fall-winter 2008 newsletter california horticultural therapy

8/4/2019 Fall-Winter 2008 Newsletter California Horticultural Therapy

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American Horticultural Therapy Association

CALIFORNIA CHAPTER

NEWSLETTER

NEWSLETTERFormerly known as

People Plant ConnectionA publication of the

California Chapter, AHTAFall/Winter 2008

Volume 10, Issue 3

MARK YOUR CALENDERS

Board.I need help orinput with thisMark Your Calendarssection...ANYONE?March ?????

San Francisco FlowerShow

March ??????

Belmar Symposium

San Francisco BotanicalGardens

Rebecca Haller from TheHT Institute in BoulderColorado will or hastaught a course in HT.This course is certified by

AHTA and ..

Legacy Foundation andTheresa Hazen

Will hold a symposium???

Etc.

NEVERDOUBTTHATASMALLGROUPOFTHOUGHTFUL, COMMITTEDCITIZENSCAN

CHANGETHEWORLDINDEED, ITISTHEONLYTHINGTHATEVERHAS. MARGARETMEAD

Website Information

California Chapter

WWW.CAAHTA.ORG

National Organization

WWW.AHTA.ORG

To Reflect and PonderHappy New Year 2009

The California Chapter of AHTA gets ready for the new , as we Reflect on 20and Ponder the New Year. The enthusiasm and desire to grow and continexpanding has become obvious and contagious. Students, HTRs, AlliProfessionals, HT Program Developers and Directors, Landscapes ArchitecLandscape Designers and the public want the connection. Stay tuned in for udates on the website. And now, in this newsletter join us for a walk throu2008. We wish you a Happy and Prosperous 2009.

A Historical Perspective of the California Chapter AHTAby Leigh Anne Starling, HTR

In 1986, the original California Chapter was started by Ida Cousino, an occupational therapist at the

Vets Garden, located at the Los Angeles Veterans Hospital. After 10 years in Southern California,

many successful meetings and membership, the chapter moved up the coast to San Louis Obispo in

1996. Chapter President Derron Dike maintained the chapter during this transition time and started

the Chapter tradition of participating in the Annual San Francisco Flower and Garden Show. American

Horticultural Therapy Association member Leigh Anne Starling joined the California Chapter during tha

time to meet other fellow HTs and volunteered to serve as the Northern California representative.

In the fall of 1997, a group of individuals gathered in Northern California to discuss horticultural therap

and the feasibility of starting a local chapter in support of the American Horticultural Therapy Associa-

tion. Leigh Anne worked with this group as a representative of the existing chapter at that time. After

much discussion, it was decided to form as a local Bay Area chapter of AHTA. AHTA approved the inco

poration of the Northern California Chapter under the name People Plant Connection of Northern Cali-

fornia. The Northern Chapter held its first board meeting in fall 1998 and its first official chapter meeting in spring 1999. A Chapter newsletter started under the first president, Karen Talbot. As the chapt

began to grow and membership expanded, so did the newsletter. Meetings were held at such places a

Kainos Home and Training Center, Elkus Youth Ranch, Strybing Arboretum, and Heather Farms. In

2002, the annual meeting was held at Abilities United, then called Community Association for Rehabili

tation, located in Palo Alto. In 2002, the chapter membership voted to expand the chapter throughout

the state and change the name to the California Chapter of the American Horticultural Therapy Associa

tion.

It was shortly afterwards that Leigh Anne, president of the People Plant Connection, the northern re-

gion, approached Derron Dike, president of the California Chapter, southern region, to merge the two

chapters. In the fall of 2003, a meeting was held at Descanso Gardens in Southern California where

the two regions voted to merge the treasury accounts and become one state chapter! The chapter had

many successful years with shared leadership between the two regions. Under the presidency of Lind

Mann, the chapter held successful meetings at Sherman Library and Gardens, the Vets Garden, Des-

canso Gardens, the Huntington Botanical Gardens, and Gamble Gardens. The newsletter has expandeto become a work of art and information. Membership expanded throughout the state and at one time

reached 96 members. The chapter continued to host an exhibit at the San Francisco Flower and Gar-

den Show for 10 consistent years. In the present time, with the assistance of president Patty Dunks,

the Chapter website was becoming an important means of communication and information. We also

held celebrations in honor of the chapter closing, our two great Garden Parties, at Fioli Gardens and

Descanso Gardens.

