Roots of resilience: Nature, wellbeing, and environmental education in Ukraine

Authors: Nataliya Poshyvaylo-Towler, UWC Vice President for Southern and Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Türkiye, and Lebanon; Svitlana Iievlieva, a Ukrainian data scientist, educator, and researcher with a Ph.D. in Technical Sciences.

Source: International interdisciplinary popular science journal, UTG Journal, issue No. 11.

Nature in Ukraine has never been just scenery. It is woven into the nation’s cultural memory, folklore, traditions, and everyday consciousness. From the Carpathian Mountains to the steppe grasslands, Ukrainian identity has long been intertwined with the natural world. Forests, rivers, meadows, and fields are more than geographical features; they are sacred spaces, part of childhood memories, poetry, spiritual practices, and historical resilience. As poet Lina Kostenko wrote, “Nature does not betray the heart that loves it.” 

The full-scale Russian invasion, launched in 2022, has not only torn apart communities and cities but also wounded Ukraine’s ecological landscape. Thousands of hectares of forest burned or mined, rivers polluted by shelling and industrial damage, and biodiversity interrupted by artillery noise and displacement. And yet, even amid trauma and environmental destruction, the connection between Ukrainians and the land has re-emerged more strongly than ever. 

Nature has become a refuge — psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually. Amid daily threats and chronic stress, the forest, the garden, or the river becomes a place to reconnect with something unbroken, something whole. 

At the same time, the war has made environmental issues more visible, urgent, and emotional. These are no longer distant “green” concerns; they are visceral, local, and deeply tied to the survival and recovery of society. 

In this context, environmental education takes on new significance. More than an academic subject, it becomes a foundation for societal repair, emotional resilience, and long-term sustainability. Teaching children and adults how to care for nature, understand ecosystems, and build an ecologically conscious worldview is not a luxury in Ukraine. It is a necessity. 

This article explores how environmental education intersects with national well-being and personal healing in Ukraine today. It highlights the cultural foundations of nature connection, examines the current state of environmental education across age groups, explores its role in trauma recovery and civic resilience, and looks at models from Europe that may inform future reforms. In doing so, it argues that a deepened human-nature relationship is not only vital for Ukraine’s future ecology – but also for its wellbeing, culture, and psychological recovery.