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!
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.
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!!!
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.
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.
Items 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.
