Several students joined Dr. Wayne Caldwell, Interim OAC Dean and an Environmental Health Manager, Helen Doyle from York Region Public Health to present at the Latornell Symposium on November 17, 2015. The session entitled “Building Resiliency with Rural Communities to Adapt to the Impacts of Climate Change” showcased recent work from the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development concerning healthy rural community planning as well as considerations for green infrastructure in rural locales.

The session had students participating from the following programs: Rural Studies PhD program with Sara Epp (centre),moderator; and Paul Kraehling, presenter centre right; as well as Graduate Planning students, Jaime Dubyna, presenter on the right; and Jennifer Burns, far left and Taylor Wellings left centre as session story videographers.

The session was well received by the 50 participants in the room with another 60 persons interacting on a live webcast sponsored by Ecohealth Ontario.

The session provided the following information:

• An overview of the relationship between climate change and anticipated health outcomes in rural communities.
• An appreciation of the state of existing health conditions of people living in many parts of rural Ontario.
• Exposure to a new ‘planning/public health tool kit’ that outlines a path for change to assist in transformations to better health and wellness.
• ‘Key messages’ from current research on rural community case studies and green infrastructure use to push the boundaries of good health/wellness community design.
• Opportunities for session participants to share their own experiences in building new environment/community health partnerships.