Most recently, the American Horticultural Therapy has had to restructures its chapter system forcing

many chapters to close. As most of the membership knows, the chapter is closing for now hoping to

reopen in the future under a new system in compliance with the American Horticultural Therapy Assoc

tion. At this time, the most important thing that you can do to support the field of horticultural therapy

is to join AHTA. Without AHTA, there will be no opportunity for horticultural therapist and like-minded

individuals to come together and form a chapter. And we do hope to come together again in the near

future to share what we have shared with all of you for the past 11 years, the passion for horticultura

therapy, the people-plant connection.

American Horticultural Therapy Association

CALIFORNIA CHAPTER

NEWSLETTER

Formerly known as

People Plant ConnectionA publication of the

California Chapter, AHTAFall/Winter 2008

Volume 10, Issue 3

MARK YOUR CALENDERS

San Francisco FlowerShow, San Mateo, CA

March 18-22, 2009

An exhibit incorporatingelements of accessibledesign will be on displayin the main theme gar-dens.

HT Institute, San Fran-cisco Botanical Gardens,February 19-22, 2009

Rebecca Haller from TheHT Institute in Boulder

Colorado will teach thecourse HorticulturalTherapy Management.See the HT Institute website for more information.

Legacy RehabilitationServices, Portland, OR,May 16, 2009

2009 Adult Rehabiltationin the Garden: Tools forFuntional TherapeuticOutcomes. Info: TeresiaHazen, 503-413-6507,

NEVERDOUBTTHATASMALLGROUPOFTHOUGHTFUL, COMMITTEDCITIZENSCANCHANGETHE

WORLDINDEED, ITISTHEONLYTHINGTHATEVERHAS. MARGARETMEAD

Website Information

California Chapter

WWW.CAAHTA.ORG

National Organization

WWW.AHTA.ORG

To Reflect and PonderHappy New Year 2009

The California Chapter of AHTA gets ready for the new , as we Reflect on 20and Ponder the New Year. The enthusiasm and desire to grow and continexpanding has become obvious and contagious. Students, HTRs, AlliProfessionals, HT Program Developers and Directors, Landscapes ArchitecLandscape Designers and the public want the connection. Stay tuned in for udates on the website. And now, in this newsletter join us for a walk throu2008. We wish you a Happy and Prosperous 2009.

A Historical Perspective of the California Chapter AHTAby Leigh Anne Starling, HTR

In 1986, the original California Chapter was started by Ida Cousino, an occupational therapist at the

Vets Garden, located at the Los Angeles Veterans Hospital. After 10 years in Southern California,

many successful meetings and membership, the chapter moved up the coast to San Louis Obispo in

1996. Chapter President Derron Dike maintained the chapter during this transition time and started

the Chapter tradition of participating in the Annual San Francisco Flower and Garden Show. American

Horticultural Therapy Association member Leigh Anne Starling joined the California Chapter during tha

time to meet other fellow HTs and volunteered to serve as the Northern California representative.

In the fall of 1997, a group of individuals gathered in Northern California to discuss horticultural therap

and the feasibility of starting a local chapter in support of the American Horticultural Therapy Associa-

tion. Leigh Anne worked with this group as a representative of the existing chapter at that time. After

much discussion, it was decided to form as a local Bay Area chapter of AHTA. AHTA approved the inco

poration of the Northern California Chapter under the name People Plant Connection of Northern Cali-

fornia. The Northern Chapter held its first board meeting in fall 1998 and its first official chapter meeting in spring 1999. A Chapter newsletter started under the first president, Karen Talbot. As the chapt

began to grow and membership expanded, so did the newsletter. Meetings were held at such places a

Kainos Home and Training Center, Elkus Youth Ranch, Strybing Arboretum, and Heather Farms. In

2002, the annual meeting was held at Abilities United, then called Community Association for Rehabili

tation, located in Palo Alto. In 2002, the chapter membership voted to expand the chapter throughout

the state and change the name to the California Chapter of the American Horticultural Therapy Associa

tion.

