Phil Syphrit, a recent retiree who worked at the Cornell Botanic Gardens for 22 years, cites Sept. 11, 2001, as the first moment he witnessed the gardens’ restorative qualities throughout difficult times. After the terrorist attacks, a plant science class, taught by Prof. William Miller, integrative plant science, spent their lab period at the gardens that day.
“For a while down there, I did forget all about the airplanes,” Syphrit said. “It’s what we all needed.”
Syphrit expressed his displeasure with the administration’s decision to not give the student body a community day this semester following a slew of campus tragedies. In light of this, he wants to remind the Cornell community that the gardens are open 24/7, all year long as a resource for self-care.
“If admin isn’t going to give a big break, take it upon yourselves to try to take a little break,” Syphrit said. “You gotta take care of yourself.”
Officially founded in 1944, the Cornell University Botanic Gardens work to emulate Cornell’s mission by being “a place of learning, inspiration, enjoyment, and restoration,” Sonja Skelly, the Botanic Gardens Director of Education and Academic Initiatives, wrote in an email to The Sun.
The gardens, which are spread out across 3,800 acres, encapsulate spaces such as the Nevin Welcome Center, the Mundy Wildflower Garden, the F. R. Newman Arboretum, Beebe Lake, Cascadilla and Fall Creek Gorge and several additional locations, according to Skelly.
Skelly explained that there is evidence to back up the health benefits gained from being in nature.
“Research strongly suggests that there are many health benefits of gardens, being in nature, and looking at nature such as improving your mood, increasing your sense of happiness, reducing your stress and helping you feel calm,” Skelly wrote. “Taking a break and walking outside or even just looking outside at nature can improve your attention span, help you concentrate better and increase your memory retention.”
The walking trail is open year-round, including throughout the winter months. Hadley Flanagan ’26, a co-lead for the botanic gardens’ Garden Ambassador Team within the Learning by Leading program, recommends visiting The Winter Garden, a garden containing plants that “provide winter interest”, which she says “look pretty” during the cold months.
Cornell Botanic Gardens also partners with Cornell Health to host weekly meditation sessions located at the gardens and the Nevin Welcome Center as well as “Mindful Botany” walks.
Skelly also explained that the gardens currently offer courses that educate students on the benefits of spending time outdoors, which she co-teaches.
In addition to these resources, NatureRx, a Cornell initiative aimed at promoting wellness through nature, continues to partner with the gardens to host mental health events such as guided meditations.
Charlie Hernandez ’26, who serves as a co-lead of the botanic gardens’ Sustainable Landscapes Team within the Learning by Leading program, hopes to see the gardens expand its wellness programs.
“I think that if we have more programs that are led by the botanic gardens, that could [help] it serve its purpose as a mental health resource,” Hernandez said.
Skelly believes that the gardens’ role in promoting mental health is crucial.
“Recognizing that plants, gardens, and nature are vital for our well-being and honoring our mandate to care for fully one-third of the Cornell campus, we are committed to helping students (and others) realize the benefits of these places,” Skelly wrote.
Syphrit said that the isolated nature of the gardens provides students with respite from their busy schedules.
“[At the gardens,] you can put away your clock for a little while,” Syphrit said. “We know that it takes a while for a tree to get big, so that just creates a sense of time, or timelessness, that I think can be really restful.”
Flanagan said that she uses her visits to the gardens as a form of self-care.
“Usually, when I’m feeling stressed or overwhelmed, I find that being outdoors and shutting off technology and being away from people and stimuli is my greatest source of self-care,” Flanagan said. “Being in nature really humbles me, in a way.”
Syphrit explained that spending time outside is healing for him.
“I truly believe that the natural world is one of the very best medicines for us all,” Syphrit wrote in an email to The Sun. “I get great comfort sitting and looking at birds flit around or listening to the wind move through tree tops.”
Jane Haviland ’28 is a Sun contributor and can be reached at [email protected].