Photo: Ladona Tornabene, Ph.D., MCHES

By Sammie Garrity - Boreal Community Media - March 25, 2025

Ladona Tornabene, Ph.D., MCHES, has built a career dedicated to promoting well-being through creativity and outdoor exploration. Her combination of nature, health, and art has allowed her to craft an enriching life path as an academic and an artist. This has also allowed her to empower others through accessible and meaningful pathways. 

In an interview with Tornabene, she openly shared her journey, motivations, and details about her upcoming exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery.

Tornabene’s journey is one rooted in passion for health and healing. As a child, she recalled spending hours of her time playing “doctor” with her grandparents, which luckily enough acted as a foreshadowing for her future career in academia and research. Unlike her childhood passions, however, Tornabene’s career path wasn’t so cut and dry. After much trial and error, she found her real calling—teaching. 

“My first day in the classroom as an instructor set ablaze an inextinguishable fire in my heart,” said Tornabene. “It illuminated my vision, empowering me to look Monday in the eye with the same twinkle as Friday.”

Despite finally finding a fulfilling career path, she still felt like something was missing. She kept being called back to her artistic side, which was prominent in high school but also shut down because those around her discouraged a career in a field deemed unstable. 

“That whisper began to grow louder as I continued progressing in my professor role until it evolved into a deafening roar that I could no longer silence. My mental health needed nourishment. I longed for the arts,” said Tornabene.

Inspired by this calling, she began integrating artistic expression into her work. This culminated in a teaching position at UMN-Duluth, where she teaches a course on the arts in public/community health.

Photography exhibit

This intersection of art and health is at the core of Tornabene’s upcoming photography exhibit. It features scenes from local trails and intends to draw visitors to appreciate the natural beauty of the outdoors. Simultaneously, this appreciation and immersion serve to improve well-being. 

"When people view these scenes, I want them to hear a gentle whisper from nature, calling them to explore," Tornabene explained. The exhibit’s place cards provide historical information and include creative prompts designed to enhance mindfulness and encourage engagement with the outdoors.

Her exhibit highlights macro photography, which involves close-up images of natural components. This allows viewers to focus on and appreciate the overlooked beauty in the natural world. "Too often, we miss the little things because we’re focused on the bigger picture. But the bigger picture is made up of small, beautiful details,” she said.

Tornabene also has a related project beyond the art exhibit. She co-wrote Gentle Hikes of Minnesota’s North Shore with Lisa Vogelsang, Ph.D. The guidebook is designed to highlight the beautiful trails on the North Shore, especially those that are accessible for everyone. 

"I wanted to be part of extending an invitation to people of all abilities to enjoy nature," she said. "By providing details on trail conditions, we hope to eliminate uncertainty and empower people to explore."

The book is critical, not only for information, but for public health. 47% of people with disabilities are inactive—the percentage jumps to 51% if the person has three or more impairments. Contrastingly, only 26% of people without a disability are inactive. 

Movement, especially when based in nature, is extremely helpful for everyone's health and well-being. Physical activity can decrease the risk for many diseases and, for those with disabilities, can reduce levels of anxiety and depression. Overall, exposure to the environment connects to a higher quality of life, both physically and mentally. 

Even if people don’t meet the “gold standard of 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week or being in nature for 120 minutes per week is not achieved, any movement away from being physically inactive and toward greenspace is a step in the right direction,” said Tornabene.

Making nature accessible is critical to achieving these benefits. Many people with disabilities are discouraged from engaging in outdoor recreation because of the barriers that physical environments create. Tornabene spoke about how this was the primary reason she and Vogelsang wrote this book. They wanted this book to empower people of all ability levels to get outside and to be armed with important information to ensure success.

“We state the location of stairs, handrails, length/steepness of inclines, trail width/surface, location of benches, and safety concerns on each trail as applicable. We didn’t want people to avoid “hiking” because they did not know what to expect, which so often can be the case,” said Tornabene.

The book aims to empower individuals to plan their outings confidently by providing this information and removing the unpredictability factor that inhibits many people from participating in these kinds of outdoor activities. 

The book goes beyond accessibility. It also includes sections like “Author’s Corner,” which emphasize specific trails based on their unique features, such as scenery, historical implications, and general artistic preference. It also has suggestions for families, automobile travelers, and special needs individuals. “The book’s foundation is to empower people to explore new areas and create new experiences with family and friends,” said Tornabene.

While working on these intersecting projects, Tornabene recalled being continually inspired by stories of people with disabilities who overcame obstacles to immerse themselves in nature. One account regarded a man who pushed his wife’s wheelchair over 300 steps and a ruggedly steep trail. "Stories like these remind us of the unstoppable determination of the human spirit," said Tornabene.

Upcoming events

Ultimately, through the photography exhibit and the book, Tornabene hopes to inspire people to engage with nature in new, creative ways. Passionate about the intersections of art and accessibility, she creates an inclusive path for everyone to truly experience the world around them. "May we choose our moments wisely," she concluded. "Because in the end, it’s always the little things that build our biggest life."

March 28 Update: 

The opening reception and author talk have been postponed until April 5th and 6th, respectively. Learn more.

The Johnson Heritage Post will hold an opening reception for the photography exhibit on Friday, March 28, from 5 to 7 p.m. The exhibit will be on display from Saturday, March 29, through Sunday, April 20. 

Additionally, Tornabene will present Gentle Hikes of Minnesota's North Shore with co-author Lisa Vogelsang, Ph.D., on Saturday, March 29, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., also at the Johnson Heritage Post.