Rachel Freeman, lecturer in horticulture at Technological University Dublin, reviews the recent inaugural symposium on the use, benefits and future development of social and therapeutic horticulture in Ireland |
The inaugural symposium of the Irish Social, Community & Therapeutic Horticulture (SCTH) community was held on Friday 6th of September in Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) Blanchardstown. The daylong symposium’s theme was ‘Therapeutic Horticulture: Research, Practice and The Future’ and it began with an opening address from Campus Principal, Dr. Diarmuid O’Callaghan.
In his opening address, Dr. O’Callaghan acknowledged the value of therapeutic horticulture and the breadth of disciplines among those present. He remarked that ‘it is here in this space [Therapeutic Horticulture], in this intersect of disciplines, that the magic happens’.
The speakers on the day included internationally renowned researcher, author and (retired) professor, specialising in Social & Therapeutic Horticulture, Dr. Joe Sempik, lecturer and post-doctoral researcher on the NEAR Health project from NUIG, Dr Caitriona Carlin, and school of Business lecturer and researcher in Social Return On Investment from Technological University Dublin, Dr Francis McGeough. An open session was led by SCTH member, Birgitta Mundy with a selection of short presentations from Dee Sewell (Greenside Up), Rachel Gerrard-Shouldice (the National Rehabilitation Hospital Dun Laoghaire), Patrick Howlett (Festina Lente), Ciarnad Ryan (TU Dublin Horticulture Department), Brendan Redmond (Assistant Parks Superintendent South Dublin County Council), Graham Bradley (Horticulture Junior Gardeners Programme), Gareth Lovett (Horticulturist Camphill Community Dunshane, Co Kildare), and Robbie Breadon (Psychotherapist, Common Ground, Co Fermanagh).
SO WHY A THERAPEUTIC HORTICULTURE SYMPOSIUM NOW?
There has been a gradual rise to prominence of therapeutic horticulture practice in Ireland. To some, this might seem a new departure for horticulture, yet for the many practitioners that are part of this niche sector, it is nothing new. They have been using nature and the outdoors for therapeutic benefit for decades and the evidence of their work was visible at the Symposium. However, the numbers present and breadth of professions using horticultural activities and interventions, which bring therapeutic benefit, was immense; certainly evidence of a horticultural practice coming to the fore. However, I see that some people remain completely detached from the natural world. At the heart of this detachment is a rise in disconnection from nature; for example, a lack of understanding of or care for where our food comes from and how its produced, and the directly related resultant issues of poorer overall health and wellbeing. Horticultural therapy is not specifically focused on addressing the environmental crisis but the growing volume of evidence showing the restorative benefits of connecting with nature demonstrate how inconnected our own healing is with the healing of the planet. If we benefit from connecting with nature, and in turn, nature benefits from our understanding of its value.
IMAGINING THE PRACTICE
For those who stop to imagine the practice of therapeutic horticulture, it is often visions of horticulturists based in clinical/hospital settings, with patients sowing seed or tending to pots come to mind. This image isn’t wrong, it is at the core of, and perhaps arguably the most valuable work in the sector, yet the practice of therapeutic horticulture is much broader.
The symposium highlighted its many facets and the interdisciplinary nature of the practice of therapeutic horticulture stretching across a range of professions including that of horticulture. Attendees came from a wide array of workplace settings: teaching, community and social care sector, the health sector (incl. nursing, occupational therapy and physiotherapy), social work, psychology, psychotherapy, ecotherapy, early childhood care and education sectors, forest school settings, and local authority parks departments. The rise to prominence of therapeutic horticulture in Ireland and its cross-disciplinary nature makes for an intriguing study and the journey has only just begun.
In recent years I have had the pleasure of studying in this area, and in doing so, meeting and corresponding with people from across Ireland working in this sector. I found much of the conversation was around the fantastic work that is being carried out, yet I heard of the many challenges that prevail. At the core of conversations was the lack of visibility for this beneficial, valuable and necessary work that is taking place throughout the island of Ireland. Beyond visibility, those involved felt that there were few peer networking events and little provision for upskilling and/or third level educational opportunities. Many people considered these as problematic to advancing practice.