It was shortly afterwards that Leigh Anne, president of the People Plant Connection, the northern re-

gion, approached Derron Dike, president of the California Chapter, southern region, to merge the two

chapters. In the fall of 2003, a meeting was held at Descanso Gardens in Southern California where

the two regions voted to merge the treasury accounts and become one state chapter! The chapter had

many successful years with shared leadership between the two regions. Under the presidency of Lind

Mann, the chapter held successful meetings at Sherman Library and Gardens, the Vets Garden, Des-

canso Gardens, the Huntington Botanical Gardens, and Gamble Gardens. The newsletter has expandeto become a work of art and information. Membership expanded throughout the state and at one time

reached 96 members. The chapter continued to host an exhibit at the San Francisco Flower and Gar-

den Show for 10 consistent years. In the present time, with the assistance of president Patty Dunks,

the Chapter website was becoming an important means of communication and information. We also

held celebrations in honor of the chapter closing, our two great Garden Parties, at Fioli Gardens and

Descanso Gardens.

Most recently, the American Horticultural Therapy has had to restructures its chapter system forcing

many chapters to close. As most of the membership knows, the chapter is closing for now hoping to

reopen in the future under a new system in compliance with the American Horticultural Therapy Assoc

tion. At this time, the most important thing that you can do to support the field of horticultural therapy

is to join AHTA. Without AHTA, there will be no opportunity for horticultural therapist and like-minded

individuals to come together and form a chapter. And we do hope to come together again in the near

future to share what we have shared with all of you for the past 11 years, the passion for horticultura

therapy, the people-plant connection.


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CAAHTAFall/Winter 2008 Page 2

Presidents Message..Holiday greetings to all of you. This has certainly been a year of change for AHTA, and a challenging one for the board. The

decision to close the chapters brought about by changes and restructuring at the national level has required the board to

spend many extra hours struggling with what is best for the California Chapter.

In spite of that, we have had a busy year. Our first activity this year was making and staffing a booth at the San Francisco

Garden Show. Derron Dike did a wonderful job coordinating and organizing the booth. I saw many of you there and we made

many new contacts as well. We had two site visits this spring, a Northern California visit to the Pomeroy Center where RobertNegro, Director took us on a tour and explained their fabulous program. Our Southern California site visit was to Sojourn, a

womans shelter where we were treated to a meal from the garden and a tour where we got a chance to see the special heal-

ing that takes place in the garden. In May, several of us volunteered to do a hort. therapy activity for the Saving Strokes Day,

where we connected with many folks who have had a stroke. Our two Garden Parties, held at Descanso and Filoli, we had an

opportunity to reconnect and play in the Garden in two spectacular settings.

I want to thank our board for all their hard work and dedication over the past year. Linda Mann, past President who mailed

our newsletters and organized our Descanso Garden Party, Derron Dike our treasurer, Marlene Javage, our Southern California

VP and newsletter editor, Suzanne Redell, our Northern Calif. VP, who organized our site visits, Leigh Anne Starling , our mem-

bership chair, and who organized our H.T. activities for both our garden parties, and Deb Ringler, past board member who filled

in on our board. I appreciate all your effort extend a thank you on behalf of the California Chapter.

At this time of the year, we all look back at all we have to be grateful for and one of those things is the opportunity to be

connected with all of you with through horticultural therapy. Even though this chapter is closing, we will be morphing into an-

other form and are hoping to stay together as a networking group. You, our members are the treasured asset. We will be send-ing out an email with the new web address so that we can stay in touch.

