A world of hurt: Workshops aim to help federal employees cope with ‘ecogrief’
The Fairview Fire burns on a hillside Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022, near Hemet, Calif. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
The Fairview Fire burns on a hillside Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022, near Hemet, Calif. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
EXCLUSIVE
By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times - Wednesday, February 15, 2023
The Interior Department’s Fish and Wildlife Service is offering “ecogrief” training to employees who are struggling with a sense of trauma or loss as they witness a changing environment.
The class will give staffers a chance to define what they mean by ecological grief, space to examine their emotional reactions and tools to grapple with those feelings, the agency said in a note to employees in the Southwest region, where the training is offered.
Those who sign up will be led to “find ways to act while caring for themselves.”
“This 4-hour workshop seeks to normalize the wide range of emotional responses that conservationists experience while empowering participants to act while taking care of themselves,” the notice said. “The workshop is intended for those experiencing ecological grief and for those who wish to support them.”
The workshop is being offered twice to employees in the Southwest, which covers Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma. Up to 35 people can attend a workshop.
https://amp.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/feb/15/ecogrief-interior-department-pays-help-employees-d/
