{"id":448,"date":"2016-06-18T23:06:45","date_gmt":"2016-06-19T03:06:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca\/sustainable-campuses\/?p=448"},"modified":"2016-06-23T12:11:45","modified_gmt":"2016-06-23T16:11:45","slug":"the-significance-of-an-aquatic-ecological-peace-garden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca\/sustainable-campuses\/institutional-collaboration\/the-significance-of-an-aquatic-ecological-peace-garden\/","title":{"rendered":"The significance of an Aquatic Ecological Peace Garden"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Chris Adam (Dawson College)
\nTraducci\u00f3n al espa\u00f1ol por Gisela Frias \u00a0(ver version en espa\u00f1ol abajo)<\/p>\n

For too long, ponds and swamps have been regarded as wasteland. They have been viewed more as places that produce only mosquitoes or areas to be landfilled and put to good use. This attitude is one that has been boldly reversed by a university in Mexico. UPEMOR has taken a leadership role in identifying the importance of ecological landscapes on its grounds.
\nValeria D\u00e1vila, director of CECAM and the Environmental Management Plan at the UPEMOR, \u201cgets it\u201d. In a wonderful dinner meeting after a long day at work, this dedicated and enthusiastic person began to speak of her vision of blending natural spaces with people. She feels all can benefit from this project. We discussed how a pond holds more life and more biodiversity than almost any other habitat. Frogs and toads breed there, turtles and countless birds thrive in these shallow waters and insects abound. Many of these animals are eating insects like mosquitoes and adding calming sounds and wonderful colours of wildlife to our day. These living machines are holding water during storms and slowly releasing it back into the environment. Through their multitude of plants and microorganisms, they are also filtering the very water we need \u2013 free of charge!<\/p>\n

Not only will this pond increase biodiversity (the goal is to document 200 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates like butterflies), but it will be designed to be a restorative place for students, staff and the community. Valeria believes, like many studies demonstrate, that being in Nature significantly reduces stress and anxiety, something that plagues students and blocks creative thinking. Less stress can lower internal conflict, interpersonal conflict and leads to a more positive emotion in general. It is related to a more peaceful state of mind which can translate to positive behaviour.<\/p>\n

A study of over 100 high schools showed a consistent positive relationship between Nature exposure and positive student performance and behaviour (Matsuoka, R.H. 2010). Other research suggests exposure to nature reduces absenteeism, lowers criminal behaviour, creates happier students and reduces the time to recover from fatigue. \u00a0 Educational landscapes tend to push out Nature as a consequence of construction and to mimic existing cultural landscaping norms. These norms however, often represent old-school thought and model a dominance over Nature. This social paradigm needs to be replaced with an ecological paradigm that is obvious in our educational landscape, and UPEMOR and Dawson are leading this shift. Our Ecological Peace Gardens are more than just plants. They are \u201cnatural mental health clinics\u201d that model our institutional landscapes as ones with less conflict towards the natural world and contribute to community building through their creation. Let us provide habitat while reconnecting people and community in creating such places. Through this work and contact with Nature, our own well-being is enhanced. We will have resolved conflict, feel better and live the peace. The time is not to fill in these restorative places, but to rejoice in bringing them back. Dawson holds hands with UPMOR and we challenge others to join us in developing their own version of ecological places of peace.<\/p>\n

__________________________
\nLa importancia ecol\u00f3gica de un jard\u00edn acuatico por la paz<\/p>\n

Por Chris Adam de Dawson College
\nTraducci\u00f3n por Gisela Frias<\/p>\n

Durante demasiado tiempo, estanques y pantanos han sido considerados como terrenos bald\u00edos. Han sido vistos m\u00e1s como lugares que producen s\u00f3lo mosquitos o \u00e1reas para convertir en vertederos y poner a buen uso. Esta actitud es la que ha sido audazmente revertida por una universidad en M\u00e9xico. La Universidad Politecnica del Estado de Morelos (UPEMOR) ha esta asumiendo un papel de liderazgo identificando la importancia que tienen los paisajes ecol\u00f3gicos en sus terrenos.<\/p>\n

