Institute of Global
Education
PROJECT NATURECONNECT
The Natural Systems Thinking
Process
Invitational Applied Ecopsychology Discovery Course...Introduction
Exploring Psychological Connections With Nature
"It is a fact of life that our senses, feelings and emotions are facts of life. They are as much a part of nature and our personal nature as is the land, and sea or our heartbeat and eyesight. The feelingful callings of the sensation of thirst, are a biologically intelligent attraction, a love for water that is as real and true as water itself."
...........- Michael J. Cohen
"The natural world is the larger sacred community to which we belong. To be alienated from this community is to become destitute in all that makes us human. To damage this community is to diminish our own existence."
...........- Thomas Berry
INTRODUC TION:
Dear Course Participant,
Thanks for your interest in this short, free, internet program. It is open to people who have been given participation in it as a gift from a past participant. They have made a contribution to it so that it could be available to you.
This course familiarizes you with some of the value, material and procedures of the Orientation Course, the next step in mastering The Natural Systems Thinking Process. It actually covers almost 30% of the Orientation Course work, making that course easier to complete.
If you think you may want to go on with the Orientation Course at some future time, be sure to save the work you do on this course so you can share this work later.
Please proceed with the
Prerequisite Activities below and enjoy.
Michael J. Cohen
Director
Prerequisite Activities:
A. To obtain supportive contributions to your participation in this course, please temporarily sign up on the NATURECONNECT LIST. Write a short letter of introduction to the list members that shares with them how your experiences and how you feel about nature and what is happening to the environment and people. Include a brief biographical sketch and the reasons you are taking this course. Add it to the letter form below where it says "Some things about me that will help you know me better:"
As an alternative, you may establish your own private study group discussion list and only communicate with them. For best results, include one or more people in your group who have completed the Orientation Course. Contact the Institute to locate a past participant who is available. Once you have completed this course, you may serve that role for somebody else if you wish.
B. When you complete A above, send the following invitation and self-iintroduction to the NATURECONNECT LIST or your private group
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Dear NatureConnect List Members, I have been invited to do the Exploring Psychological Connections With Nature course and would sincerely appreciate your help. I welcome you to share your experiences and you attractions to my postings of my activity experiences. I look forward to hearing from you and look forward to your
help. I invite any of you who are interested to do the this free
course or its activities with me. It's located at Thanks,
Name Email Contact: Some things about me that will help you know me better:
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C. Visit the Survey of Participants and select what you think are the two most important subject areas identified in the questions and statements found in parts two through six. (select the statements as you read through parts 2-6 , two statements from each part, 10 statements total.). Write a paragraph that integrates these attraction statements with respect to them being a reflection of your interests, beliefs and values. Post your paragraph to NATURECONNECT LIST. and respond to messages you may receive from or on the List.
D. The Orientation Course Instructions (linked to the prerequisite page) can be applicable to this Exploration course. Participants will want to familiarize themselves with the instructions to obtain best results on this course.
NOTES:
Participants should note the following:
Unlike
the Orientation Course, on this free course,
1) Some people who read the material you share at the Natureconnect
discussion list are not necessarily taking the course nor committed
to it. They solely react, or don't react, on a volunteer and
interest basis. You may not get a reaction
there. If you don't, your activity will not do the job
it was designed to do. The reactions are about 50% of the value
of the activity.
On the Orientation Course, all participants
are committed to be mutually supportive.
2) Some people who respond to your email may not have taken this
or any other course and therefore may be unfamiliar with some
aspects of it.
3) A facilitator is not assigned to this course.
Conversely, on the Orientation Course,
these three conditions are met.
This course uses articles and activities in public use elsewhere on our website. If you have already read or done material it presents, skim the article or activity for anything you find additionally attractive in it. Repeating attractive activities always brings about new growth. One important thing to learn from repeated material is what purpose it serves for you and how you can find it again, or share it with others later.
To help other people learn from our course experiences, participants agree to allow their postings to the course to occasionally be shared anonymously with the public in our webpages and newsletters.
Be sure to get at least one night's sleep between each part of the course as sleep time is a vital part of the NSTP learning process.
Suggested timing for the course is to post an activity every third day, but every day is also acceptable if you have the time and cooperation from your interact group. Each Part takes 2-3 hours if done fully. 15-20 hours total.
COURSE INDEX:
- Introduction: Prerequisite Instructions. (This page.)
- Part One Being There: Thoughtful Contemplation and Insight
- Part Two The Breath of Life: a Secrets of Nature Trail.
- Part Three Conditioned Perceptions: how they Affect Our View of Nature
- Part Four Evaluation:
What Have You Learned that is Useful?
When you have completed A-D above, go on to Part One
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PROJECT NATURECONNECT The Natural Systems Thinking Process P.O. Box 1605 Friday Harbor, WA 98250 360-378-6313 www.ecopsych.com www.webstrings.org Dr. Micheal J. Cohen, Director send e-mail |
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