Patrick Colgan Memorial Lecture, Royal Botanical Gardens

On May 8, 2025, I had the honor of delivering the 10th Patrick Colgan Memorial Lecture at Royal Botanical Gardens' Rock Garden in Hamilton, Ontario. My talk addressed how the urban environment contributes to mental health challenges and chronic disease, and how integrating nature into our cities can help mitigate eco-anxiety and the effects of extreme weather and other urban stressors — the movement I call the Internet of Nature. True to how I like to present, the evening leaned on storytelling and real-world examples rather than heavy technical material, aiming to leave the audience with hope and a sense of what's possible.