The Gzira Local Council, in conjunction with the Research Innovation Unit, hosted the GoGreenRoutes Summer School – 360 Health in Malta between the 29th of June and the 1st of July 2022. The summer school was inaugurated with keynotes from the Mayor of Gzira, Mr Conrad Borg Manche, Hon. Dr Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi MP, Hon. Dr Katya De Giovanni MP and President Emeritus Hon. Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca.
Dr Annalisa Setti from the University of College Cork and Dr Mario V. Balzan gave lectures to the attendees under the patronage of Prof Tadhg Macintyre, an environmental psychologist at Maynooth University, Ireland.
“The GoGreenRoutes 360-Health approach integrates multiple health domains and encompasses perceptions, attitudes and behaviours related to each of them. GoGreenRoutes has a specific focus on mental health and well-being, physical activity, nutrition, sleep, cognition and performance, social health, human-nature interaction and sustainability in relation to urban nature.”
During the second day of summer school, the participants were doing fieldwork. They participated in various challenges and tasks focusing on nature-based solutions and climate change resilience. Prof Giovanna Calogiuri, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, delivered a keynote lecture on Virtual Nature and its effects on well-being. At the same time, environmental Scientist Conor Kretsch, Maynooth University, led a workshop on brief policy preparation.
Psychologist Terry Morrissey opened the final day with an interactive talk about Thriving in Uncertainty, followed by a discussion on social media and science by Frankie Boyd from Blooming Research. The summer school concluded with participant workshops, presentations and closing remarks by the assessor dragons of the presentations and findings.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Innovation action programme under grant agreement no. 869764
