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Horticultural Therapy
A Quarterly Newsletter HT and Cognitive Functioning Patty Dunks reviews the amazing research of Dr. Nishino as presented at the AHTA Annual Conference in 2010. HT improves cognitive functioning in elders! Page 1 An Interview with Marlene Javage Read about this pioneering woman in HT! Page 2 Elkus Ranch The Elkus Ranch offers a plethora of HT activities for people of all ages and backgrounds. From gardens to farm animals, Elkus Ranch has it all! Page 3 Submissions Horticultural Therapy Institute This incredible resources makes it possible for anyone interested to pursue HT as a profession. Check out this information to secure your spot in their upcoming classes! Page 5 Issue No. 2 Spring 2011 CAAHT Marches On Marlene Javage recalls how the CA HT chapter began and interviews Meredith Ball while looking toward the future. Page 4 The how-to of submitting an article for this newsletter! Page 5

Recovery of Cognitive Function Using Horticultural Activities

By Patty Dunks
AHTA Conference 10/13-10/16/2010 Presentation Review

The Next AHTA Annual Conference will be October 21-23, 2011 in Asheville, NC. Visit ahta.org for more information and to register!

social context of community. People ate and cooked together, participated in cognitive stimulation and games, participated in horticulture activities, and took a daily group walk in nature. Dr. Nishinos presentation included showing brain scans of his participants at the beginning of the program, demonstrating their cognitive decline. After two years participation in the program, 70% of participants had a recovery of cognitive function. He also attributed their recovery to being in community and a lessening of depression and isolation. It was a pleasure meeting him and hearing about his inspirational program.

At the American Horticultural Therapy Association Annual Conference in Chicago, Illinois, Dr. Nishino, presented the results of a remarkable two year research project he completed in Japan. His project studied the impact of horticulture and nature based activities in increasing
California Horticultural Therapy Group Newsletter

cognitive abilities in those who already have decreased cognitive function. His program was a day program for elders where people had participated in the program within a

An Interview with HT Pioneer Marlene Javage

Marlene Javage was the lady on the front lines! She adventured throughout the state of California to grow the California HT Chapter. She inspired and still inspires all of us along the way!
What was the reason you decided to head into the field of Horticultural Therapy? I have been an active interior plantscaper for 30 years, owned and operated JAM Custom Plantscapes and continue to consult and design healing gardens. Originally, I was very interest in HT but could not find a degree program on the west coast. So, I became an Interiorscaper. This choice turned out to be eye opening and very fulfilling. As I began to know individuals in companies and residences I was asked a lot of questions about plants. People wanted to know how to grow their own green thumbs, they wanted to identify a favorite plant, they wanted to grow their own gardens. I became known as the Plant Lady and I realized I was becoming a plant therapist so, it was back to investigating Horticultural Therapy. I found AHTA, flew to their yearly conference in Albuquerque New Mexico, fell in love with the people, the concepts and the work. I have been hooked ever since. What is one of your favorite success stories of delivering HT to a client? I was asked to introduce horticulture as a career to Olive Crest's TEC (youth at risk) program in Santa Ana, CA. No problem, so I brought 75 large swaths of lavender and 100 lucky plants to their job fair. The students flooded our booth, they sniffed, they crushed the lavender flowers and they were fascinated by the lucky plant. I cut the lucky plant in half, handed out roots and shoots and challenged them to a rooting, budding contest. The president and staff were very interested in this phenomena. They wanted us to start a HT program but made it clear they had no funds and we could not use any tools that could potentially be used as a weapon. A wonderful science teacher said what the hay...let's start it anyway, a faithful friend said I will help and the "Beautiful Garden" was born. That year we raised enough vegetables and flowers to put on a May harvest luncheon. The sense of pride and accomplishment was palatable. The garden and the students were truly beautiful. What is one of your favorite memories of developing the HT chapter in California? Our Chapter met quarterly at sites practicing HT. We were in for a fantastic surprise that Saturday in Los Angeles as we were shuttled to a safe house for abused women. The exterior was nondescript but when we entered the portal....whoa, the warmth of the kitchen and the beauty of the garden was like we were on a holiday by the sea. The HTR's , the Director, Therapist and articulate Hort Educators took us on a journey into their healing world. I will never forget the faces of the women, the joy and pride of the staff, the success stories and the bountiful garden they worked in everyday....it was magic and it was simple abundance. The grace the staff extended to each other was inspiring. That Saturday, I saw a beautiful example of dedication, trust and respect. That Saturday, inspires me still. Where do you envision the HT Network Group in California five years from now? With the use of the Internet and it's ability to connect us all, the ability to do through research, the growth of green awareness and the need for people to return to natural healing practices. I believe we are on the cusp of a potential that is staggering. I believe Horticulture Therapy is the link between many healing disciplines and one of the most effective processes to bring lasting healing to people. As Evidenced Based Research is documented and assimilated by professionals (the body of evidence is growing expeditiously), I believe the desire for HT in many arenas will explode. I see this thirst mounting. It is time for us to be prepared, it is time for us to develop a solid connection to each other.