It has been my privilege to serve as president of the California Chapter of AHTA this past year. I enjoyed connecting with

you this past year and look forward to continuing that connection. Patty Dunks

Orange Coast College Horticulture Deparment introduces Horticulture Therapy

The Department of Horticulture at Orange Coast Col-lege is introducing Service Orientated Horticultureclasses. The trend in horticulture the past 15 years,especially during the personal garden revolution, the

expansion of technology and the awareness of our dependency on the health of the planet.has opened amature door in horticulture. People are indeed in theneed of plants for our health and well being. Plants arno longer relegated to just ornament or agriculture,plants are a integral part of our lives on many levels.This awareness has finally broken into the mainstreamconsciousness...Green has become the preferentialoption. Horticulture Therapy is no longer just for severrehabilitation institutions. HT is needed on many levelof healing and growing.Marlene Javage introduced the field of HT to 20 stu-dents for 8 weeks at OCC. The class was composed o

curious students, individuals desiring to explore newcareers and allied professionals wanting to add an-other tool to their profession. I was moved and moti-vated by the depth of caring and interest this group ofstudents brought to the classroom. In addition to learning the specific distinctions and needs of a registeredHT, the class visited 3 sites; including Long BeachVets Garden. Descanso Gardens HT program (duringthe Annual Conference) and St. Clares Garden in Bre(designed for people in recovery). For further information regarding classes in Horticulture at Orange CoastCollege in Costa Mesa, CA see their website:

http://www.orangecoastcollege.edu/academics/divisions/math_science/ornamental_horticulture/

Interiorplantscaping and HT

By Deb Ringler

I have loved plants for as long as I can remem-

ber, and being introduced to horticulture in mytroubled teen years added glimmers of hope ina very trying time. I started my Interior Land-scape business at the age of 19, and I havecontinued with this passion 29 years later. I was introduced tothe field of Horticultural Therapy about 10 years ago, andknowing what an impact it had in my life, I began to ponderhow I could incorporate its modality into the field of InteriorLandscaping.

My opportunity came in 2003 when Marlene Javage asked meto assist her with the installation of interior plants at an Olive-crest facility in Santa Ana. Joining my fellow Interiorscaperswith my Hort Therapy friends was an easy fit, and the installa-tion went off flawlessly. My real education began when I wasasked to take a teaching role at Olivecrest to train the stu-dents to care for the interior plants, and then move forward tocreate an exterior garden as well. Little did I know the impactthat adventure would bring. I got to see first hand the impactthat plants made in the students, staff and the facility, not tomention what it did to me.

Seeing the quote You make a living by what you do, but youmake a life from what you give ( Winston Churchill) encour-aged me to take my experience one step further. I went on tobecome the first chair person for PIA Cares, a branch of thePlantscape Industry Alliance that focuses on impacting thecommunity with acts of volunteerism through interior land-scaping. It has given me opportunity to combine my knowl-edgeable in the Interior Landscape field, with my passion forHorticultural Therapy, and expose my alliances in both fields

with the benefits they can be to one another.


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Southern California Horticultural Therapy SiteJanuary 1, 2009

My name is Anna Schopp, and I am a Certified Horticultural Therapist. I received

my training at Legacy Health System from Teresia Hazen in Portland, Oregon

where I earned a 150-hour Certificate as a Therapeutic Horticulture Activity Spe-cialist in 2006.

I am employed at Salem Lutheran Home, an Elder Care Alliance Community in

Oakland, California. I work with 30 residents with moderate to severe dementia

and Alzheimers.

Over the last two years, I have developed the Therapeutic Horticulture program by planning and conducting a na-

ture and gardening group on Saturdays. The goals of my group are cognitive stimulation, social interaction, crea-

tive expression, and physical exercise. My groups are very popular and attract

family members as well.

I have planned and implemented special projects for the residents. One group

focused on intergenerational gardening with the local first grade class that regu-larly visits our facility. We planted out native perennials and annuals in a

Dedication Planter, which provides a ready reminder to our residents of this

lively group of children as well as the pleasure of beautiful flowers.

I was also instrumental in the renovation, plant selection and placement for our sensory garden. This is a rooftop

container garden that is directly accessible to our residents outside their unit. I carefully researched and selected

plants that are safe for our residents, as well as being pleasing to the five senses. There are fragrant and colorfulsalvias, herbs, geraniums and flowering perennials as well as vines and trees. I was directly involved in the reno-

vation and planting phases of this project. Together, the landscape crew and I planted out 60 different species of

new plants. In addition, I have provided ongoing garden maintenance.

