Free University talk to explore health, nature, their links and overlooked voices of the past

From feeding the birds to discussing the weather, the impact of the environment and animal encounters on the health and wellbeing of medical patients in the early 20^th century will be the subject of a free talk at the University of Chester.

The University’s Health and Wellbeing Research and Knowledge Exchange Institute, Health Humanities Special Interest Group (SIG), will welcome Dr Clare Hickman of Newcastle University on Wednesday March 18, 2026, to share her insights.

Clare will explore: ‘The birds were the delight, the talk of the San’. Adventures at the intersection of health and environmental histories.

The talk will present the work of the Wellcome Trust funded network, MedEnv: Intersections in Medical and Environmental Humanities, followed by Clare’s recent research inspired by network discussions on British sanatoria – clinical institutions for the medical care and recuperation of people who were chronically ill.

MedEnv aims to consider the rich nature of human and non-human inter-relationships and their impact on health and wellbeing – and how the Humanities can help in understanding the challenges ahead.

Outlining her research and the second part of the talk, Clare said: “This applies an environmental history lens to offer new perspectives on a well-known medical institution. From comments on the weather to multispecies encounters, particularly with birds, oral histories and other narrative accounts can help us understand the environmental experience of patients. 

“These illuminating stories are absent from medical treatises written by doctors and other professionals which have traditionally been the main texts used by medical historians thus demonstrating the exciting opportunities presented by research at the intersection.”

Dr Caroline Pudney, Senior Lecturer in Archaeology and Health Humanities SIG Coordinator, at the University of Chester added: “We’re really excited to have Dr Hickman come and present her research on Environmental Humanities as part of the Health Humanities series of public talks.

“Clare’s work offers new insights and brings often unheard voices to the fore in the understanding of historic medical experiences.

“Her work certainly gives us something to think about today concerning hospital and other healthcare environments and what might be of benefit to patients beyond their direct clinical care.”

The talk will be held on Wednesday March 18, from 2pm to 3pm, at the Westminster Building at the University of Chester’s Exton Park site in the city.

For further information and to book a free place, please visit:https://www.tickettailor.com/events/universityofchester3/2091616