Review Article

Ecotherapy and Mental Well-Being: The Skyros Project’s Nature-Based Educational Approach

Klioumis Nikolaos*, Zapanti Gerasimina Theodora and Skanavis Constantina

Department of Public and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of West Attica, 11521 Athens, Greece

Submission: October 21, 2024; Published: November 08, 2024

*Corresponding author: Klioumis Nikolaos, Department of Public and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of West Attica, 11521 Athens, Greece. Email: nklioumis@uniwa.gr

How to cite this article: Klioumis Nikolaos, Zapanti Gerasimina Theodora and Skanavis Constantina. Ecotherapy and Mental Well-Being: The Skyros Project’s Nature-Based Educational Approach. Open Access J Educ & Lang Stud. 2024; 2(4): 555593. DOI:10.19080/OAJELS.2024.02.555593.

Abstract

The Skyros Project exemplifies a nature-based educational approach that enhances mental well-being through ecotherapy. The project integrates hands-on, experiential learning in natural settings to promote environmental responsibility and mental health. Participants engage in outdoor seminars, environmental communication, and collaborative art projects, fostering social support and a sense of belonging. This model effectively combines theory with immersive experiences, making learning more impactful. By linking environmental sustainability with mental well-being, the Skyros Project highlights nature-based education’s potential to contribute to ecological responsibility and emotional empowerment.

Keywords: Ecotherapy; Skyros Project; Environmental Education; Mental Health Promotion; Experiential Learning; Environmental Communication

Introduction

Ecotherapy involves various activities involving interaction with the natural environment, such as hiking, group activities in nature, gardening, nature observation, forest bathing, and more. The theoretical basis of ecotherapy is rooted in the idea that being in touch with nature can promote mental health [1]. Contact with natural surroundings can enhance both mental and physical well-being by mitigating stress, promoting mood elevation and subjective energy, and improving physical health by impacting blood pressure, cortisol levels, and the immune system [2-4].

Α Brief description of the Academy of Environmental Educators “Skyros Project”

The Skyros Project is a collaboration between the “Environmental Education, Training, and Communication Research Unit” of the University of West Attica and the Skyros Port Authority. The port has excelled in attaining stringent sustainability criteria and mostly works in a manner that actively enhances environmental quality [5]. The Academy of Environmental Educators strives to pioneer in educating the new generation of environmental educators, joining the formal, non-formal, and informal promotion of responsible environmental behavior and health promotion. The Skyros Project is a Communication and Education Center designed to educate the participants by employing a hands-on, nature-based approach. According to Professor Constantina Skanavis, one of the two founders (the other being Kyriakos Antonopoulos) of the Academy, outdoor activities are necessary to tackle environmental issues such as sustainable development, global warming, and climate change [6].

An Educational Model for Promoting Mental Health and Well-Being

The Academy was founded in 2014, and since then, new participants join the two-week program every year. During this time, the participants are immersed in various courses within the framework of responsible environmental behavior and health promotion through effective environmental communication. Since research helps us improve our grasp of many disciplines of knowledge, including natural, social, health, and engineering sciences, combining these disciplines and their applications will advance our knowledge and enable us to understand risks better and implement response strategies [7]. The medium for the above to materialize is effective environmental communication, which, given the times we live, is not just a useful tool but an imperative one [8]. Perhaps the most significant benefit of environmental communication is its ability to shape and transform human knowledge in a way that considers the constant relationship between the natural world and humans [9].

Courses often focus on the environment’s impact on mental health, nature-based activities, environmental communication, and trash art. Experiential seminars allow students to directly encounter concepts, enhancing comprehension and emotional impact [10]. This approach transforms learning into an autobiographical memory, inspiring people to adopt ecologically responsible behavior and participate in environmental decision-making, such as the Skyros Project. The Academy is designed to foster social interaction among participants, who often have never met before. The daily program includes activities that encourage collaboration and time spent together. Participants are introduced to the Academy and discuss expectations, personal growth, and environmental awareness. Challenges like the 2024 Thrash Art Project encourage cooperation and teamwork. The result is a collaborative, visually appealing board of tiles, resulting in a very positive reaction from the participants. Tasks, as the, contribute to fostering a sense of social support. Social support phenomena encompass objective factors, such as the frequency of our interactions with others and helping behaviors, and subjective dimensions, such as a sense of belonging and esteem support [11].

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Skyros Project is a very good example of how certain education practices combined with nature can boost mental health. The Academy of Environmental Educators provides a mode of learning that helps create ecologically responsible behavior and emotional empowerment. Participants are exposed to nature settings and immersive, hands-on activities that make new knowledge more accessible to remember by combining theory and on-the-spot experience. Moreover, since a sense of belonging and social support are essential aspects of mental health, the emphasis that is placed on social interactions and collaboration cultivates these qualities.

References

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