International Projects
We’re working to provide relief to communities affected by conflict, trauma, and other challenges by equipping them with the knowledge and resources to sustain therapeutic horticulture practices independently.
Our Online Certificate in Therapeutic Horticulture also provides training and resources for students around the world to become therapeutic horticulture practitioners. So far, students in 40 states and 14 countries have participated in our online certificate program.
Ukraine
Through a collaboration with the non-profit Partnerships for Nature, our therapeutic horticulture team has provided online therapeutic horticulture education for botanical gardens and clinical facilities in Ukraine.
NCBG staff are “training the trainers” – Ukrainian partners who will train and support future generations of therapeutic horticulture practitioners. This project builds our partners’ capacity to integrate plant and nature-based healing interventions into their current practices and serve those affected by the ongoing conflict. These practitioners are working to alleviate psychological distress, promote resilience, and honor the rich history of human-plant connections in Ukraine.
Highlights to Date
- Online certificate program translation: Starting with a request from a veteran rehabilitation hospital in Kyiv, we have translated our Introduction to Therapeutic Horticulture online course into Ukrainian with the help of our partners, the North Carolina Cooperative Extension and NC State Instructional Design Department. It will soon be available online to Ukrainian speakers, and we hope to translate the remaining three courses in our online certificate program into Ukrainian in the coming years.
- Webinars: Between March 2023 and June 2024, we presented a series of webinars that introduced the practice of therapeutic horticulture to our Ukrainian partners, connected them with colleagues, and involved site-specific consultation.
- Inaugural master’s program: Our TH program manager, Emilee Weaver, consulted with administrators and faculty of the Bohdan Khmelnytsky Melitopol State Pedagogical University to establish the curriculum for the first-ever master’s program in Therapeutic Horticulture in Ukraine.
- In-person Workshops: In October 2024, Emilee Weaver traveled to the Bolestraszyce Arboretum in Poland (since travel to Ukraine is still not permitted) to conduct a comprehensive in-person workshop, where she built upon the fundamental knowledge provided virtually and expanded into more advanced TH program development and management topics. Ukrainian botanical garden leaders and educators discussed the successes and challenges of the programs they started in spring 2024 and brainstormed solutions with NCBG experts. Fourteen dedicated Ukrainians received training certificates to mark their achievements in TH!
In the Works
- Full Online Certificate in Therapeutic Horticulture translation: We plan to translate the remaining three courses in our online certificate program into Ukrainian in the next 12 to 18 months.
- Post-trip Consultation & Training: Following Emilee’s 14-day trip to the Poland/Ukraine border in 2024, NCBG and Partnerships for Nature will continue developing TH resources and focusing their consultation efforts on producing funding proposals with each of our Ukrainian botanical garden partners. This effort will empower each garden to achieve greater financial independence and capacity to serve the growing number of civilians and veterans affected by war.
- Webinars: Several webinars will be provided for overseas partners in 2025 that directly address the training needs that participants identified during the October workshops.
Partners
Our work in Ukraine is made possible by many partnerships, including with the NC State University Extension Gardener program, Partnerships for Nature, Botanic Gardens Conservation International, independent donors, and the following Ukrainian botanical gardens:
- Kyiv Gryshko National Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine
- Lviv National University Ivan Franko Botanical Garden
- Odesa National University Botanical Garden
- Chernivtsi National University Botanical Garden
- Kryvyi Rih Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Support this Project
For the last two years, we have provided therapeutic horticulture training to practitioners in Ukraine completely free of charge. You can help us make our in-person workshop successful by funding the creation of much-needed study resources and follow-up consultation work by donating to our Therapeutic Horticulture Fund.
Armenia
Recent conflicts have created a critical need for the development of therapeutic horticulture programs in Armenia, with over 100,000 refugees fleeing the Nagorno-Karabakh (or Artsakh) region. Tens of thousands of Armenian soldiers have also been involved in these conflicts.
Our therapeutic horticulture team has begun working with the Yerevan Botanical Garden, the largest botanical garden in Armenia, to develop a therapeutic garden and additional TH trainings.
Highlights to Date
- Therapeutic Garden consultation: Our staff have worked closely with the Yerevan Botanical Garden to design one of the country’s first therapeutic gardens, which will have features that support work with children who have been displaced due to war and children with disabilities. We’re proud to announce that YBG obtained funding and broke ground on this flagship garden in spring 2024. The garden is equipped with accessible raised beds, a plethora of rich sensory elements, and features one of Armenia’s first composting demonstration sites. Armenia does not have a strong history of composting organic material, but it is on the rise- especially with help from a prominent botanical garden that leads the way to the future!
- In-person Workshop: In September 2024, NCBG experts traveled to the Yerevan Botanical Garden (YBG) in Armenia with our partners, Partnerships for Nature. This workshop provided a range of local organizations with foundational TH theory and program development and evaluation techniques. We evaluated the TH pilot program already launched by YBG staff and volunteers. In addition to representatives from local environmental education and trauma care organizations, participants from botanical gardens in the neighboring Republic of Georgia also attended this workshop. Ultimately, participants were empowered to start envisioning what additional resources and training they need and how they could use TH to provide relief to Armenian and Georgian citizens who have experienced the trauma of forced relocation, military service, and the challenges of coping with old and new disabilities.
In the Works
- Deepening our relationship with Armenian and Georgian partners: During Emilee’s trip overseas, the Tbilisi Botanical Garden in Georgia and Armenian NGOs focused on trauma care, environmental education, veterans, and refugee support groups expressed their interest to integrate and deepen their knowledge of how to integrate therapeutic horticulture into their programs. NCBG will work with Armenian partners to begin translating many of the TH resources provided to the Ukrainians into Armenian.
Support this Project
For the last two years, we have developed therapeutic horticulture training resources that we’ve practitioners in Armenia completely free of charge. Help us make our in-person workshop in Armenia successful by funding the creation of much-needed study resources and follow-up consultation work by donating to our Therapeutic Horticulture Fund.
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