Good Grief Nature Walking

Good Grief: Nature Walking Through Grief and Loss

Thanks to a long-standing partnership with Mount Royal University Professor Sonya Jakubec, Good Grief: Nature Walking Through Grief and Loss will be offered in winter 2023. This program is aimed at providing support to those experiencing grief, loss or major life transition. 

This eight-week program simply provides an opportunity for participants to connect with nature while connecting with others who share similar experiences. Although not a grief therapy program, Good Grief may provide valuable connection and healing for both participants and volunteer companions. Companions are not providing counseling or therapy; they simply share a common goal of connecting with nature as a place of refuge in acceptance of our journeys of life transition. 

Regardless of the transition you are experiencing – be it the loss of a loved one, job or relationship, a significant change in health or mobility, or other deep changes in your life – spending time in nature with people who are on a similar journey might be just the support you need.

We invite you to come walk with us on Friday afternoons from 1:00-2:30pm, running from January 20 to March 10, 2023, with March 17 reserved as replacement in the event of previous outing cancellation. Registration required. Outings will run in a variety of weather conditions, but may be canceled if temperatures are too cold or if severe weather is in the forecast. Participants are encouraged to dress warmly and in layers. Ice cleats are strongly recommended.

Each outing will begin with a reading or a shared experience, followed by a walk on a fairly easy 1.5-2 km route. Each of the four routes will be repeated once during the eight-week program – a chance to reflect on the changes in the landscape and ourselves over time. Time, nature and low pressure companionship can be our best supports.

If you would like to learn more about the Good Grief program or discuss the program goals and discoveries from previous Good Grief programs, please feel free to contact Sonya Jakubec, our partner at Mount Royal at sjakubec@mtroyal.ca. Inquiries regarding program accessibility can be directed to Rose Ratliffe, Friends of Fish Creek Volunteer Good Grief Companion at ratliffe@shaw.ca.

Thank you to our Partners and Volunteers for keeping the Good Grief program going! Proceeds support the Friends of Fish Creek’s ongoing efforts to engage the public in responsible stewardship of Fish Creek Provincial Park.

Registration for the 2023 Good Grief program is full. Thank you for your interest.

Photo Courtesy of Alan Lam