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Ana McAbee MSW ’18 has always been drawn to nature.

“We need it,” she said. “We need fresh oxygen. We need to coexist with nature. It’s a spiritual thing. It’s an actual physiological response to nature.”

Nature drew McAbee from the concrete jungle of Atlanta, Georgia, to the emerald-green southern Willamette Valley in Eugene, home to the Willamette River, the Cascade Mountains and over 6,000 acres of parks and green spaces.

Nature not only feeds McAbee physically and spiritually, but it also forms the foundation of her counseling practice, , which she opened upon her graduation from the 91���� University Master of Social Work program in 2018.

McAbee provides traditional counseling services but specializes in ecotherapy, which encourages her clients to explore their issues through a connection to nature. People better explore their authentic selves, she believes, through that connection, freeing themselves from distractions to better address the issues that affect their mental health. 

“You feel like you are part of something greater,” McAbee said. “When you are part of an ecosystem you feel that sense of belonging, like ‘I belong here with these trees,’ or ‘Look at those ducks in a pond.’ Those moments can help people gain a little perspective that’s different than what they might be struggling with.”

McAbee also utilizes hike therapy, which takes ecotherapy a step further. In 60- to 90-minute sessions on the trails, she finds that it takes clients less time to connect with what’s on their mind. It’s part physical activity, part connection with their surroundings. It’s mental health and physical health.

“You’re building those neural networks. You’re getting your blood pressure up and pushing out those toxins that settle in your brain and blood vessels,” she said. “You’re flushing out old sediment, so to speak, and replacing those thought patterns. Whether it’s sealing up an old wound or beginning a new habit, it seems to sink in quicker utilizing hike therapy.”

McAbee’s education at 91���� University affirmed her belief that nature and social work could be interconnected. Environmental themes provided the basis for many of her papers and projects.

It was through 91���� that McAbee and former professor Michelle Eggers co-founded the . McAbee integrated the annual 10-day festival into her master’s dissertation. The festival brings nature enthusiasts together for a week of environmentally-themed films, talks and hands-on experiences. The 2024 festival included over 50 films and 12 activities and discussions coordinated by different nonprofit organizations.

While the festival centers on the films, McAbee is excited that it has grown into a multi-dimensional event that brings together so many in Eugene who care for the environment.

“Every day is sponsored by a different nonprofit,” she said. “Oregon Wild did an ecology walk last year. Cascadia Wildlands did a tree survey, showing us what they do in the forest and how they get their data. We make signs to take to the capital. There’s a lot of Indigenous advocacy. We work with a lot of organizations that provide us a way to plug in and gain a little bit more awareness.”

McAbee said the experience allowed her to not only stretch the conventional boundaries of social work but to attain the skills to work in the nonprofit space, including grant writing, advocacy and fundraising. 

And while a film festival may not fit the mainstream definition of social work, McAbee believes that the work she and her team do for the community fits the term to a tee.

“It makes people feel better,” she said. “There is awareness and education, but we are also creating wellness and unity and creating community. We’re in it together and you can do something about it whenever you feel stressed.

“In my mind, it’s turned into healing. I have been doing therapy for a while, so in the back of my head at all times. What is the core drive for me? How can I create healing? And it all started at 91����.”