The fall 2024 Ecohealth Quest Retreats brought U of M health sciences students into the beauty of Minnesota’s landscapes for immersive, interprofessional experiences. Hosted at two distinct locations—Itasca State Park and Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center—these retreats combined ecological health case studies, outdoor activities, and community-building to foster connections between students, faculty, and the natural world.

Itasca Retreat: Building Community through Nature and Shared Stories

At Itasca State Park, 10 students representing medicine, public health, veterinary medicine, and occupational therapy gathered for a weekend focused on “Our Stories, Our Connections, Our Planet.” The group thrived under the guidance of Laura Dammer Hess from the Center for Health Interprofessional Programs and Angelica Walton from the School of Nursing. Their leadership enriched discussions on eco-health challenges, including the declining moose population and chronic wasting disease.

A highlight was Walton’s introduction of regenerative community-building, which deepened participants' understanding of interconnections between health and the environment. The weekend also provided much-needed time for students to reflect and rejuvenate. 

Feedback from students reflected a unanimous sense of gratitude for the experience, with many noting that the natural setting and thoughtful activities helped them feel grounded and inspired for the semester ahead.

Wolf Ridge Retreat: Learning through Nature as a Teacher

The Ecohealth Quest: North Shore experience at Wolf Ridge brought together 25 students from an even broader range of disciplines, including nursing, nutrition, and environmental health. The weekend emphasized “Nature as Teacher” and interprofessional collaboration. The retreat kicked off with a night hike and stargazing, setting the tone for an active and reflective weekend.

“We were able to craft a weekend that let students unwind and get connected to nature, collaboratively interact with other students, and think of health care in new ways. Our guest speakers shared about their work at the Mayo Clinic which showed students a direct impact that our more-than-human co-teachers can do to connect people's lives to nature,” said Emily Pavlisich, naturalist education program leader at Wolf Ridge. “The natural world impacts us all, even if you're not able to see it in your day to day life. I hope that future relationships can be built and strengthened with the University of Minnesota system and beyond because we really do have great things to be able to offer to each other.” 

Saturday’s activities included guided hikes and a fascinating talk by Jackie Fallon, a peregrine falcon expert who shared insights on conservation and its ties to eco-health. The weekend culminated with an engaging case study, expertly led by Clara Smoniewski, a faculty member from the Duluth campus. Cathy McCarty, also from Duluth, added depth to discussions with her ethics expertise.

An especially meaningful moment came on Sunday morning when 10 U of M students led a panel discussion for 70 high school students from Summit Academy and the Iron Range. Sharing their career paths and resilience strategies, these graduate students inspired the next generation of STEM leaders.

Students praised the retreat as an opportunity to reset and strengthen their sense of purpose.

“This was an amazing experience to learn from my peers. We were able to collaborate on various topics and case studies and gain different perspectives. I learned a lot about One Health and how we need people in every area of study,” said Andrew Monk, a student who is pursuing a Master’s in Public Health in community health promotion. 

"It offers a balance of unstructured time to explore or recharge in ways that feel fulfilling and structured activities like workshops and case studies. The case studies provided a fresh perspective on issues rarely encountered in my usual educational experience. I also built meaningful connections with health science students from other disciplines, which inspired me to explore careers that involve interprofessional collaboration to develop thoughtful solutions to today’s challenges,” said Bridgette Kelly, a Master’s of Social Work clinical mental health student.

Expanding Horizons for Ecohealth

Justine Mishek, faculty-at-large for the Center for Interprofessional Health, reflected on the program’s iterative growth: “Every experience teaches us something new. We’re already planning for future retreats to explore other Minnesota regions, highlight local ecohealth challenges, and ensure students continue to benefit from these transformative opportunities.”

With plans to expand programming to more accessible locations, the Ecohealth Quests promises to remain a cornerstone of interprofessional learning at the University of Minnesota—connecting students, nature, and community in meaningful and lasting ways.