The Power To Create Green Spaces on HBCU Campuses
Aliyah Collins (center) is founder of The Eco-Healing Project.
By Aliyah Collins
Spiritual care is an important part of my work. It is critical to understand how we are connected to nature and how nature benefits our mental health.
This experience of navigating the loss of power for days, struggling to commute to work, and finding a way to continue my studies was challenging without much support. I noticed that my HBCU, among others, did not have resources to support the mental health challenges that arose from this disaster, as many institutions are forced to address the poor infrastructure as a priority.
After this disaster, I began to talk with other HBCU students about the challenges of recovering from recurring climate disasters. This led me to create The Eco-Healing Project, which helps HBCU students recover from the impact of climate disasters through healing gardens.
The project will help students use gardening as a spiritual practice and a form of spiritual care to navigate the mental health challenges from climate disasters. Gardening helps us learn from the life process of plants by applying the same principles of sowing seeds, watering seeds, and harvesting into our own daily lives.
Spiritual care is an important part of my work. It is critical to understand how we are connected to nature and how nature benefits our mental health. You feel better when you’re outside. So when communities of color don’t have access to clean and safe green spaces, we can see how this affects the overall wellness of the community.
““Spiritual care is an important part of my work. It is critical to understand how we are connected to nature and how nature benefits our mental health.” — Aliyah Collins, founder, Eco-Healing Project @aliyah32collins #PowerToChangeStories”
Aliyah Collins is founder of The Eco-Healing Project and part of Tom’s of Maine Incubator, a program helping the next generation of BIPOC leaders drive environmental solutions. The Incubator provides funding, mentorship, exposure and support to drive our ideas and programs forward. Learn more at https://www.tomsofmaine.com/incubator ; https://twitter.com/Aliyah32Collins ; https://www.instagram.com/ascollins__/ ; https://www.ecohealingproject.org/