College of the Environment student to facilitate eco-anxiety workshop series for Western community

Bella Rossi has always felt drawn to helping people and being in nature. “I have always been the type of person who has a passion for engaging with and empowering my community and making the world a better place by building connections with place and people,” said Rossi, who is this year’s Environmental Sciences Department Engagement Events Coordinator and the facilitator of an upcoming eco-anxiety café workshop series.

So far this year, Rossi has coordinated events like a fun eco-trivia night, a self-care-focused art workshop for environmental science students and faculty, and a barefoot walk event in the arboretum. “What has been the most fun for me is seeing people engaging with each other through the events,” she said. “Creating spaces where people can get in touch with their inner child and be free with no restrictions is something that truly uplifts me.” This work is a continuation and expansion of a program designed by now-alum Elena King and funded by a Sustainability, Equity, & Justice Fund (SEJF) grant in 2023 to build community in the Environmental Sciences Department.

Last summer, the College of the Environment senior designed a series of community eco-anxiety cafés in her hometown of Spokane. “Doing these cafés opened my eyes to something I didn’t know I was able or capable of doing,” said Rossi. “Creating safe spaces for people to share their emotions and build connections with one another.” Eco-anxiety, sometimes referred to as climate anxiety, is the extreme fear or worry about climate change and how it will affect the future.

Her passion for working with youth and adults in the environment has inspired Rossi to bring this workshop experience to a bigger audience. Throughout spring quarter, Rossi is facilitating an eco-anxiety workshop open to the entire WWU community. 

The three-part series begins on April 14 and aims to provide a supportive and engaging safe space for participants to help each other with the isolation, helplessness, and overwhelm that can arise from eco-anxiety and to build a deeper connection to the land. The workshops are inspired by Joanna Macy’s Work That Reconnects (WTR) framework that transforms eco-anxiety into empowerment and fosters deeper connections to self, community, and the Earth. 

The three sessions will build on each other, but attendees can register for one or all three. The three-part series will be held between 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 14 (Academic West (AW), room 304); Monday, April 28 (AW 304); and Wednesday, May 14 (AW 403). 

Attendees may meet between sessions for hikes, cold plunging, meditation, yoga, and other related activities. If you’re ready to share your feelings and thoughts, find or share resources, and connect with others who share your concerns, learn more about the workshops and register to attend one or all three of the eco-anxiety cafés. 

Reach out to Bella Rossi at rossii@wwu.edu for more info. If you are interested in working with students’ emotions through a holistic framework and have a history of facilitating events send Bella an email.