Content Curation Advisory Board Member
Regional Specialist: Hong Kong
Josephine Woo
Head of Holistic Education, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden
Connect with Josephine on social media :
Connect with Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden on social media :
Josephine is an avid nature lover, passionate educator, and certified Mindfulness Teacher. This combination of passions has formed her unwavering dedication to educating others on the well-being of mankind and the important role of mother nature.
Being a mindfulness practitioner, Josephine believes in the multifaceted benefits that a mindful study of nature can bring to the public. Josephine advocates that by observing nature closely, we can gain a sense of self-awareness and a deeper understanding of the inter-relating nature of compassion –as humans inter-relating with the world around us. In essence, she believes that a deeper study of nature nurtures a more spiritual understanding and respect for both the wider natural world and us.
Apart from this, Josephine has extensive experience in commercial and non-profit organizations, working primarily within communications, operations, and the strategic development of education initiatives in her career. In 2022, she had the privilege to join Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG) as the Head of the Holistic Education Department, where she designs and delivers innovative and transformative programs for the Hong Kong public to restore their connection with nature. Through her work implementing holistic learning opportunities at KFBG, Josephine has helped current and future generations nurture a deeper respect and appreciation for the impact their actions can have on the greater ecological environment.
KFBG, a sanctuary for animals and plants native to Hong Kong, is situated in the Tai Po district. It is a place where rigorous science-based species conservation and ecosystem restoration have been an ongoing effort since the 1990’s. During this time, KFBG has also educated the public on new ways of thinking regarding low-carbon living in response to the ecological impacts of resource usage within the day-to-day lifestyle of Hong Kong residents. By closely collaborating with the public, government, academia, NGOs and businesses, KFBG has remained devoted to protecting the common future of Hong Kong’s diverse ecosystems.
IN JOSEPHINE’S WORDSIN JOSEPHINE’S WORDS
How do you think individual, collective, and planetary wellbeing are connected?
I first began learning mindfulness practice from Plum Village: a community of mindfulness practitioners with yearly retreats held around the world. As a student of Thich Nhat Hanh, the concept of “we inter-are” particularly resonated with me in relation to the inter-connected nature of this topic. One specific quote from Thich that stood out to me is as follows,
“When we look at the Earth and at ourselves, we see that human beings are made of non-human elements. Looking into our body, we see minerals, animals, plants and other elements. We can see the whole evolution of life and the human species. If we were to remove the non-human elements, human beings would disappear. So, to protect humanity, we must protect the non-human elements.”
I believe this quote explains – likely in more graceful prose than I myself could write – my view of how myself, us, and the wider natural world intrinsically connect and interact with one another.
What do you hope the outcomes are from the global Hearth Summit?
I hope that more people will not only learn more about the work we do at KFBG, but also how we strive to practice and promote individual, collective, and planetary wellbeing based on an ecological worldview. Through this, we hope that attendees will be able to act on the lessons learned within this summit and bring this shared worldview into fruition.
