Horticulture professional urges public to reconnect with outdoor spaces, hands-on skills, and community music as research shows rising stress and declining natural engagement
CLIFTON, NJ / ACCESS Newswire / December 16, 2025 / Evans Chigounis, a long-time horticulture professional, community drum circle facilitator, and creative leader, has been featured in a new in-depth Q&A exploring his life, career, and mission to help people reconnect with nature, hands-on craft, and shared creative experiences. Building on the insights from the interview, he is using this moment to advocate for greater public involvement in local green spaces, small-scale gardening, community arts, and group music sessions.
"People are more disconnected from nature and from each other than I've ever seen," Chigounis says. "You don't fix that by scrolling more. You fix it with soil, rhythm, conversation, and simple shared moments."
Growing Evidence Shows Community Connection Is Declining
Recent studies highlight the need for Chigounis' message:
A 2023 American Psychological Association study found that 75% of adults report moderate to high stress, with nature-based activities shown to lower stress hormones by up to 28%.
According to the National Recreation and Park Association, 70% of Americans spend less than five hours a week outdoors, despite evidence that even 20 minutes in nature improves focus, mood, and memory.
Community music programmes demonstrate significant benefits: a 2022 arts participation study found group drumming reduces anxiety and increases social bonding by up to 50%.
Chigounis' own experience mirrors these trends. "I've watched people walk into a drum circle with a week's worth of stress on their shoulders," he says. "Half an hour later, their shoulders drop, their breathing settles, and you can see their mind clear."
A Voice Shaped by Decades of Hands-On Work
The press coverage highlights how Chigounis' message is rooted in lived experience. His career began at a garden centre in high school and grew into decades of work in nurseries, landscaping, horticulture education, carpentry, and community music. His time working in the horticulture department at the Kansas City Zoo further shaped his belief in environments that support both people and living systems.
"In a zoo habitat, every plant matters," he says. "It teaches you that small choices add up to big outcomes. Communities work the same way."
A Call for Grassroots Action: Start Small, Start Local
Chigounis says the solution to community disconnection is not large-scale policy but small-scale participation.
"You don't need a big programme or a big budget," he says. "Plant one herb. Join one drum circle. Help clean one stream. Teach one skill. That's where change starts."
He emphasises that personal involvement builds stronger communities, healthier individuals, and a shared sense of belonging.
"When you work with soil or rhythm, you're working with something older than stress," he explains. "You're reconnecting with what your body already understands."
What People Can Do Today
Chigounis encourages the public to take one simple action this week:
Plant a small container garden, even on a balcony
Spend 20 minutes a day outdoors
Attend a local drum circle or community art gathering
Introduce a child to a hands-on craft
Join a neighbourhood clean-up
Invite a neighbour for a walk or conversation
"These things sound small, but they're powerful," he says. "If everyone made one simple choice to reconnect, we would feel the difference in our communities immediately."
To read the full interview, visit the website here.
About Evans Chigounis
Evans Chigounis is a horticulture professional, artist, percussionist, instructor, and community organiser from Clifton, New Jersey. With decades of experience in gardening, nurseries, landscaping, and community arts, he volunteers as the facilitator for the Asbury Drum & Dance community and teaches drumming and Native American flute. His work centers on strengthening bonds between people, nature, and creativity.
Contact
SOURCE: Evans Chigounis
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