I began to examine the issues related to me and spoke to among others, Caitriona Kelly Therapeutic Horticulturist at GIY, who has been working in this area for some time striving to support practitioners, offering upskilling and networking opportunities through the work of GIY in the area. We gathered our therapeutic practitioner contacts together and the loose threads of an organisation began to form when we issued a ‘clarion cry’ to practitioners working in the sector. We asked them to join together in a conversation on Social and Therapeutic Horticulture practice in Ireland.
So, perhaps enticed by the tea and scones on offer, a group came together at TU Dublin Blanchardstown campus for a late February meeting. We were pleasantly surprised when twenty or so people arrived, with seven joining online. It was from this initial meeting that the idea of a networking organization, website and symposium arose.
At the meeting, the issues previously mentioned were teased out, and suggestions made to network and support practitioners.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
In addition, an important decision was taken at the first meeting; it was clear from those practitioners present that the narrow acronym of Social & Therapeutic Horticulture as a name or definition, didn’t represent the breadth of work in the sector. It was evident that those using horticulture therapeutically, especially those working in community settings, felt the need to encompass ‘Community’. Hence, the acronym SCTH was born; Social, Community and Therapeutic Horticulture which includes the community at the core of the practice.
A core group of those in attendance volunteered for further work and we began to scope out the goals from the initial meeting; organize the network, hold a symposium and develop and/or provide educational opportunities.
The SCTH Ireland website followed shortly thereafter, providing for online networking and visibility for the sector (www.SCTHIreland.com is currently under construction). Thereafter plans began for a symposium to offer a networking and educational event to practitioners. This is how it all began.
THE DAYThe symposium was hosted by TU Dublin with support from Horticulture Connected and organising committee members were both individual practitioners from private practice and representatives from a range of organisations: TU Dublin Horticulture, GIY, Cork Autism, Teagasc Kildalton, Festina Lente, National Rehabilitation Hospital, Airfield Trust, Bradleys Horticulture (Junior gardeners programme) and Greenside Up. The event was sold out well in advance and had a waiting list in double figures; we never imagined it would attract such numbers. A group of more than 70 people came from across Ireland and in a warm, friendly and collegial community gathering, and following Dr. O’Callaghan’s opening address, the presentations began with Dr. Joe Sempik’s keynote address. Dr. Sempik began with the history of the therapeutic use of horticulture and gave voice to the evidence of its use dating back to the time of the monasteries and early psychiatric institutions. Dr. Sempik’s professional, yet fun and engaging style, was strong on theoretical content. Throughout his presentation, Dr. Sempik noted that the evidence underpinning the use of horticulture as a therapeutic intervention/activity is clear, that when used in a guided facilitated setting, it has a specific and measurable benefit. One example he presented was research carried out at Blossoms of Larne Lough in Northern Ireland where therapeutic horticulture is used to benefit those suffering from PTSD. Dr. Sempik’s findings demonstrated a clear measurable benefit to the participants of that programme and he urged those present to evaluate practice yet not looking to evaluate the obvious, or if evaluations had previously been conducted in the specific area before. However, he did strongly encourage everyone to consider research. The second speaker on the day was. Dr. Mc Geough who focused on social return on investment (SROI) as a mechanism to place a monetary valuation on the benefit/ value an urban park brings to a neighborhood. Using the example of Edinburgh’s parks, Dr. McGeough took attendees through the process of how they might go about conducting an SROI calculation to place a monetary value on therapeutic activities in their horticultural practice. In the third session of the morning, Dr. Carlin presented remotely on the NEAR Health project (Nature and Environment can Attain and Restore health) which centres on nature connectedness, looking at ecosystem benefits to health, and the presentation focused on how the public can be engaged in nature-based activities and measuring the benefits. Following lunch, the focus shifted to practitioners and presented lots of opportunities to network and share practice through the informal poster and networking session. The first of the afternoon sessions was hosted by the SCTH committee and led by member Birgitta Mundy. We had a therapeutic start with Birgitta; beginning with a short guided meditation, which focused and cleared minds for the upcoming session. Birgitta then opened with an eloquent, ecological and nature connected scene-setting prose. This provided attendees with the emphasis and space to discuss and contribute their wishes for their organization, SCTH Ireland. At the heart of the discussion were the