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A Life Worth Living: The Garden as Healer

Monarch Butterfly by Henry Domke

Monarch butterfly photo by Henry Domke, www.henrydomke.com

I gave a “walking talk” yesterday on Restorative Landscapes at the Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries in Beacon, NY. One of the participants, Mike, took the 1-hour train up from New York City, a beautiful ride along the Hudson River. Ten years ago, Mike lay in a hospital bed at NYU Medical Center, recovering from 12 hours of surgery after a traumatic brain injury. As I was driving him back to the train station after the talk, I asked him if he was familiar with the Enid Haupt Glass Garden at the Howard Rusk Institute, which is on the NYU campus. He most certainly was, and he shared the following story with me:

“After my surgery, I couldn’t do much of anything; like a stroke victim, I could barely talk or move. I had been a successful electrical engineer who flew all over the world for work. Now, suddenly, I was a 50 year old man who couldn’t do even the most ordinary tasks. It was dawning on me that I might forever be dependent on others’ care. That suddenly I had become a burden to my family and friends. I was depressed and suicidal. I started “looking at windows funny.” All the more depressing was the fact that even if I wanted to, I probably didn’t even have the capability to take my own life. As part of my rehabilitation, I started going down to the Glass Garden for horticultural therapy. They had us plant little seeds in soil, and water those seeds. Soon after, shoots began to emerge, to grow into little plants. And my life began to be worth something. I could grow something, care for and nurture it. Something relied on me; I was not just a dependent. It was a 180- degree turn. Life was again worth living.”

Call for Papers! Environmental Design Research Association

I had such a good time at the ASLA conference last week. Saw many beautiful and moving landscapes, learned a ton, and met lots of great people. Two of those great people were from the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA), an organization that I’ve long admired. In a nutshell, they undertake and share research on all kinds of environmental design (see their full mission statement below). Their next conference will be in May in Chicago, and the call for papers is still open. But not for much longer, so get in gear and submit! And even if you don’t submit a paper, mark the conference as one to attend. Thanks to Executive Director Kate O’Donnell for this write-up:

The Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA) is currently accepting proposals for paper and display presentations for its 42nd Annual Conference—but hurry, the deadline to submit is Friday, October 1. Click here for the official Call for Papers.  Don’t miss your opportunity to join the world’s leading place-focused researchers and practitioners for new knowledge and tools, information on funding sources, and partnerships with design practitioners.

When EDRA meets in Chicago next May, the ideas of tomorrow will be identified, discussed and disseminated. EDRA members focus professionally on how forms of physical environments affect our lives and work to answer questions such as:

  • What is the psychological experience of working in a green building?
  • How do natural pastoral settings impact the lives of people living with dementia?
  • What classroom design features enhance elementary school age children’s academic performance?
  • What makes a home welcoming?  Supportive?  Culturally appropriate?
  • How can urban designers create places where individuals and groups flourish?
  • Why do we travel through forests or parks the way that we do?  Why does how we navigate through a space matter?
  • How should place experiences be investigated and how should knowledge gained be reflected in physical forms?

At EDRA, researchers and practitioners work together to create places where people thrive. For more information, visit www.edra.org.

EDRA Mission Statement: The Environmental Design Research Association is an international, interdisciplinary organization founded in 1968 by design professionals, social scientists, students, educators, and facility managers. The purpose of edra is the advancement and dissemination of environmental design research, thereby improving understanding of the interrelationships between people, their built and natural surroundings, and helping to create environments responsive to human needs.

‘Back to School? Make Time for Play!’ The Grass Stain Guru

Fairy and flowers
A fairy takes time to smell the geraniums.

“It is becoming increasingly clear through research on the brain as well as in other areas of study, that childhood needs play. Play acts as a forward feed mechanism into courageous, creative, rigorous thinking in adulthood.”
–Tina Bruce, Professor, London Metropolitan University

I’m at the ASLA (American Society of Landscape Architects) conference in Washington, D.C. this weekend, so opportunities for blogging are slim – too busy exploring wonderful restorative landscapes in the D.C. area! For updates and pictures, visit the TLN page on Facebook. So instead, I’m sharing a wonderful post by my friend Bethe Almeras, a.k.a. The Grass Stain Guru. Bethe is Director of Education & Outreach for Head Start Body Start National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play, and co-founder of the National Wildlife Federation’s Green Hour®. She is a play advocate who’s not afraid to get her knees dirty, and I’m a big fan her work. I’m actually going to meet Bethe for the first time tomorrow, and I’m very excited. Grass stains, here we come!

