From HTI Winter 2010 Newsletter
HT Internship Found on a NYC Subway Platform
On an otherwise uneventful day, a conversation that started on a New York City subway platform led to a challenging and rewarding HT internship. Upon exiting the F train on my way home, I recognized someone on the crowded platform from a NYC public school garden volunteer event and greeted her. This is how I met Pam Ito, Director of Children’s Education at the Horticultural Society of New York (HSNY). With that chance meeting, my internship was launched.
Discovering baby leaves and roots of seeds in an afterschool Read and Seed program.
I started my internship in May of 2009, and have been learning the practice of horticultural therapy in a variety of urban settings through HSNY Outreach Programs such as Apple Seed, Read and Seed, Green House and the Green Team. These programs focus on the use of horticulture to provide job training, improve cognitive functioning and promote mental and emotional healing. They reach men and women who are incarcerated on Rikers Island, adults with special needs, children in underserved neighborhoods and at-risk youth. In the course of my HT internship, I have worked alongside social workers assisting homeless people with HIV/AIDS and with teachers in public school classrooms and after-school programs. Under the supervision of Hilda Krus, HTR, and tutelage of HSNY staff, I am learning to maximize the therapeutic benefits of horticulture.
Witnessing the positive outcomes to the HSNY programs is what motivates me to continue. In public schools, every time I take children out of the classroom to interact with plants through simple activities such as planting seeds, watering or harvesting, the garden supports healthy development and environmental awareness. For the homeless men and women of the 12th Street Garden Project, the garden offers a place and a means to support a nutritious diet, increase exercise and improve outlook. My participation in the Rikers Island program has convinced me of the transformative potential of people–plant interactions, even in the bleak environment of a prison.
Two new gardeners from 12th Street Garden project that provides homeless people with HIV/AIDS a means to grow nutritious food. Sandra Power in the green tee shirt, Liza, a social worker who partners with HSNY, is proudly holding a green pepper from the garden
The most important thing that I have learned from my supervisor is that less is more. When I first started my internship, she cautioned me to limit the amount of plant material and supplies that I brought with me as an act of self-preservation. Navigating the NYC subway system with a heavy load is not a relaxing activity! Now, I realize that one blueberry per child is all that is needed to begin the process of HT. The restorative effect of nature is enormous, but it starts with the tiniest of seeds.
As I become more knowledgeable about the theory and practice of HT, I am eager to acquaint myself with a variety of sites where HT is used. During a recent vacation to Berlin to visit friends and family, my supervisor, Hilda Krus, arranged a site visit with Andreas Niepel who directs the HT program at Helios Klinik Holthausen in Hattingen, Germany. His work focuses on neurological and neurosurgical rehabilitation of both adults and children. It was an invaluable experience. Despite the sub-zero temperatures and snow-cover, I was still able to appreciate elements of the garden that support his rehabilitation program. Sitting in on therapeutic sessions and a staff meeting showed me how HT programming functions in a hospital setting.
Part of the training garden at the Helios Klinik Holthausen.
Photo courtesy Andreas Niepel
Now back in NYC, I am inspired and refreshed. After completing my last class with the HTI in February, my plan is to complete required coursework to become professionally registered with AHTA. There is much to accomplish and without a doubt, another chance encounter out there.
Sandra Power, HT Intern at the Horticultural Society of New York
