TRU’s Indoor Greenery

Abstract

My investigation focuses on incorporating indoor green spaces at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) and how they will impact the schools’ systems including determining the health-promoting impacts of incorporating indoor green spaces. This will contribute to our awareness of the way green spaces might function as daily therapeutic environments. This study aims to study the incorporation of academic green space in TRU, the impacts of its incorporation into TRU, and how these research findings can inform the inclusion of indoor green spaces within the university premises.

TRU is always dealing with the challenges that Canadian winters bring including limited outdoor interactions. Regular contact with vegetative space has been scientifically related to improved health and wellness in many communities. The board of Governors seeks to infuse natural elements into indoor spaces to try and circumnavigate around such hurdles by mimicking the natural environment indoors. The report will also look into a previously failed attempt setting up a green living wall at the Brown Learning House and also explore the negative aspects of indoor greenery. This report will provide the board with clear recommendations that they can take into account when implementing such an ecosystem while helping them navigate practical challenges this report advocates for indoor greenery implementation to enrich and improve the student’s and other stakeholder’s campus experience.

Introduction 

Carmen et al. (2021) study found that green environments on campuses contribute to better mental wellness. This component has received increased attention as college students’ knowledge of mental health concerns has risen. The study posits that green spaces have a significant role in fostering healthy mental wellness in all facets of psychological healing from human health to the natural world. Direct exposure to green spaces promotes mental renewal and relaxation, offering a special sensation of peace and quiet in the outdoors. Consequently, this positively impacts mental health in general. The immediate result of exposure to green spaces in fostering favorable outcomes for mental health is psychological healing.

The two primary theoretical frameworks that highlight the beneficial impacts of natural surroundings on an individual’s mental and physical well-being are the focus on the restorative concept and the stress relief theory. Engaging with the environment can enhance mood and self-worth, lessen rage, and enhance overall psychological health with favorable impacts on feelings and behavior. The capacity to complete intellectually demanding activities and academic success are two more favorable outcomes of these connections in cognitive function. Furthermore, this research indicates that connections with the environment may help social and physical wellness, notably promoting social engagement and lowering violent behavior and crime in metropolitan areas, along with physical health advantages like less stress or lower mortality rates.

Pretty et al. (2007) discovered that following exercise, respondents’ mood and confidence, as judged by self-report questionnaires, increased considerably. It is unclear if environmental factors alone were responsible for the positive impact or if exercise only is enough, as the researchers understood this as proof that physical activity in natural settings can improve mental health. However, a control treatment involving physical activity in an artificial setting hadn’t been included. Nonetheless, Pretty et al. (2005) examined the emotional reactions of subjects exposed to a series of photographs of nature and urban landscapes while jogging on a treadmill in a lab in a different but thematically related research. Contact with natural sceneries boosted both mood and self-esteem, indicating that exercising in the context of natural surroundings may have more positive effects.

Challenges about with the onset of Canadian winters since the mean daily temperature is about -15 °C. However strong wind chills can cause it to dip below -50 °C. While snow can remain on the surface for approximately six months out of the calendar year in non-coastal areas, it can remain all year round in some northern locations. Such conditions significantly limit outdoor interactions within the weather, confining individuals indoors for extended periods. Such confining conditions cause decreased physical activity, feeling of isolation, and reduced nature access which are detrimental to an individual’s well-being. Staff members, students, and the faculty find themselves long hours indoors, either in classrooms, offices, or study areas. Such limited exposure contributes to lethargy feelings, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and decreased productivity. The campuses’ outdoor green areas like gardens are less accessible and less inviting during colder months. Individuals are less likely to venture outside to relax, study, or engage in recreational activities which isolates them from natural benefits.

Therefore, TRU governing board Governors recognize the merits that accompany finding alternative solutions to ensure that students, faculty, and staff can still reap the benefits that nature provides despite limits that Canadian winters make to stakeholders within the university.

Discussion & Analysis

There have been attempts to recreate the natural world within the university facilities provided as seen with the Brown House of Learning greenery attempt. The project wanted to install a living wall to integrate the natural scenery into the indoor environment. However, the project faced significant challenges that led to its ultimate implementation failure.

References

Julia, F., Thomas, K., & Carmen, A. (2021). Academic Greenspace and Well-Being—Can Campus Landscape be Therapeutic. Evidence from a German university. Wellbeing Space Soc, 2, 100003.

Pretty, J., Peacock, J., Hine, R., Sellens, M., South, N., & Griffin, M. (2007). Green exercise in the UK countryside: Effects on health and psychological well-being, and implications for policy and planning. Journal of environmental planning and management, 50(2), 211-231.

Pretty, J., Peacock, J., Sellens, M., & Griffin, M. (2005). The mental and physical health outcomes of green exercise. International journal of environmental health research, 15(5), 319-337.