Here’s an excerpt from The Grass Stain Guru’s post; click on the title below to link to the full version.

Back to School? Make Time to Play!

This year as you send the kids off to school, take a moment to think about their days. Their weeks. Is there enough time for play? Not sports, or after-school activities, but real honest-to-goodness play? Child-directed, child-driven free play — no rules unless they decide to cook some up.

You see, adults have this habit of thinking that soccer or gymnastics or even music lessons are play. But they’re not. They ‘re great, but they are goal driven and adult directed, which is exactly what school is. Children spend all day in school. They need to take a break and be put in the driver’s seat for awhile.

Click here to continue…

Upcoming Event – Play for Life: Exploring the Lifelong Benefits of Inclusive Play

Play for Life: Exploring the Lifelong Benefits of Inclusive Play

Here’s one more entry (and our last for a little while – lots of other stuff to be blogging about!) in our series on upcoming events:

Play for Life: Exploring the Lifelong Benefits of Inclusive Play

Play brings families, friends and communities together; it keep us fit and makes us smile. Research shows that play is a key element of development and health for individuals of all ages and abilities. Unfortunately, play is being threatened on every front in the U.S. It’s seen as a “children-only” activity, if it’s thought about at all. Furthermore, concerns around inclusive play are primarily discussed among disability experts and are not part of most community agendas. Please join our nation’s leading inclusive play experts for a thought-provoking, two-day symposium that examines the importance of play for all ages and abilities. Play for Life: Exploring the Lifelong Benefits of Inclusive Play will reignite your passion for play and inspire new ways to bring that passion to everyone in the community.

I would especially like to see Pamela Wolfberg’s presentation, “The Importance of Play to Children with Autism.”  Wolfberg is an Associate Professor, San Francisco State University and Autism Institute on Peer Socialization and Play. As you may remember, Tara Vincenta and I collaborated on a webinar this spring, “Nature-Based Learning and Play for Children with Autism and Special Needs.” You can read about it, and link to the webinar, from this TLN Blog post.

And to see a bunch more resources, in print and online, about play, children’s gardens, and the importance of nature for young people, visit the TLN’s Get Out and Play! page on our website.

Sponsored by Landscape Structures, the Play for Life symposium will take place on October 23-24 in Minneapolis, MN. There’s a discount if you register before September 20th. Visit their website for registration and more information.

And just after the symposium, the NRPA (National Recreation and Park Association) will be holding their annual congress (this year’s theme is “Connecting Communities”) in the same city, so if you can do both, go for it!

“In Our Nature,” 2010 AHTA National Conference – Early bird registration ends 9/1!

Fountain at Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital Rooftop Therapeutic Garden

Fountain at Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital Rooftop Therapeutic Garden (Photo by Naomi Sachs)

The American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA) is teaming up with the Chicago Botanic Garden for this year’s annual conference, on October 13-16. The 2010 theme is “In Our Nature,” and will feature keynote speakers Gene Rothert and Linda Emanuel; tours of HT programs and gardens and exemplary school gardens; two pre-conference workshops; and a terrific lineup of education and poster sessions. I’ve gotten to visit Chicago twice in the last year, including the Chicago Botanic Garden and the Schwab garden pictured above (designed by Gene Rothert and Martha Tyson, and also on one of the AHTA conference tours), and this city is really worth the trip; SO many great gardens, and Chicago’s downtown is vibrant and exciting. I attended last year’s AHTA conference in Pasadena and learned a ton while meeting a whole lot of great people. AHTA and CBG both do it right, so this year is sure to be fantastic.

Early-bird registration for In Our Nature ends on 9/1 (which is in less than a week!), so sign up now. More information and registration on the AHTA website.

