Asheville – On Wednesday, April 12, celebrated author Florence Williams will be in Asheville and the Arboretum in support of her best-selling book The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative. The Nature Fix set the standard for how many of us sought solace and healing in nature from the initial days of the pandemic by being chosen as the first Arboretum Reads selection in 2019. Three years later, we’re still reading Williams’ studies on the advantages of nature and find it convincing proof to get outside.
The Nature Fix is “a brilliantly written, extremely fascinating presentation of a basic principle of human life now supported by evidence in biology, psychology, and medicine,” according to scientist Edward O. Wilson.
Williams will conduct a forest bathing experience for a small group in the Arboretum Forest and give a discussion in the evening, both of which were inspired by her research for the book. Adult & Continuing Education will hold an Arboretum Re-Reads discussion on The Nature Fix prior to her arrival for both in-person and online audiences. The registration information for every Williams-related event in Asheville is provided here.
Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey, the most recent book by Florence Williams, was selected the winner of the prestigious PEN / E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Prize on March 3 in New York City. Williams explored her journey toward recovery from divorce in Heartbreak by fusing a personal account with a study of the psychological causes of loss. She claimed that her studies had given her a better understanding of “the ways in which we all suffer together and that humans are fundamentally designed for bonding.”
On the Arboretum’s website, registration is currently open for all events related to Williams’ visit to Western North Carolina. Contact adulteducation@ncarboretum.org for further details.
For more information, contact Ruth Gonzalez at Reems Creek Nursery or Rebecca Caldwell at The North Carolina Arboretum. Rebecca Caldwell can be reached at 828.412.8581 or rcaldwell@ncarboretum.org.