California Horticultural Therapy Group Newsletter

The Elkus Ranch

What does it take to start and run a ranch of such magnitude and such healing? Leslie Jensen, Elkus Ranch Coordinator in Half Moon Bay, tells us how to start, and how to be successful.
When did the ranch begin and how? If others had this idea how would they go about starting a ranch similar to yours? Thirty-five years ago Richard Elkus donated the ranch to the University of California. Part of his vision for the ranch was for children with special needs to have a place to go to get close to nature. First off, you would need a site that would work for this kind of program and funding. Two biggies. These days lots of ranchers and farmers are looking for additional revenues, so leasing or coordinating with these folks may be an option. Lots of grants out there, just takes some major research. Just make sure you have all your ducks in a row with the county and any others who may have a voice in this kind of project. Always lots of red tape. What is your role at the ranch? How many other people work there and what are their roles? I am the ranch coordinator. I wear a lot of hats, scheduling, HR, livestock and land manager, curriculum etc. I have a lot of help; a ranch manager, groundskeeper, science educator, and several program leaders. Also lots of support from the local UC Cooperative Extension office including bookkeeping, marketing, and my boss, the director of UCCE/San Mateo who is along with other things our liaison to the University and the county. What types of gardens do you have and what types of animals do you have? We have a children's garden, sensory garden, and enabling garden with raised beds and hard packed surfaces. We have sheep, goats, chickens, rabbits, a llama, pigs, horses, donkeys, cats, and dogs. What types of programs do you offer at the ranch? What types of HT programs do you offer? We offer California science standards educational programs for children ages preschool to high school. Very hands on minds on. These programs provide opportunities for students to experience first hand how food and clothing fiber are produced. Most are day tours, some overnights. Some of our HT students return weekly to help out at the ranch. We also have summer camp, and a few public events. How many people receive services at the ranch each year, and what are the population of people - students, elders, etc...? We see about 6,000 people a year. Mostly pre-k to 3rd grade, but also many 4th grade to high school of all abilities. Some elders and some of our HT students are young adults. We rarely turn any group away. What got you interested in HT and what route did you take to get to your current position? Since part of our mission is to serve students with special needs I felt I needed to educate myself in order to understand what that really meant. I had degrees in plant science and early childhood education. The HT institute classes helped round it out all out and tie it together. I started at the ranch as a program leader and was very fortunate to land the job as coordinator when my boss retired.

A major goal of the ranch is to provide all of our guests the opportunity to get close to the natural world, and hopefully leave with a sense of stewardship for the environment. Leslie Jensen, Elkus Ranch Coordinator http://ucanr.org/sites/elkus_ranch/
CA Horticultural Therapy Group Newsletter 3