Comfort, Tranquility, and Fun! Guest Book Entries from Legacy Emanuel Children’s Hospital Garden

Legacy Emanuel Children's Hospital Garden, Portland, OR

Legacy Emanuel Children's Hospital Garden (photo by Max Sokol)

The Legacy Emanuel Children’s Hospital Garden in Portland, OR, now in its fourteenth year, serves a wide variety of children and includes a neonatal intensive care unit, a cancer and blood disorders program, mental health, neurology, and orthopedics programs, and an eating disorders clinic, among others. The garden is recognized by professionals as an excellent example of a hospital healing garden, and its visitors seem to agree. Here are some recent entries from the garden’s guest book. Stay tuned for a great guest blog post by Addie Hahn on this garden and its horticultural therapist, Teresia Hazen.

Entries from the Legacy Emanuel Children’s Hospital Garden Guest Book

After being in my daughter’s room for 4 days I needed some fresh air and tranquility to let my emotions out. What a comfort this garden is. Our daughter enjoyed it the first day we arrived and wants to come out here again soon.

The garden is my favorite place to visit in this hospital. My children love this place too, so friendly and peaceful a place that we can have some quiet time away from our patient room. Thank you so much for the wonderful gardening and decorations. This is the place where we can breathe better!

I am from Mongolia. I like this garden. My friend stayed in this hospital 8 days. Today I take him outside. He is very happy to be here. I hope everybody enjoys this garden.

The garden has “loved” us through our son’s surgery and has really made a difference. Thank you.

I am staying with my baby brother. I love the garden. It helps him sleep. It is very peaceful and the plants are amazing. My baby brother’s favorite plant is the monkey puzzle tree.

We are here today on a garden visit. While here for 2 weeks last month, we found peace and tranquility. Our son loved being wheeled in his “chariot” all hours of the day and night through the garden. Every visit we saw something new. We are so very grateful for these moments and memories.

I came to see my new cousin Kegara. She is tiny and cute. Thank you for this pretty garden. It’s lots of fun!!!

Why/How We Need Healing Gardens

I’ve been updating the Healthcare Gardens section of the Therapeutic Landscapes Network website, and stumbled upon Harrison Medical Center‘s new project, the Oncology Healing Garden (to be designed, in fact, by TLN board member Mark Epstein).

This fundraising video brought tears to my eyes. It really sums up how it feels to be in a hospital, and how it might feel to step outside into a garden.

Center for Health Design Store Sale!

We’re interrupting our series on upcoming events to announce that the Center for Health Design is having a summer sale  – 20% off everything in their store.

Jain Malkin Visual Reference for Evidence-Based DesignItems from the CHD Store include Jain Malkins’ A Visual Reference for Evidence-Based Design; Debra Harris et. al.’s book A Practitioner’s Guide to Evidence-Based Design; The EDAC (Evidence-Based Design Accreditation and Certification) study guides; the Access to Nature DVDs; and more.

Enter the code SUMMER2010 to get your summer bargains.

What is evidence-based design, or EBD, you may ask?
“Evidence-Based Design is the process of basing decisions about the built environment on credible research to achieve the best possible outcomes.” – The Center for Health Design
Or in our own words, it’s the process of using quantitative, and sometimes qualitative, research to design environments that facilitate health and improve outcomes. In some settings, design based on intuition or common sense is fine. But when it comes to creating spaces for specific groups of people with specific needs (and where the space is designed for a specific outcome or result), such as in the healthcare setting, design must be based on sound research. See the TLN website’s page on Evidence-Based Design for more information and resources.

For more on the Center for Health Design and the great work that they do, visit their website: www.healthdesign.org.

Access to Nature

Upcoming Events with the Horticultural Therapy Institute

Continuing in our series on upcoming events, we have two with the Horticultural Therapy Institute:

On 9/1, a free webinar, “Programming that Enhances Growth.” See the HTI website for more details.

Leaders in Horticultural Therapy Education. In September and November, Leaders in Horticultural Therapy classes will be held in California, Colorado and Michigan.

Learn how to combine a passion for gardening and helping people through the innovative field of horticultural therapy. Join students from across the country to learn more by enrolling in Introduction to Horticultural Therapy this fall in one of three locations.