Valeria D\u00e1vila, directora de CECAM y del Plan de Gesti\u00f3n Ambiental de la UPEMOR, “lo entiende”. En una cena-reuni\u00f3n maravillosa, despu\u00e9s de un largo d\u00eda de trabajo, esta persona dedicada y entusiasta comenz\u00f3 a hablar de su visi\u00f3n del vinculo entre los espacios naturales y la gente. Ella siente que todos pueden beneficiarse de este proyecto. Hablamos de c\u00f3mo un estanque tiene m\u00e1s vida y m\u00e1s biodiversidad que casi cualquier otro h\u00e1bitat. Las ranas y sapos se reproducen all\u00ed, tortugas y numerosas aves prosperan en estas aguas poco profundas, y abundan los insectos. Muchos de estos animales comen insectos como mosquitos y a\u00f1aden sonidos calmantes y maravillosos colores de la vida silvestre a nuestro d\u00eda. Estas m\u00e1quinas vivientes almacenan agua durante las tormentas y lentamente la liberan al medio ambiente. A trav\u00e9s de su multitud de plantas y microorganismos, tambi\u00e9n filtran el agua que necesitamos – de forma gratuita! \u00a0 Este lago no solamente incrementar\u00e1 la biodiversidad (el objetivo es documentar 200 especies de aves, mam\u00edferos, reptiles, anfibios e invertebrados como mariposas), pero va a ser dise\u00f1ado para ser un espacio de restauraci\u00f3n para los estudiantes, el personal y la comunidad. Valeria cree, al igual que muchos estudios demuestran, que el estar en contacto con la naturaleza reduce significativamente el estr\u00e9s y la ansiedad, algo que obstaculiza y bloquea el pensamiento creativo entre los estudiantes. Menos estr\u00e9s puede disminuir los conflictos internos, los conflictos interpersonales y conduce a una emoci\u00f3n m\u00e1s positiva en general. Est\u00e1 relacionado con un estado m\u00e1s pac\u00edfico de la mente que puede traducirse en un comportamiento positivo.<\/p>\n

Un estudio de m\u00e1s de 100 escuelas secundarias mostr\u00f3 una relaci\u00f3n positiva entre la exposici\u00f3n constante a la naturaleza y el rendimiento positivo de los estudiantes y su comportamiento (Matsuoka, R. H. 2010). Otras investigaciones sugieren que la exposici\u00f3n a la naturaleza reduce el absentismo, baja el comportamiento criminal, crea estudiantes m\u00e1s felices y reduce el tiempo necesario para recuperarse de la fatiga. \u00a0 Los paisajes en planteles educativos tienden a empujar a la naturaleza fuera de esos espacio como consecuencia de la construcci\u00f3n y de la jardiner\u00eda que intenta imitar normas culturales existentes. Estas normas, sin embargo, a menudo representan el pensamiento de la vieja escuela y modelan un dominio sobre la naturaleza. Este paradigma social necesita ser reemplazado con un paradigma ecol\u00f3gico que es evidente en nuestro panorama educativo, y la UPEMOR y Dawson College est\u00e1n liderando este cambio. Nuestros Jardines Ecol\u00f3gicos por la Paz son m\u00e1s que s\u00f3lo las plantas. Son “cl\u00ednicas de salud mental naturales” que hacen de nuestros paisajes institucionales modelos que muestra menos conflictos hacia el mundo natural y contribuyen a la construcci\u00f3n de la comunidad a trav\u00e9s de su creaci\u00f3n. Vamos a proporcionar un h\u00e1bitat y al mismo tiempo volver a conectar a los miembros de la comunidad en la creaci\u00f3n de este tipo de lugares. A trav\u00e9s de este trabajo y el contacto con la naturaleza, nuestro propio bienestar acrecienta. Habremos resuelto conflictos, nos sentiremos mejor y viviremos en paz. No es tiempo de llenar estos lugares de restauraci\u00f3n, pero regocijarnos en invitarlos de regreso Dawson College y UPEMOR se dan la mano y desafiamos a otros a unirse a nosotros en el desarrollo de su propia vision de espacios ecol\u00f3gicos por la paz. Les invitamos a escuchar una entrevista<\/a> de CBC Radio Canada Internacional de Chris y Valeria sobre el Jardin Acu\u00e1tico por la Paz.<\/p>\n\"chris\n

\"Chris
Chris A. and Valeria D. just found a turtle in the future aquatic garden!\/<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"13487824_10208838153283662_1699394904_n\"
Chris Adam (Dawson College) and Valeria Solano (UPEMOR) observing the area for the future Aquatic Ecological Peace Garden<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"13487624_10208838159603820_2091795047_n\"
Dawson team looks at the area of the future Aquatic Ecological Peace Garden at the UPEMOR<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"13480134_10208838152843651_38587523_n\"
The project brings smiles to everyone’s faces<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"13479726_10208838153163659_974232676_n\"
Planning for the future Aquatic Ecological Peace Garden at UPEMOR<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Chris Adam (Dawson College) Traducci\u00f3n al espa\u00f1ol por Gisela Frias \u00a0(ver version en espa\u00f1ol abajo) For too long, ponds and swamps have been regarded as wasteland. They have been viewed more as places that produce only mosquitoes or areas to be landfilled and put to good use. This attitude is one that has been…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":138,"featured_media":455,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-448","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-institutional-collaboration"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca\/sustainable-campuses\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/448","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca\/sustainable-campuses\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca\/sustainable-campuses\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca\/sustainable-campuses\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/138"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca\/sustainable-campuses\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=448"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca\/sustainable-campuses\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/448\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":461,"href":"https:\/\/www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca\/sustainable-campuses\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/448\/revisions\/461"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca\/sustainable-campuses\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/455"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca\/sustainable-campuses\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=448"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca\/sustainable-campuses\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=448"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca\/sustainable-campuses\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=448"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}