On June 30, 2022, EHN brought together a group of about twenty action-oriented European land and farm managers, scientists, public health professionals, and others interested in the linkages between ecology, environment, and human health and well-being. We met at the historic Qvidja Manor in southwest Finland. Discussions included the great potential of restorative activities (ecological restoration and rehabilitation, regenerative agriculture, regenerative landscape and urban design, etc.) to bolster both ecosystem health and human health, and the social-ecological linkages between them. We had conversations about how to scale-up restorative activities and the emerging movement for a transition to a restoration culture at regional, national, EU, and other international levels. And we had a fabulous tour of the regenerative, organic, Qvidja Farm by our gracious and generous hosts, Saara Kankaanrinta and Ilkka Herlin, both of whom are deeply engaged in all aspects of this productive, teaching, and experimental farm.
At the end of the workshop, the Qvidja Working Group was created to further explore how to strengthen linkages between ecological restoration and public health in group member’s existing restoration projects and also to consider whether or not we should establish a European EHN network. At the September 2022 SER Europe Conference in Alicante Spain, members of this working group will present a workshop called Ecosystem Health and Human Health: Critical link for Ecological restoration and Restoration Ecology. Below are some photos from the workshop.
