From Adverse Childhood Experiences to Ecological Awareness: Building Resilience through Nature’s Wisdom
Devon Gingrich, BA, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI
How can a connection with nature foster resilience in our youngest and most vulnerable patients? In what ways does harm to our planet reflect the trauma faced by these patients? Can cultivating a spiritual relationship with nature open pathways to healing for both ourselves and the Earth?
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) were first introduced by a 1998 Kaiser Permanente study, which linked childhood abuse, family dysfunction, and scarcity to leading causes of adult mortality [1]. Since then, numerous studies have reinforced these findings, connecting early-life trauma with long-term health impacts such as mental illness, cancer, substance abuse, and injuries. Significantly, ACEs disproportionately affect sexual minorities, Indigenous populations, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds [2, 3]. Concurrently, the intensifying impacts of climate change over the past 50 years bring increasing loss and destruction, as witnessed in recent storms Helene and Milton. Vulnerable communities and countries with limited infrastructure face the greatest climate challenges, despite contributing the least to the crisis.
Fortunately, growing research underscores the role of resilience in buffering children against ACEs. Concepts like "Benevolent Childhood Experiences" reveal ways to mitigate the effects of early trauma [4]. At its essence, resilience represents a flexibility that not only restores individuals but also enhances their capacity to withstand future adversity. This adaptability mirrors natural phenomena—a forest regenerates after fire with increased biodiversity and trees develop deeper roots in response to drought.
In this presentation I propose a solution to address these issues in tandem by fostering resiliency through a spiritual and physical connection to nature. Imagine a small part of the world you know well—a backyard tree, a familiar birdsong, or a river running through town. These often-overlooked elements are not distinct from us but integral to our beings. The act of spending time in nature offers space for reflection, calms our nervous system, and nurtures a connection to a lifeforce greater than ourselves. By making such interactions habitual, we cultivate a spiritual practice akin to the rituals of Shabbat or daily prayer. Secondly, we can position nature as a teacher. This idea echoes Deuteronomy 20:19, which emphasizes a reverence for nature and respect for trees, asking, “For is the tree of the field a man, that it should be besieged by you?” Through this perspective, we approach nature not with a mindset of extraction, but of awe and preservation. This reciprocal relationship allows us to see ecological practices like biodiversity and interconnectedness as blueprints for resilience, using principles of biomimicry to create solutions to address both spiritual and environmental crises.
Through cultivating personal connections to nature, we can foster a desire to protect, restore, and cherish it. In these small daily acts, we find grounding in ourselves, our bodies, and our world, fostering resilience not only to heal personal wounds but to safeguard our unique corners of the world for a stronger, more connected future.
References:
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) were first introduced by a 1998 Kaiser Permanente study, which linked childhood abuse, family dysfunction, and scarcity to leading causes of adult mortality [1]. Since then, numerous studies have reinforced these findings, connecting early-life trauma with long-term health impacts such as mental illness, cancer, substance abuse, and injuries. Significantly, ACEs disproportionately affect sexual minorities, Indigenous populations, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds [2, 3]. Concurrently, the intensifying impacts of climate change over the past 50 years bring increasing loss and destruction, as witnessed in recent storms Helene and Milton. Vulnerable communities and countries with limited infrastructure face the greatest climate challenges, despite contributing the least to the crisis.
Fortunately, growing research underscores the role of resilience in buffering children against ACEs. Concepts like "Benevolent Childhood Experiences" reveal ways to mitigate the effects of early trauma [4]. At its essence, resilience represents a flexibility that not only restores individuals but also enhances their capacity to withstand future adversity. This adaptability mirrors natural phenomena—a forest regenerates after fire with increased biodiversity and trees develop deeper roots in response to drought.
In this presentation I propose a solution to address these issues in tandem by fostering resiliency through a spiritual and physical connection to nature. Imagine a small part of the world you know well—a backyard tree, a familiar birdsong, or a river running through town. These often-overlooked elements are not distinct from us but integral to our beings. The act of spending time in nature offers space for reflection, calms our nervous system, and nurtures a connection to a lifeforce greater than ourselves. By making such interactions habitual, we cultivate a spiritual practice akin to the rituals of Shabbat or daily prayer. Secondly, we can position nature as a teacher. This idea echoes Deuteronomy 20:19, which emphasizes a reverence for nature and respect for trees, asking, “For is the tree of the field a man, that it should be besieged by you?” Through this perspective, we approach nature not with a mindset of extraction, but of awe and preservation. This reciprocal relationship allows us to see ecological practices like biodiversity and interconnectedness as blueprints for resilience, using principles of biomimicry to create solutions to address both spiritual and environmental crises.
Through cultivating personal connections to nature, we can foster a desire to protect, restore, and cherish it. In these small daily acts, we find grounding in ourselves, our bodies, and our world, fostering resilience not only to heal personal wounds but to safeguard our unique corners of the world for a stronger, more connected future.
References:
- Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D. F., Spitz, A. M., Edwards, V., Koss, M. P., & Marks, J. S. (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0749-3797(98)00017-8
- Swedo, E. A., Holditch Niolon, P., Anderson, K. N., Li, J., Brener, N., Mpofu, J., Aslam, M. V., & Underwood, J. M. (2024). Prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Adolescents. Pediatrics, 154(5), e2024066633. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2024-066633
- Cole, A. B., Armstrong, C. M., Giano, Z. D., & Hubach, R. D. (2022). An update on ACEs domain frequencies across race/ethnicity and sex in a nationally representative sample. Child Abuse & Neglect, 129, 105686. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105686
- Hughes, K., Bellis, M. A., Hardcastle, K. A., Sethi, D., Butchart, A., Mikton, C., Jones, L., & Dunne, M. P. (2017). The effect of multiple adverse childhood experiences on health: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Public Health, 2(8), e356–e366. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(17)30118-4