We need water to live. We may also need it to thrive. Take a closer look at the mind-body-water connection during the 2017 Wisconsin Lakes Partnership Convention April 5-7 in Stevens Point.
The keynote speaker, Wallace J. Nichols, will also present on campus at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 4. He is author of the best-selling book "Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do."
His talk on "Blue Mind: Changing the Way We Think, Feel and Act Toward Water" is free and open to the public in the Alumni Room of the Dreyfus University Center April 4.
Nichols convenes a national Blue Mind summit April 5 at SentryWorld. The Blue summit focuses on "The Seven Ages of Water" - from birth to death. The ages are explored by diverse, intriguing presenters:
- Dave Freeman camped with his wife in the Boundary Waters for a year straight to raise awareness of the mining threats to the wilderness area.
- Jim Ritterhoff is the co-founder and executive director at Force Blue, a group that gives former combat divers and Special Operations veterans a chance to learn about and explore one of the most critically endangered ecosystems on the planet and to adapt their training and teamwork to aid in its protection.
- Russell Crawford is a therapist who is working to develop an evaluation of Operation Surf, which works with wounded veterans to engage them in surfing for recreation and therapy.
- Barbara Harper is an international advocate for water birthing who has singly changed how many people view the birthing process.
- Hannah Stonehouse Hudson is a photographer from Bayfield who rose to fame with a single photo of a man and his ailing dog in Lake Superior.
The Wisconsin Lakes Partnership Convention continues Thursday, April 6, at the Stevens Point Holiday Inn Convention Center. Sponsored by UW Extension Lakes, it is the largest gathering of lake lovers in the nation.
Nichols will present "Go Deeper: the Seven Ages of Water," April 6, exploring the cognitive, emotional, psychological, social and spiritual benefits of healthy waterways and oceans. He combines cutting-edge research with compelling personal stories to show how proximity to water can improve performance, increase calm, diminish anxiety and increase professional success.
Other speakers will address mental restoration in urban outdoor settings, "Voices of the Namekagon" and more. On Friday, Andrew Fusek Peters, author of the memoir "Dip: Wild Swims in the Borderlands" will discuss how "wild swimming" helped him recover from a serious bout of depression.
The convention is open to anyone interested in learning more about the mind-body-water connection. For information about a variety of sessions and speakers and to register by March 27, visit www.uwsp.edu/cnr-ap/UWEXLakes/Pages/programs/convention/default.aspx.
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