At the non-profit, Horticultural Therapy Institute (HTI), our mission is to provide education and training in HT to those new to, or experienced with, the practice of using gardening and plants to improve the lives of others. Our faculty is dedicated to teaching best practices with passion, and our past students form a community of learners that become horticultural therapy practitioners in a variety of settings. Take one class or the full certificate program and see how our curriculum can meet your needs. Students from a variety of disciplines find this program enriches their current vocation and can initiate a new career direction.
Horticultural Therapy Institute

Elkus Ranch: Half Moon Bay, CA
Sept. 23-26, 2010

Anchor Center for Blind Children: Denver, CO
Nov. 4-7, 2010

University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens: Ann Arbor, MI
Nov. 11-14, 2010

Class cost is $750 or $600 for full-time college students. Remaining certificate classes will be held in Colorado and California. Students can earn college credit from Colorado State University in order to meet the AHTA professional standards. For full class descriptions, schedules and enrollment forms go to our web site at www.htinstitute.org or call 303-388-0500.

Upcoming Event: ASLA Conference in Washington, D.C.

Maximilian Sunflower photo by Henry Domke

Maximilian Sunflower photo by Henry Domke, www.HenryDomke.com

American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Annual Meeting
September 10–13, 2010 (with a before-the-meeting tour on 9/9 – see below)
Washington, D.C., Walter E. Washington Convention Center

I can’t believe it’s only about a month away! Here are some events during (and even before) the 2010 ASLA conference that may be of interest to members of the TLN. I must say, I’m encouraged by the number and breadth of the events germane to our interests. Encouraging, indeed. Hope to see you there!

Thursday, 9/9
Informal Walking Tour of Restorative Landscapes
An informal walking tour, organized by members of the Healthcare and Therapeutic Design and Children’s Outdoor Environments PPNs, including the Vietnam Memorial, the USDA People’s Garden, the rooftop garden and labyrinth at the American Psychological Association, the Butterfly Garden, and the garden at the Native American Museum. See this TLN Blog post for more details, and/or visit the HTD PPN’s social networking page.

Friday, 9/10

Public Parks: The Key to Livable Communities (Education Session, 8:30-10:00)
Over the last 150 years, public parks have become an important part of the complex, modern metropolitan infrastructure on which entire regions depend for their physical, social, and mental health. They accommodate habitats and ecosystems, help to improve air and water quality and maintain habitable temperatures, and provide a framework around which metropolitan development takes place. They are not preserved natural environments. They are human artifacts explicitly created for recreational purposes and have become integral components of metropolitan living.

Edible Landscapes: Growing Roots in the Urban Realm (Education Session, 10:30-12:00)
Edible landscapes are sprouting up in response to slow food movement and a greener lifestyle, fast becoming communal spaces and eco-destinations. These organic demonstration models also provide educational opportunities, such as to combat child obesity. This session will present case studies of the edible landscape movement, providing specific tools on planning, designing, funding, and constructing traditional and nontraditional approaches, including victory gardens, green roofs, and vertical farming.

A Higher Level of Inclusive Play: Trends in Playground Design (Education Session, 10:30-12:00)
This session will provide resources for designing parks and playgrounds that facilitate a higher level of inclusive play for physical accessibility, developmental appropriateness, and sensory-stimulating activity. The benefits of a variety of sensory activities for all children will be presented along with examples, including tips and strategies on how small to major changes make playgrounds welcoming, engaging, challenging, and therapeutic.  The session will include ideas on how to plan inclusive playgrounds that communities embrace with pride.

Partners in Health: USGBC, GGHC, SITES, and Healing Hospital Settings (Education Session, 3:30-5:00)
Hospital expansion often comes at the expense of green space, and there is a need to maximize the respite provided by the remaining outdoor areas. Currently, LEED accommodates density through green roofs and other strategies that may not improve outdoor respite. USGBC, the Green Guide for health care, and SITES are working to assure areas of respite are incorporated into healthcare facility design. Case studies for two LEED hospital projects will relate the effectiveness of existing respite functions to the proposed criteria, potential branding, and revenue benefits.

