The Victoria Maizes Wellness Walk was developed through collaboration between The Center for Integrative Medicine and the University of Arizona Campus Arboretum to honor Dr. Victoria Maizes, MD for her contributions to Integrative Medicine and her passion for embracing nature as a source of rejuvenation. The wellness walk offers a guided experience through desert adapted plants, accompanied by prompts that invite reflection, presence, and connection to the natural world on campus.
Upon arriving at the Center for Integrative Medicine, you will find a bronze plaque with QR code that, when scanned with your mobile device connects you to the landing page for the guided tour. This page also shows you the location of 12 tour stops where a plant and interpretive plaque can be found. The tour stops are grouped thematically based on their relationship to one of the three components of integrative health: the body, mind and spirit.
Each stop features information about the plant at the tour stop and a wellness practice that builds upon the plant lesson learned. For example, when visiting the ironwood tree, you will learn about the role of roots in anchoring the tree to nourishment and to the earth throughout its long life. To complement this lesson, you will then be offered a wellness practice that gives an experience of feeling supported and grounded.
The tour can be completed in any order, all stops can be visited in a single session or you may choose (we hope) to return in many sessions to complete the experience you need on that day. The signs are an invitation and the wellness walk encourages you to establish a pattern of connecting with nature and finding greater resilience in daily life.
