THE MIND & ENVIRONMENT SOCIETY
ABOUT US
About M.E. Society
Just trying to leave the planet better than we found it.
M.E. Society celebrates the connection between the environment and mental health, and explores the beauty and necessity of the natural world.
TWO FRIENDS WITH ONE SHARED LOVE FOR MOTHER EARTH
We are two recent graduate students of Johns Hopkins University who met during a Sustainability Leadership class in Jackman, Maine. This class encouraged us to think of ways to be leaders within our spheres of influence. We agreed that a big issue is negativity in the climate narrative, and that mental health is closely connected with our relationship with nature.
The M.E. Society started as an idea that blossomed into a project which continued to grow to what it is today; a platform to reframe the climate conversations in a positive manner, equip people with tools and resources to live more sustainably, and explore the connections between the environment and mental health.
Moose River, Maine 2022
Meet Our Board
Daniel Aipa is the founder of The Kū Project and helps people gain control of their lives through health and wellness from a cultural perspective following Hawaiian values and practices. Being born and raised in Hawaii, he learned that serving and taking care of the ʻāina, the land, is a kuleana, a responsibility, as a people. He believes the relationship we have with ourselves has an impact not only on the relationship we have with others, but also the relationship we have with the environment.
On top of being the founder of The Kū Project, he has worked with numerous native organizations like the Queen Liliʻuokalani Trust, Kanaeokana, Na Leo Kāne, United Indian Health Services, and the California Rural Indian Health Board. Aipa is a father of three and enjoys working and playing in the yard with his family. Aipa is passionate about holistic health and wellness, design, his Hawaiian culture, learning from other cultures, and finding ways to make a positive impact on society.
Being born and raised in the South, while also being a part of the LGBTQIA2s+ community, Zach has a unique perspective on the importance of optimism and hope during trying times. “Committing to being involved with your local area and those that matter most to you, can help unveil the sun that shines deep within.” Focusing on switching the doom and gloom climate crisis narrative is one of his top priorities.
Zach has has conducted research across many topics, such as road-side litter, impacts of warming weather on mammals, and local sustainability policy. Recently, Zach has focused on his interest in the environmental security realm and hopes to find areas in which to continue helping all species with their most urgent needs.
Zach attended Lander University in South Carolina where he earned a BS in biology with minors in political science and chemistry. He recently completed a MS in environmental sciences and policy from Johns Hopkins University.
Kim is a senior environmental protection specialist at the U.S. EPA and a mindfulness facilitator. She is on the citizen science faculty at Bard College and loves engaging in freelance facilitation and instructor opportunities around sustainability. Prior to this, she served in the Peace Corps in Madagascar as a protected areas management volunteer where she focused on reforestation efforts and taught a course on service learning. She holds a MS in Environmental Science and Policy from Johns Hopkins University and a BS in Biology from Dickinson College. Kim is passionate about the societal benefits of science literacy, volunteering, and mindfulness, and how each of these concepts can promote a love for nature.
Paul Kazyak is an instructor in Johns Hopkins University's Environmental Science & Policy Program. He is a retired DNR employee and is currently a fish guy.