three key messages given in February, albeit from a different audience (support, networking, and education) yet with a strong note from some practitioners regarding professionalisation for practitioners. Many of the attendees at the session were concerned about the lack of recognition and acknowledgment of STH/SCTH as a professional discipline providing therapeutic benefit and the consequences that arise from that, in particular, remuneration which rightly so, is much of what motivated the professionalisation discussion. The final hour of the day consisted of a series of short practitioner presentations. Pechakucha is a style of fast-paced visual presentations of six minutes 20 seconds in length, with the presenter providing the narrative story for images presented usually via powerpoint. The variety of activities was immense, reminding us once again of the sheer breadth of Therapeutic use of Horticulture. The pace kept everyone on their toes until four-thirty, when the symposium concluded. The conclusion focused on the current global environmental crisis, which ran as a constant undercurrent to discussions throughout the day. It was on that note the day ended, with practitioners encouraged and restored, speaking of their intent to return to their respective places to impact those in their sphere of influence toward wellbeing with environmental care through the medium of therapeutic practice. WHERE TO FROM HERE?Research evidence is demonstrating that connection to nature is beneficial, that exercise taken in green and blue space is providing additional benefit, that time spent in the outdoors is vital all but in particular for holistic child development, that land is needed for food production, trees for clear air, wild spaces for biodiversity, areas for sport and recreation. It demonstrates that therapeutic horticulture benefits those with additional needs and/or challenges to their mental and physical health. However, we must provide for all of this in tandem with nature. We must design for it with the care of the environment uppermost in minds particularly those of us that are working as professional horticulturists e.g. producing food or designing and managing landscapes. These are among the things that will shape horticulture into the future, and the future of the environment depends on how we go about it. |
WHAT’S IN THIS FOR THE HORTICULTURE SECTOR?
This is an important area of research for those interested, yet on another level, it is equally important for the sector to become involved in and support. I believe that therapeutic horticulture has benefits for the mainstream industry, it is a whole new customer base and the opportunities are only just starting to emerge. The rise in both mental and physical health issues offer opportunities for both industry and individual horticulturists to provide therapeutic solutions to help alleviate these issues. There are business opportunities; consider the model shown at the symposium of Blossoms at Larne lough, who have provided a therapeutic horticulture programme from within their landscaped gardens with a horticulturist and therapist working together. The need for us all to engage with nature and the outdoors for health benefit has never been clearer; perhaps horticultural businesses could take a look at the social farming model for inspiration?
As horticulturists, how we go about engagement in this sector that is the question and was among the many conversations had by attendees at the after-lunch networking and research poster session. There wasn’t a clear conclusion to this discussion however, two points emerged; firstly, we can’t do it alone, we need the expertise of others and they of us, secondly we need to keep the environment foremost in our minds in the decisions and choices we make, and thirdly, horticulturists in this sector are in a new era for horticulture, a unique professional, multidisciplinary space and practitioners gave those of us in education a signal that new course provision is needed for this new era.
For the SCTH Ireland organisation there is a job of work ahead, and the question of what next and where to from here? If this piqued your interest, here’s another clarion cry – join us, let’s have a conversation (perhaps with tea and scones) and make it happen together. Note: None of this was possible without the hard work and support of the SCTH committee and presenters – Thank you, everyone. ✽
COMMITTEE MEMBERSCaitriona Kelly, Dee Sewell, Ciarnad Ryan, Graham Bradley, Birgitta M Mundy, Siobhan Nolan, Aislinn Barrett, Emma Hutchinson, Laura Cassin, Anne Gleeson, Patrick Howlett, Joyce Fitzpatrick, Dr. Jill Carey, Yvonne Grace, Rachael Gerrard – Shouldice. |
PRACTITIONER PRESENTERSBrendan Redmond Assist. Parks Superintendent South Dublin Co Co, Gareth Lovett Therapeutic Horticulturist Camphill Community Dunshane, Co Kildare, Robbie Breadon, Psychotherapist, Common Ground Co. Fermanagh. Patrick Howlett Festina Lente, Rachael Gerrard – Shouldice NRH, Ciarnad Ryan TU Dublin Horticulture Dept., Graham Bradley, Bradleys Horticulture and Junior Gardeners Programme. Last but not least, a final word of thanks to Horticulture Connected – Joseph and Tanya Blair who are full of sage advice and believed this was possible even when I doubted it myself. |
 RACHEL FREEMAN – Lecturer in Horticulture. Technological University Dublin (TUD) – Blanchardstown Campus. |