Connecting Children With Nature (Education Session, 3:30-5:00)
Children’s contact with nature is critical for their healthy development. Research shows that green environments support attentive functions, cooperative behavior, and physical health. But the lack of quality outdoor environments prevents children and families from receiving those health benefits. This session will discuss the latest research on the effects of contact with nature and the critical role landscape architects play in counteracting ADD and sedentary habits. Participants will understand how to create natural environments as a daily experience for children and families.

Saturday, 9/11

General Session speaker Majora Carter (8-9:30 a.m.)
This is exciting because it’s a general session, meaning that many many people will be attending, and it speaks to the growing interest in and acknowledgement of the connectedness between the built environment,, programming, and health:
“Environmental and urban planning advocate Majora Carter advises cities, foundations, universities, businesses, and communities around the world on unlocking their green-collar economic potential to benefit everyone. In 2001, she founded Sustainable South Bronx to achieve environmental justice through economically sustainable projects formed by community needs. Today, through the Majora Carter Group, LLC, her work simultaneously addresses public health, poverty alleviation, and climate change. She is currently working in the city of Detroit on a project to train residents to become “urban agriculture technicians” and to organize a market for selling the products throughout the greater Detroit area. Carter’s work has earned numerous awards including a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship. She was named one of Essence magazine’s 25 Most Influential African-Americans and one of The New York Post’s Most Influential New York City Women. Newsweek named her one of “25 To Watch” in 2007 and one of the “century’s most important environmentalists” in 2008. She is a board member of the Wilderness Society and hosts a special National Public Radio series called “The Promised Land” and the Sundance Channel’s ‘Eco-Heroes.'”

Children’s Outdoor Environments Professional Practice Network meeting, 5:00-6:30 pm

Sunday, 9/12

General Session speaker Dr. Richard J. Jackson (8-9:30 a.m.)
And another great speaker! Yet more evidence of the turning tides:
“How does the physical environment in which we live affect our health? For years, evidence has linked adverse health outcomes with sprawling development. Dr. Richard J. Jackson is Professor and Chair of Environmental Health Sciences at the School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles. A pediatrician and public health leader, he recently served as a professor at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and at the University of California, Berkeley. He served in many leadership positions with the California Health Department, including the highest, State Health Officer. For nine years he was Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) National Center for Environmental Health in Atlanta. In 2005, he was recognized with the highest civilian award for U.S. government service, the Presidential Distinguished Executive Award. While in California, his work led to the establishment of the California Birth Defects Monitoring Program and state and national laws that reduced risks, especially to farm workers and to children, from dangerous pesticides. While at CDC, he established the national asthma epidemiology and control program and advanced the childhood lead poisoning prevention program. He instituted the current federal effort to “biomonitor” chemical levels in the U.S. population. He was the U.S. lead under several U.S. government efforts around health and environment in Russia, including radiation threats. In the late 1990s, he was the award-winning CDC leader in establishing the U.S. National Pharmaceutical Stockpile to prepare for terrorism and other disasters—which was activated on September 11, 2001. In 2006, he received the Breast Cancer Fund’s Hero Award and at the UC Berkeley 2007 Commencement, the School of Public Health graduate students recognized him as the Distinguished Teacher and Mentor of the Year. Dr. Jackson co-authored Urban Sprawl and Public Health, a 2004 book from Island Press. He has served on many environmental and health boars, as well as the Board of Directors of the American Institute of Architects.”

Inside the LA Studio With Ten Eyck Landscape Architects, Inc. (Education Session, 10:30-12:00)
Ten Eyck Landscape Architects is a member of the TLN’s Designers and Consultants Directory

Green Walls Research 2010: Growing Promise for the Vertical Landscape (Education Session, 10:30-12:00)
Vertical surfaces are providing new opportunities to meld science and landscape in the built environment. Findings from three North American studies describe opportunities to enhance designs with interior air bio-filtration using “living walls,” increase building energy efficiencies using green façades, and improve health and welfare through landscape applications.

Healthcare and Therapeutic Design Professional Practice Network meeting, 5:00-6:30 pm