Meristem Library - Literature Review
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Message About the Library from the Meristem Directors
Dear Friends:
Meristem was founded by a group of people who believe that contact with nature is essential to human health and well-being. Living in cities, we are singularly situated to appreciate the contributions of nature to our health, happiness and well-being. Moreover, our experience amplifies the understanding that ecology and humanity have a symbiotic relationship: the healthier the ecosystem, the healthier the community.
To broadcast this awareness became our mission, particularly in the very environment where it is most needed: in healthcare establishments. A growing body of literature that researches the relationship between nature and health can serve as a powerful tool for healthcare professionals, garden advocates and designers seeking to promote garden and green-space development. The desire to make this literature and research easily accessible in one locus was the genesis of the Meristem Literature Library.
No single academic department has yet embraced the nexus of nature and health. Rather, references in newspapers, magazines, and professional or academic publications center around experiential knowledge. While this knowledge is valid, we affirm that reports and research from a scientific perspective are invaluable assets in our efforts to promote healing gardens. Examples of scientific research in this new field include studies into job satisfaction, ease of recovery from or reduction of: stress, pain medication dosages, or duration of hospital stay.
Materials in the Library have been selected because of their importance or because they are difficult to obtain. No single definitive scientific study proves absolutely that nature is important to health and well-being. However, because of their diverse areas of inquiry and methodology, the studies collectively comprise a compelling whole.
Our thanks and appreciation go to Nancy Gerlach-Spriggs for launching the Literature Review, and for her work reviewing and summarizing selected works. These distillations are convenient guides to old hands and novitiates in this emerging field. Ms. Gerlach Spriggs is a designer and instructor in Landscape Design, former healthcare professional, and co-author of Restorative Gardens: The Healing Landscape, an excellent summary of the history of healing gardens in the Western hemisphere, and a series of six contemporary case studies in the United States.
We invite you to use the Library resources and welcome your comments and suggestions.
© 2006
Meristem, Inc.