Longtime horticulture professional and drum circle facilitator urges communities to rebuild local engagement and outdoor creativity
CLIFTON, NJ / ACCESS Newswire / December 22, 2025 / Evans Chigounis, a lifelong horticulture professional, artist, and community drum circle facilitator, has been featured in a new in-depth spotlight article exploring his life, career, and mission to help communities reconnect with nature, creativity, and each other. Building on the themes of the feature, Chigounis is using the opportunity to call for greater public support of local green spaces, organic gardening, and community arts programs-areas he says are "vital to human well-being in ways we rarely talk about."
"People are more disconnected than ever," Chigounis says. "But you don't fix disconnection with more screens. You fix it with shared experiences-gardens, music, open spaces, and simple moments where people feel like they belong."
Nature, Creativity, and Community: A Public Need, Not a Luxury
According to a 2023 CDC report, only 1 in 4 American adults engage in enough outdoor physical activity each week, while research published by the APA shows that community arts participation reduces stress by up to 45%, improves social cohesion, and strengthens emotional health.
Chigounis says these findings mirror the patterns he has seen over decades of working in horticulture and the arts.
"When I help someone plant their first organic garden or join their first drum circle, something shifts," he explains. "They slow down. They open up. You can see stress lift right off them."
He believes outdoor creativity and green spaces should be treated as community cornerstones, not afterthoughts.
"We forget that before we had phones, we had forests. Before we had notifications, we had rhythm," he says. "People thrive when they're connected to the Earth and to each other."
A Career Rooted in Service and Hands-On Learning
The newly released feature traces Chigounis' journey from growing up among fruit trees and grapevines in Clifton to decades working in nurseries, gardening, horticulture, carpentry, art, and community music.
He says the values he learned early-service, patience, and paying attention-guide his advocacy today.
"In the garden, everything teaches you if you're willing to watch," he says. "Communities are the same way. You get what you nurture."
The article also highlights his long-standing volunteer work, such as:
Coaching for the Special Olympics in Clifton
Assisting with recreation programs for special-needs children and adults
Leading the Morris County cleanup of the Passaic River
Facilitating the Asbury Drum & Dance community drum circle in Asbury Park
Playing at charity events like Drums from Heaven
"We underestimate what small actions can do," Chigounis notes. "One volunteer, one clean-up, one shared drum beat-those things change people."
Advocating for Local Action: "Start Where Your Feet Are"
Chigounis stresses that community transformation does not require big budgets or big organizations. It begins locally.
"You don't have to join a movement," he says. "Just plant one thing. Attend one local event. Check in on one neighbor. Start where your feet are."
He encourages individuals to:
Plant a small organic garden or container plants
Join or start a neighborhood drum circle or music group
Attend town cleanups and local green initiatives
Support public parks, nature centers, and community art programs
Teach a skill to someone younger
"These aren't small steps," Chigounis says. "They're powerful steps."
A Message for Communities Everywhere
As he reflects on his feature and growing platform, Chigounis hopes readers walk away with a simple but important message:
"We need each other more than ever," he says. "And nature and music are two of the easiest ways to reconnect-not just with each other, but with ourselves."
Make One Small Change This Week
Chigounis invites individuals, families, and community groups to take one positive step toward building connection-whether it's planting herbs on a windowsill, joining a local drum circle, or helping clean a public space.
"You don't have to be an expert," he emphasizes. "You just have to begin."
To read the full interview, visit the website here.
About Evans Chigounis:
Evans Chigounis is a horticulture professional, carpenter, artist, percussionist, and longtime community leader based in New Jersey. He is the volunteer facilitator of the Asbury Drum & Dance community drum circle and has spent decades supporting local environmental and arts programs.
Contact:
SOURCE: Evans Chigounis
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
