January heralds in the new year with our annual issue highlighting profiles of local practitioners and businesses that support our wellness journey in a wide variety of ways. These profiles are introduced on page 18. Their information can also be found online for the entire year at naBroward.com/profiles. Enjoy exploring for personal use these businesses, services, areas of focus, and philosophies on healing.

We’ve paired the profiles with more information in the Community Resource Guide, our Natural Living Directory. That expanded section starts on page 55 and is accompanied by another resource, a helpful glossary of integrative health and “green” terms for our community of readers.

Our Wise Words department’s interview this month is with the legendary journalist Bill Moyers, who is taking the lead to discuss climate change, spreading awareness of this critical issue, and offering the opportunity for businesses and individuals to join in the conversation with a global media project called Covering Climate Now. Natural Awakenings has joined in this effort and our readers will be learning even more as to how we live and eat impacts the worldwide eco-system, and how each of us can reduce our negative impact on the planet.

There is a public discussion at the Fort Lauderdale City Hall (see Calendar page 50) on sustainability, and the Sustainability Advisory Board is hosting the event with a panel of experts. They are inviting the public to contribute their thoughts on what they believe to be critical issues for the city in terms of steps the city could take to be more sustainable, and actions that can be implemented to reduce the impact of climate change.

Noting that the discussion around climate change is much broader today than it was a decade ago, the schools and universities are offering the next generation innovative hands-on courses that are focused on sustainable food production, environmentally resourceful energy, waste management, air and water quality. This trend is explored in our article this month by Yvette Hammett, “Raising Environmentalists: Teachers Prep Kids for the Future”.

In tandem with our focus on planetary health, Natural Awakenings will be providing ongoing articles and briefs on all facets of personal health. Our focus on anti-aging, or the fountain of youth, has us exploring practices that will best contribute to a long, healthy, and vital life. Understanding diet and how that affects us, along with exercise and rest, are all part of a useful anti-aging discussion. Our feature article on that very topic this month, “Living Long and Well” by writer Melinda Hemmelgarn, takes a look at factors such as the role of genes, the environment, and lifestyle.

There are over 100 urban natural areas in Broward County managed either by the state or local cities. The Everglade Management Lands, mostly managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, is comprised of about 800 square miles of wetland with limited access. Many of our readers have expressed how much it means to them to have access to these areas for that all-important time in nature. We are enriched by the unique Everglades eco-system here in South Florida. Increasing our time in nature may be the perfect thing of which to do more in 2020. As such, you may enjoy the article “Eco-Therapy: Beyond the Nature Cure” by writer Ronica A. O’Hara. She reviews the physical benefits of spending time in nature plus several new studies suggesting that nature-based interventions may serve as an additional form of treatment for emotional and mental wellbeing.

All of us here at Natural Awakenings wish you a 2020 filled with wonder and awe.

“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language

And next year’s words await another voice.

And to make an end is to make a beginning.”

– T.S. Eliot

Susie Q Wood, Publisher