greenhouse engagement, plant propagation, and the distribution of plants to approximately 200 undergraduate participants, students gain hands-on experience with plant care. Additionally, the placement of 100-150 plants in shared departmental spaces and classrooms extends indirect engagement with plants to over 1,000 students. NatureFit also provides workshops, coursework integration, and seminars with professionals from the floriculture industry and the CSU EE to explore career pathways and highlight the connections between floriculture, health, and environmental sustainability. By combining experimental learning, student-led outreach, and interactive engagement opportunities, the program encourages students to rediscover the value of plants in their daily lives and recognize their potential role in creating healthier, more sustainable communities.