There is also an accessible table planter with a variety of lettuces, kales, chards, spinach and marigolds planted byour residents. A popular activity with residents and family members is to pick fresh lettuces to feed the pet

bunny.

We are very fortunate to have the benefit of volunteers once a month, who provide direct companionship and as-

sistance to our residents in the garden group. These volunteers come to us through a non-profit organization called

Hands-On-Bay-Area.

I also serve the residents of the Nursing Care Center by visiting with the residents on a one-to-one basis. I bring

them plant materials, fresh flowers and herbs from the sensory garden and the opportunity to socialize, reminis-

cence and enjoy something of beauty.

The sensory garden is an important resource for the residents and their families as well as the staff of the Terrace

Unit. It provides a safe, supportive environment for the residents to exercise, relax and enjoy the fresh air, sun-shine and benefits of being in a garden.


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Annual Conference and Garden Party at Descanso Gardens Nov 15, 2008


Southern California Horticultural Therapy SiteHome Schooling LA Family Housing Corp.by Laurie Lyles

Home schooling on the grounds of LA Family Housing Corp. provides a thera-peutic intervention in low income housing apartment complexes. LA Family

Housing Corp. is a non-profit 501C3 that provides housing for homeless and

low-income families and singles in Los Angeles. They have a main shelter

property in N. Hollywood, that houses 500 people, and then have over 30 off

site apartment complexes throughout Los Angeles County that house low in-

come populations. The Master Gardeners and I have been doing home school-

ing at several of their properties since 1998. Organic Gardening affords us the

opportunity to engage the residents in activities that they would not normally

engage in and communicate with each other to complete tasks in ways that

they normally would not be active in. We have encouraged them to use the

yard areas adjacent to the apartment complexes as mini-community gardens

and have encouraged the families to grow veggies all year long in mini raised

beds. The families enjoy this activity and work together to help maintain the

garden areas. Families in these facilities, mostly Hispanic and African Ameri-

can often isolate and dont congregate in group activities so this has been a very positive therapeutic way for

them to interact with their neighbors, and to better their living environment at the same time. In addition, the

children in our classes are getting trained in all types of plant material so that when they go to school and start

gardening ,, they will have a big head start on understanding how things grow. We also compost and do worm

composting, so the kids have a well-rounded view of what is involved in the garden. Our classes are themed to

all the holidays during the year, and the Master Gardeners or nurseries in the area often donate plant material

to us. Our kids range in age from 3 15. We also do field trips to neighboring pumpkin patches, community

gardens, local public gardens and nurseries. .Gardening provides a therapeutic venue for people to problem

solve, communicate, gain knowledge that can be used in many areas of life and get them active in outdoor ac-

tivities rather than staying indoors in front of a TV. Gardening also encourages healthy eating, and we allow our

classes to eat the veggies right in the garden.

I heartily recommend this type of schooling for anyone who can start a program in his or her local community.


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California ChapterAmerican Horticultural Therapy Association2921 Old San Jose RoadSoquel, CA 95073

CAAHTA NewsletterFall/Winter 2008

CAAHTA Fall/Winter 2008 page

For More Information Contact:California Chapter AHTAC/O Derron Dike (treasure)

PO Box 102, San Luis Obispo CA 93406

Email: [email protected]

name:

address:

phone:......email:............CAAHTA Newsletter has been published 3 times a year. For questions

regarding the development of the new horticulture therapy networking group

contact Leigh Anne Starling at. [email protected]

Past Board of DirectorsPATTY DUNKS * President831-476-7070

[email protected]

SUZANNE REDELL * VP NCA650-207-7601

[email protected]

MARLENE JAVAGE *VP SCA Newsletter Editor714-545-1665

[email protected]

DERRON DIKE * [email protected]

LINDA MANN * PR Chair andImmediate Past President818-340-6188

[email protected]

LEIGH ANNE STARLING, HTRMembership Chair650-525-9984

For more information about Horticulture Therapy contact the National Association:

The American Horticultural Therapy Association - 201 East Main Street, Suite 1405 Lexington, KY 40507Phone: 859-514-9177 Fax: 859-514-9166 Email: [email protected] web site: www.ahta.org

fall-winter 2008 newsletter california horticultural therapy

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