Sustainability and Ecological Well-Being with Kristina Hunter

Today’s topic is about sustainability and well-being (such an important topic this time of year when the days are dark and short). It’s so important to consider what steps we can take to support our mental health.  For many of us, this is going to include spending time with our family, friends, and being outside. That’s one of the reasons why today I have my infant daughter, Evelyn, sitting on my lap while I speak to our guest today. You’ll often hear her babbling along with excitement which I hope spreads a little extra cheer to you as you’re listening.
Now to help us investigate this topic of sustainability, we have Kristina Hunter joining us by zoom.  She lives in Winnipeg Manitoba on Treaty 1.  She is the founder of Kristina Hunter Flourishing and has a podcast called Live. Well. Green where she discusses a wide range of topics around sustainability and ecological green living.  I am looking forward to asking her about sustainability and well-being and how we can foster these principles in our school system.  

Visit www.kristinahunterflourishing.com to find out more information about the courses she offers!

Kristina believes that it’s not just about ecological sustainability but also financial and cultural sustainability. She discuss ways that we can move beyond sustainable development.  

She views sustainability like a tree with 3 main roots:

1)Personal wellness – not just problems with the environment, plastic pollution, deforestation, etc.  can often make us feel overwhelmed – the problems are too big to tackle.

By connecting with nature, we protect our mental health. Physical, mental, spiritual health are all part of this root / personal wellness.

2)Social Justice- looking to change systemic racism, marginalized voices, environmental racism that are part of our reality. Respecting everyone’s say. 

3)Ecological – litterless lunches, live lighter on the planet (reducing carbon emissions), Being restorative on the land. Lastly, restoring our relationship with nature. Sometimes we see the environment as “out there,” separate from ourselves.  We are part of the natural world.

Novelty Nature Note:

Kristina shared about isostatic rebound, which you can find evidence of on the tundra where she lives.  When glaciers recede, the heavy weight of the glacier is now gone which allows the land to 'bounce back.'  Now, when you're walking on the tundra, even 1km away from the ocean, you can see a lake with a beach! 

My novelty nature note is about snow because we have a lot of it up where I live! First, even though it looks white – it’s actually transclucent, just like frozen water. It’s the suns reflection that gives it a white appearance.  Also, the snow actually warms you up – because compacted snow is over 90% trapped air…. So this is why animals dig burrows in the snow, their body heat keeps them warm under there.