CAAHTA NETWORK CONTINUES TO BLOOM

by Marlene Javage, former VP and newsletter editor for CAAHTA Chapter

Thank heavens for sprouts like Meredith Ball. I had heard from a few veteran CAAHTA members that a wonderful Facebook site was up and running. Derron Dike (CAAHTA chapter founder) found the site and yippeeit was not only cheery but full of information and connections. Patty Dunks, former president of the California Chapter of the American Horticulture Therapy (CAAHTA) contacted Meredith. We set up phone conference and brain stormed. As with all things horticulture therapy orientedwe began to noticeoh my gosh, we are on the same page. Patty (who has been keeping the CAAHTA web site up and running) and Meredith and I decided to take the plunge. Lets collaborate and see where the network wants to grow. No formal structure has been developed so far, it is just a hope that this will serve to jump start the Network and provide a place for HT as a profession to connect, share and grow. We will be posting articles, education opportunities, HT contact phone numbers and website addresses on the website. We are open to any ideas, suggestions, stories, information and we are looking forward to having a CA Network meeting soon. It is always so much fun. The following is an interview with Meredith. She has inspired us all. She has confirmed our belief that allied professions are indeed looking for other avenues to bring horticultural therapy into their practices. Why did you decide to pursue the discipline of HT? How did you find AHTA? Since I am farther along in my career in Social Work I began looking for different types of creative treatments for clients. I have always loved nature and nature has always been very healing for me. In the past I had successful sessions with clients in gardening, planting trees, and creating plant crafts. I began to think that there must be a way to incorporate nature even more effectively into therapy, and indeed, once I started to research, there is! I just began to research nature-based therapy online and found a plethora of information and books. Ecopsychology, a book edited by Theodore Roszak, is one that is truly beautiful and eye-opening about the mutual healing that can take place between people and the earth. Dr. Leslie Gray does amazing work and study about the "reciprocal transformation" that can take place between people and Earth. I continue to read and research and study to begin to put these practices into place for my clients. I found the AHTA by researching online. What sparked your interest in the natural world? One of my first memories of nature as a child was planting seeds in the vegetable garden at our home with my father. We had so much fun digging in the dirt, poking the seeds into the ground and later on harvesting these big, beautiful vegetables beneath the summer sun. We grew the most delicious corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and more. New Jersey definitely is the Garden State! Why did you decide to become a licensed clinical social worker? I earned my Master's in Social Work in 1999 from Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research because I thoroughly and simply love helping people to reach their fullest potential. Once I moved out West to California I pursued and earned my LCSW credential because that provided me more opportunities to help people in a variety of settings and ways. I have provided therapy to children and families at a group home, in the community, and in private practice. I have provided therapy to adults who were homeless, in recovery from drugs, and in jail. I have also been a supervisor and a Program Director at a community mental health clinic. The common thread in all of my work for the past fifteen years as Social Worker has been a consistent belief that people can reach their own goals when provided support, compassion and skills. I have seen thousands of successful clients reach their own goals. This is the most rewarding job for me. What did you like about the classes you took through Horticultural Therapy Institute? So far I took Introduction to Horticultural Therapy by Rebecca Haller with the Horticultural Therapy Institute. I enjoyed the material she covered, the journal articles we read, the research aspect of the course, and the people I met. It was nice to meet people with similar interests and to hear how they apply HT - it gave me new ideas! What would you like to be doing 5 years from now? My current goal is to establish a private practice that utilizes HT. Five years from now I would love to be able to have multiple HT practices with trained Social Workers at each. In addition, I have an app I designed, Green Quest, for kids and families to have fun helping the earth everyday - my hope is to have enough people buy this app so that I can start a local community and school garden fund to set up gardens wherever there is a need. How and why would you encourage others to participate in CAHT Network? As a Social Worker I have always engaged in community organizing. I believe in the power of like-minded people gathering to make a difference. Once I took the Intro to HT class and heard Rebecca Haller say that there was a need to get a network revived in California, I immediately started a Facebook page and began working on a newsletter to help to organize the devoted HTs in California. When we get together we can share what we have learned, create new ideas and programs, and thus help the people we provide HT to even more! Any personal stories about HT? For our Intro to HT class we needed to pitch why HT is important to our agency or a specific audience of people. We practiced with the class as our audience and I shared a story of a client I worked with. He was very angry and sad, having difficulty in school and fighting with peers. He was 17 years old and most people had given up on him. I decided to try something different so we planted a tree. This tree planting took several weeks and during the course of these weeks, he began to verbalize his feelings of anger and get his anger as well as his tears out while he was shoveling. He had a difficult past filled with loss and abuse in his family, and by the end of these HT sessions he was able to release a lot of pain and begin to see the hope for new growth - in the tree and in himself. I have had many clients benefit from nature-based therapy and HT and am looking forward to many more!
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Fundamentals of Horticultural Therapy Christine Kramer, Program Manager, HT Institute

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 Fundamentals of Horticultural Therapy this fall in one of three locations.
goals for the varied people served. It also exposes students to resources for further exploration and to professionals in the eld. 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. Take one class, or the full certificate program (four classes total) and see how our curriculum can meet your needs. With its unique format, you dont need to live where the classes are held and the format accommodates those who must travel to attend. Upcoming classes include: Missouri Botanical Garden St. Louis, MO Oct. 6-9, 2011 Deadline for enrollment: Sept. 6 Fee: $750 or $600 for full time college students Anchor Center for Blind Children Denver, CO Nov. 3-6, 2011 Deadline for enrollment: Oct. 3 Fee: $750 or $600 for full time college students Skyland Trail Atlanta, GA Nov. 17-20, 2011 Deadline for enrollment: Oct. 17 Fee: $750 or $600 for full time college students

HT Programming Class, Garden At Heather Farms, April 2011

The four-day class will introduce the profession and practice of horticultural therapy, which uses gardening activities in community gardens, childrens

gardens, health care and human service programs. The course describes the types of programs utilizing HT as well as the cognitive, social, emotional and physical

For more information or to enroll call 303-388-0500 or visit the web site at www.htinstitute.org.

TO

ALL

CALIFORNIA HTS,

It is that time of year at last! The colors of Spring are sprouting up through the once cold, hard soil. The sun is shining longer during the day. This means we can start creating even more HT activities outdoors for our clients! As we head into Spring with excitement for great HT programs to come, it is also time to share with each other our resources and ideas to continue to make this an excellent year of growth for HT! From the American Horticultural Therapy Association to the Horticultural Therapy Institute to this fabulous new California HT group now found on Facebook and LinkedIn, we now, more than ever have a consistent stream of education available to us. I hope that with the interviews in this Spring Newsletter you were able to learn more about the history of the HT network in California. Marlene Javage, Derron Dike, and Patty Dunks were the wise people who started it all in order to lay a strong foundation for generations of HTs to come. Programs like the Elkus Ranch and courses at the Horticultural Therapy Institute keep us all learning and growing in this fabulous eld of Horticultural Therapy. Email your article, information about your HT program, a poem, photos, or other artistic work to mball@webb.org to be featured in the next newsletter! There are not many elds or professions today in which you can nd such a holistically healing-minded group of people. Lets keep sharing our ideas, successes and programs with each other to keep our group growing! Happy Spring!

Greenly, Meredith Ball, LCSW

California Horticultural Therapy Group Newsletter