
Jess Tyrrell
- Group:Environmental Humanities South
Jess Tyrrell
Jess Tyrrell is an ecotherapist and facilitator of nature-connection processes. Her work is dedicated to promoting and supporting people’s formation of an ecological identity, the sense of belonging to a larger body — the earth itself — where ‘environmentalism’ becomes much more than just a set of practices: but a way of being. In her recent Masters thesis, Jess explored ecological identity in relation to spring water, finding that the collection of water from Table Mountain springs taught people an ethic of care and reminds us how to be human participants in a more-than-human world. The thesis concludes that this insight of care needs to be incorporated into urban space design where connection between people and the living world can be fostered and encouraged. She is passionate about bringing broader awareness to the intersection between mental and environmental health — that the two are inextricably linked.