Read our interview with Dr Kathleen Frith, one of our key speakers.
Dr Frith is Assistant Director, Center for Health and Environment, Harvard Medical School, United States.
What are your biggest challenges in achieving your stated mission of fostering greater understanding between health and environment?
I think the biggest challenge is that most people see nature or the environment as separate from oneself. Historically, we have been taught this separation - that we are somehow beyond the scope of nature and capable of manipulating it without affecting ourselves. This is, of course, untrue. In so many ways – many that we are just beginning to fully understand, we are totally integrated with the natural world, and depend on nature for our health and well-being. Getting past that basic misconception is both the daily challenge to our work and our mission.
What are some of the important aspects to communicating complicated science messages with the broader community?
I have tremendous faith in the reasoning capability of humans – and I find that when science is presented without jargon, with compelling examples that offer a sense of story and connection, and without a condescending tone, people are interested, they care and they get it.
You produced the Healthy Oceans Healthy Humans film - can you share whether you found this type of medium to be a successful communication for your message?
With our film Once Upon a Tide, we chose to tell a story to help draw in our audience (mostly families with kids), yet learn about how we depend on the ocean environment. By using a great deal of creativity, I think we created an experience that will stick in people’s mind – more so than if they read about the issues. In many ways, I think film is incredibly powerful. Nothing beats an immersive, real experience – but to reach millions of people with a concept – I think film has tremendous potential. Especially if its creative capacity is fully explored.
Do you have anything else exciting in the pipeline that you can share with us?
We are making a children’s book based on the film, and we are exploring bringing international high school kids together from around the world to make short films for their communities about the importance of conservation. Having young people use media has been shown to be a very effective learning tool, and with technological advances it is pretty amazing what can result. This project is exciting because it brings together diverse cultures with shared concerns, and allows them to build something together, creatively.
I am also very involved in food issues and am in the process of starting edible growing spaces (gardens and, in the future, a two acre Farm) at Harvard. I love the idea of growing tomatoes and lettuce and eggplant in a very urban setting in the middle of Harvard Square.
What is your favourite outdoor place, and why?
I have too many to pick one favorite. In kelp forests off the coast of Northern California – the light gleams down through the brownish-green leaves in the most amazing way. In food-producing gardens, preferably with folks either much younger or much older than me, experiencing the magic of something going from a tiny seed to food. And my morning bike commute along the Charles River, especially on crisp, autumnal days, is pretty nice.
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