As the impacts of climate change on communities and human health continue to be felt locally and globally, it is vital that we act. Researchers, healthcare providers, and educators from across UVM and the Osher Collaborative gathered on October 16 - 17 for the Whole Health for People and Planet Summit to share their work as it relates to planetary health and discuss what the future might look like.



On Wednesday, October 16, Molly Kawahata, the award-winning strategist and climate advisor to the Obama White House, presented “A Hopeful Horizon for Climate: Bridging Communications, Cognition, and the Science of Hope” at Hula Lakeside, after leading a workshop for Osher Affiliates at All Souls Interfaith Gathering in Shelburne, Vermont, earlier in the day.

talking with Molly Kawahata (left) and Osher Associate Director
Cara Feldman-Hunt (right) at Hula Lakeside on October 16.

she and Lili Martin, D.N.P., RN, have done developoing
Compassionate Care for Nurses clasees.
During the Summit’s October 17 Keynote, Director of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), Helene Langevin, M.D. gave multi-disciplinary context for the pressing need to align individual, public, and planetary health as the climate crisis grows.
Other sessions include:

presented her research during the morning session.
- Christine Vatovec, PhD, moderator
- David Victorson, PhD, Northwestern - EARTHRx
- Bruce Barrett, MD, University of Wisconsin - Mindful Eco-Wellness: Steps to Healthier Living
- Peter Wayne, PhD, Harvard - Nature and Biophilic Research
- Brendan Fisher, PhD, UVM - Forest Impacts on Human Health
- Chellie Nayar, UVM 3rd year Larner College of Medicine (LCOM) student - Planetary Health Report Card
- Diane Imrie, MBA, RD, UVM Health Network - Climate Smart Health Care
- PLUS! 10-min Planetary Health Guided Meditation: Zachary Ispa-Landa
Afternoon Panel
- Aterah Nusrat, MSc, DIC, Harvard, moderator
- Michael Ferguson, PhD, Harvard - Neuro + earth consciousness
- Carlos Andres Gallegos-Riofrio, PhD, UVM - Agroecology, Nature and Health
- Juliana Neira, UVM Graduate student - Superfoods
- Emily Belarmino, PhD, UVM - Using Positive Deviance to Advance Plant-Based Diets
- Amy Trubek, PhD, UVM - Climate Kitchen
- Beth Zigmund, MD, UVM/UVMMC - Advocacy and Policy for Restoring Planetary Health
- Closing Remarks by UVM Interim President Patricia Prelock, PhD
On Thursday, after the Summit ended, Kawahata joined UVM Interim President Patricia Prelock, PhD, the Gund Institute for the Environment’s Taylor Ricketts, PhD, and multi-unit leadership for the University-wide launch of the Planetary Health initiative on the Andrew Harris Common.

UVM science writer Joshua Brown asked a range of faculty across campus how they define planetary health and how their work addresses it. Osher Affiliate Christine Vatovec, PhD sees reciprocity as essential, and is inspired by cultures that have “a robust and sustainable relationship between humans and the natural environment.” Read how experts across UVM view planetary health.