Reframing Care: Designing Gardens for Wellbeing
Celebrate Botanic Gardens Week with a conversation exploring how gardens nurture our health and wellbeing. Joined by Gayle Souter-Brown and Robyn Simcock, we will unpack how intentional time in nature can become a meaningful part of everyday life. We will also explore the science behind therapeutic gardens, who they benefit (from mental health to recovery and productivity), and how botanic gardens and public green spaces can be designed to better support our wellbeing. Grounded in real-world examples and emerging research, this conversation invites you to see your local garden not just as a place to visit, but as a resource for living wellbeing.
Hosted by Emma Simpkins and guest speakers Gayle Souter-Brown and Robyn Simcock .
Meet our speakers:
Emma Simpkins
Emma Simpkins is the Education and Partnerships Specialist at Auckland Botanic Gardens as well as the convenor of the BGANZ Botanic Gardens Engagement Network. Emma has also been involved in threatened plant conservation, living collections and records management, and research in botanic gardens.
Galye Souter-Brown
Dr Gayle Souter-Brown, award-winning designer, author, and researcher, is Director of Greenstone Design (NZ) and Greenstone Design UK Ltd, Special Envoy to International Society for Urban Health and Co-Director of the global Urban Health Working Programme for International Federation of Landscape Architects.
Interested in community resilience, long term outcomes and providing a lens for decision making, she translates human-nature interaction, chronic stress and non-communicable disease risk into qualities of the built and natural environment. Passionate about health promotion, mental health, and sustainable development, Gayle champions sensory-rich salutogenic design practices, emphasising ecological health as key to stress reduction and resilience.
When not in the office, you can find her practising what she preaches in a garden or on her lavender farm.
Robyn Simcock
Researcher (for 30 years) with Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research which is now a group within the newly-formed NZ Bioeconomy Institute. Mainly working to recreate native ecosystems in cities, mines and roads. In cities, has a special focus on integrating native ecosystems with stormwater – greenrooves, raingardens, where she has had the privilege of working with Auckland Botanic Gardens and Especially Emma and Bec Stanley for more than 10 years!