BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — “Horticultural therapy is about people, not the plants,” says University of Wisconsin Extension Master Gardener Program Director, Mike Maddox.
Mike has spent the later part of his career teaching people how to connect to each other using gardens as their medium. He explains, “Plants have always been the cornerstone of our existence, they are in our D.N.A.” In reality, we do share a quarter of our genes with the rice plant, and we can learn about ourselves from studying their D.N.A. Nevertheless, in horticultural therapy lingo, we have a natural connection to plants and want to learn more about them.
Mike Maddox teaches Horticultural therapy as an evolving framework to build meaningful programs to engage audiences. However, the audience he targets may have had barriers to the wonderful world of gardening or would benefit from the calming effects of flowers, water, and wildlife. Horticultural therapy utilizes the knowledge of nature to provide therapeutic benefits for individuals to achieve well-being.
Mike’s career with UW-Extension as director of the statewide Master Gardener Program allows him to work as a hybrid educator/administrator on curriculum design, volunteer development, and overall program administration. Throughout his career, Mike has focused on the intersection of plants and people in built environments. This includes educational programs relating to urban forestry, community gardens, and the engagement of Master Gardener Volunteers in their communities. His interest in horticultural therapy has lead him to implement programs for the incarcerated, veterans, and youth who were visually impaired, in addition to coaching hospitals and non-profits working to align garden based therapies with their mission and daily programming.
He will be sharing his skills with Bloomington-Normal on Saturday, June 10 at the Community Cancer Center in a workshop hosted by the University of Illinois Extension McLean County Master Gardeners. Whether you are an occupational therapist, activities professional, educator, social worker, Master Gardener, parent or classroom teacher, club leader or friend this conference will not only help you implement horticultural therapy into your current programs and lifestyles and allows you to experience certain barriers of your clientele.
Aside from learning about nature, horticultural therapy programs have proven to have many social and mental health benefits. Again, Mike says past participants gained strategies on working with the people, not the plants. Master gardeners have implemented a few breakout sessions to give the attendees more knowledge on therapeutic activities involving gardening including floral design to music, walking the serenity labyrinth, sensory gardening, modifying the garden experience to the gardener, nature journaling and dried flower cards.
Floral Design to Music: Enjoy making a flower arrangement by selecting and arranging while being inspired by music.
Walking a Labyrinth: A Meditative Journey Explore the meditative and peaceful powers of walking a labyrinth. We will design a labyrinth on a stone as well as walk the beautiful Community Cancer Garden Labyrinth!
Sensory Gardening: Surrounding yourself with plants in a garden can be a wonderful sensory experience. From sight, smell, touch, sound and taste, plants can connect with garden visitors that may have impaired sensory functions. A child that has difficulty interacting or expressing themselves may find comfort in exploring their senses in a passive but interactive way in a garden. Learn some tips to cater to the five senses while building a garden.
Modifying the Garden Experience to the Gardener: Learn to eliminate barriers to allow opportunities to do what you love, gardening- whether it be understanding accessibility or adapting of tools. Be creative to allow enabling someone to satisfy his or her desires, goals and enjoyment of life!
Nature Journaling: Journaling exercises can be of significant therapeutic benefits to all involved. Journaling can enhance the garden experience by giving you the opportunity to sit and become aware of the plants around you, thus improving your mood, and connecting you further with the natural world. Journaling also acts as a form of medication by studying the plants and animals and allowing for self-expression.
Dried Flower Cards: Attendees will be using a modified apparatus to exhibit a visual or physical challenge while creating a decorative floral design on cards. Participants will gain awareness on how to assist this population to become successful by using principles and practices of horticulture therapy.
This daylong conference will provide hands-on experiences that allow attendees to understand key concepts and theories for engaging people in gardening. Breakout sessions will provide activities and educational plans where horticultural therapy is used for youth through adults in a broad variety of settings. There is a $40 Registration Fee, which covers presentations, handouts, and lunch. For more information and registration details, please visit University of Illinois Extension at go.illinois.edu/RegisterLMW. Registration closes Monday, June 5!
If you need reasonable accommodations, please contact Kelly Allsup, Extension unit educator, Horticulture-Livingston, McLean and Woodford at (309) 663-8306 or email her at kallsup@illinois.edu.
University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, please call 309-663-8306.
— Kelly Allsup, Extension unit educator, Horticulture-Livingston, McLean and Woodford, University of Illinois
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