Winter in the Garden
We have a number of winter events happening both in person and online. Check them out below! For more information or to register, email ht@enablinggarden.org.
Reminder that the GEG is not maintained in the winter; check the weather before visiting and take care to prepare for icy or snowy conditions!
Outdoor Winter Wellness (Riverside Park)
We’ll follow the exciting science and practice some easy and scientifically-evidenced ways to incorporate mindful and fun nature connection into our days. Dress for the weather, bring a mug and a blanket, if you wish. Note: the GEG is not maintained in the winter and thus we will not be meeting in the Garden, to ensure the accessibility and safety of our participants.
| Date & Time | Location | Program |
| February 13, 10:30-11:30am | Riverside Park, GEG North Entrance (walking entrance closest to the playground). | Finding our senses in winter! Guided by a beautiful book by Corinne Demas, Matthew’s Meadow, we’ll move around the park using all of our senses, one by one |
| February 27, 10:30-11:30am | Riverside Park, Merry-Go-Round horse statue | Winter walk and talk about Forest Bathing, a way of slowing down and noticing our natural surroundings through all of our senses |
Indoor Winter Wellness Lunchtime Zooms: accessing nature indoors (online)
There are many barriers to accessing nature, different for each of us. We will follow the evidence to set each participant up with free research-backed practices that help us use our senses indoors to access the proven benefits of nature those times we can’t get out.
| Date & Time | Program |
| .February 13, 12:30 – 1pm | Sight: Views of Nature: We’ll get inspired by studies that support even minimal views of plants and nature benefiting us greatly. Everyone will log off with some ideas of how we can arrange our days and our living space and weekly routine to take advantage of these benefits. |
| February 27, 12:30-1pm | Smell: Have you heard of Forest Bathing? We’ll learn about it and the exciting research it has spurred, think about our routines as they relate to our sense of smell (even in the winter!), and create some new routines to bring nature’s scents into our days. |
| March 6, 12:30-1pm | Touch: Nature’s textures can ground us in moments of feeling overwhelmed, but often need help to remember that. Take this time to remember what we’ve known about slowing down and touching our natural surroundings since we were babies. |
| March 13, 12:30-1pm | Hearing: Sounds are different in the winter. Birds are fewer, water is frozen. We’ll discuss our favourite nature sounds, how they affect our brains, and think of ways to find them into our winter routine. |
Connecting with Winter Birds (With Nature Guelph)
March 4, 9:30-10:30 am
*Guelph Enabling Garden, Riverside Park
Marlene Paibomesai from Nature Guelph Bird Wing and Heidi Torreiter, GEG’s Horticultural Therapist, will co-facilitate this workshop to help us deepen our appreciation for birds in the winter through learning how to listen, watch, and make safe space for the birds in our community in the winter.
The Guelph Enabling Garden (GEG) winter programming is designed to connect our participants with the important and researched benefits of nature-connection at this time of year when nature is more difficult to find and people have lower mood and energy. Humans have evolved alongside birds, and so it makes sense that our brains and bodies positively respond to seeing and hearing them. Carving out time and space for this connection can provide an important source of regular mood-lifting nature-connection.
Register HERE, bring a mug, dress for the weather. Bring binoculars if you have them. Otherwise there will be some pairs available for loan during the event.
*Meet at the Guelph Enabling Garden north entrance (closest to the playground). Note: the GEG is not maintained in the winter and thus if there is snow we will not be meeting in the garden, to ensure the accessibility and safety of our participants.
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