Community researcher
Prioritizing urban nature
C
athy explores the mental, physical and social health benefits of time spent in nature. Given the fact that people spend increasing amounts of time in urban environments, she continues to search for effective ways to promote interactions with nature and ensure that communities put a priority on maintaining urban nature.
Cathy’s doctoral research at the University of Waterloo's School of Planning focused on finding ways to improve the connections between children, nature and community in urban settings. She gathered children’s perceptions of and interactions with urban nature, and examined ways to engage children and youth in community decision-making and planning.