MAHTN Newsletter, Vol. 6, #3 2025

Welcome to the

2025 March edition - MAHTNMatters


Winter stretches on, each gray day blending into the next, as if the cold will never break its hold. The bare trees stand motionless, the frozen ground unyielding, and the sun, when it appears, offers little warmth. Just when the endless chill feels unbearable—when we are sure we can’t take another biting wind or bleak sky—something shifts. A bird sings in the morning, a tiny green shoot emerges from the thawing earth, and the air carries the faintest hint of warmth. Spring arrives not all at once, but in quiet whispers, reminding us that hope is always growing beneath the surface, even when we can’t see it.


Mikkele Lawless - Editor MAHTNMatters

Dear MAHTN Members, 

I hope you have all had an excellent start to 2025! As myself and the Board of Directors met to discuss goals and share thoughts on the year ahead, we continued to circle back to a similar theme - innovation. 

How can we be innovative when sharing about our field - and why our work is so beneficial and important? What new and engaging programming can we create to engage with our participants in ever changing ways? Can innovation aid in strengthening our own organization? The benefits of HT/TH are tried and true, but perhaps how we present them, and ourselves, we can reach an even wider audience implementing new ideas and methods. 

We, the BOD, look forward to our 2025 theme - INNOVATION -  as an invitation to encourage reflection, introspection and growth. 

Thrilled to be taking on a new year, and new opportunities for growth, with you all!

Gerry Sherman

MAHTN President

Date: Sunday, March 23, 2025

Time: 10:30am - 1:30pm

Location: The New York Botanical Garden

Watson Building – Rm. 232 (enter at the Mosholu Gate)


Please join us as we celebrate National Horticultural Therapy Week

at the New York Botanical Gardens! 


The agenda includes learning about updates to the NYBG Therapeutic Horticulture Certificate Program,

presentations on diverse & innovative programs, and, of course,

time to catch up with old & new friends and colleagues.


This FREE event is open to those involved in TH/HT and anyone interested

in learning more about using plants, gardening,and nature

as a therapeutic medium.


Enter the New York Botanical Gardens at the Mosholu Gate, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10458.


Register Here!


Please contact info@mahtn.org with any questions. 

Please join us for our next COP virtual meeting 

on HT/TH work with the Elder Community

Our next session will be on 3/26/25 and we will continue to schedule the COP on the 4th Wednesday of the month at 7.00pm.

This forum on HT/TH work with the Elder Community, across the Continuum of Care, offers an inspiring and valuable opportunity for professionals in the field, students, and others, to share topics of mutual interest. The diversity of perspectives and experiences leads to thought provoking discussion, and practical suggestions for programming and client interactions. 

For more information about the COP contact Fred Ellman at fred@ongrowingmindfulness.com

Please contact megan.fainsinger@gmail.com to be added or removed from the mailing list for the monthly ZOOM LINK email.

All are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Growing Forward: HT Across Time and Borders

Sat Mar 22, 2025 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT Online, Zoom

Free Mini Conference

This HT Week Mini-Conference will explore and celebrate how therapeutic horticulture (TH) and horticultural therapy (HT) have transformed lives across time and borders. With a spotlight on the field’s rich history, impactful present, and innovative future, this event is your opportunity to gain insight into the global growth of TH and HT from leaders in the field.

Highlights:

  • Fireside Chat with Dr. Diane Relf: A reflection on the early pioneers of horticultural therapy and their lasting impact on the field.
  • Thought-provoking presentations by guest speakers Mattie Cryer and Emilee Weaver, leaders in therapeutic horticulture innovation.
  • Exclusive unveiling of Root in Nature’s new free and open-access Sortable Research Database, a powerful tool featuring hundreds of curated articles tagged by program type, population groups, settings, outcomes, and more.

Click Here to Register

Click here to register!

2025 National Children & Youth

Garden Symposium

Cultivating Garden Educators Who Inspire Today’s Youth

to Become Tomorrow’s Gardeners

Save the Date for NCYGS 2025

The American Horticultural Society is excited to share that the 33rd annual National Children & Youth Garden Symposium will be held in Hartford, CT from Tuesday, July 8 to Friday, July 11, 2025. The symposium will focus on “Science & History in Youth Gardening” and will be headquartered at the Connecticut Science Center. 

Register here!

Member Perks

The Potting Shed

Available to all MAHTN members providing a comprehensive repository of information and ideas to support HT's.

Inside the Potting Shed you will find: 

  • On-demand access to HT webinars and videos
  • Networking opportunities
  • Access to specialized Communities of Practice
  • Marketing Tool Box
  • Employment Opportunites -                                                                   Check out our new postings!

If you have an employment opportunities to share please email: info@mahtn.org

Check back each month to see updates and new materials added!

2025 MAHTN THEME - INNOVATION

This year, our MAHTN theme explores the transformative power of innovation in HT/TH. From AI and adaptive equipment to interdisciplinary collaboration and specialized gardens, innovation enhances accessibility, streamlines processes, and broadens the reach of therapeutic horticulture, making it more adaptable, effective, and inclusive for diverse individuals and settings.


Share with us! How has innovation transformed your HT/TH practice? Tag us using #ShareMAHTN or send your photo  to social@mahtn.org.

What's New in the Media?

The Healing Power of Trees

Read the article here.

How trees improve health conditions that are linked to heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer.

New Sunflower Species Discovered!

A member of the sunflower family, the “wooly devil” is the first new plant genus and species discovered in a U.S. national park in nearly 50 years.

Read all about it here.

Program Spotlight

 An interview with:

 Betty Guise HT, LSW 

Betty has created "A New Leaf," an innovative HT program that focuses on issues of loss and grief. Her program goals relate to wellness, personal growth, learning, and moving forward with life after loss. 
  1. What population do you work with? Adults whose spouse, life partner, or family member has died and who are looking for support and coping skills for healing.
  2. Why did you choose to develop this program? After experiencing the death of my spouse, I was looking to find a purpose based on my interests (horticulture and social work).
  3. What is innovative about your program? There are few people in the HT field who address loss of any kind in their work. "A New Leaf" uses a support group format to explore metaphors in nature and horticultural activities.
  4. What kinds of activities do you do? I use plants, flowers, and materials from nature for projects related to individual strengths, self-care, gratitude, creativity, journaling, and sharing life experiences.
  5. How do you evaluate your program? I get feedback from participants at each session and a written evaluation from everyone at the last session. When anyone in the group replicates one of our activities at home, I know they've enjoyed our work.
  6. How can I get more information about your program? Contact me at bhguise@comcast.net
  7. Anything else you'd like to mention? Yes -- If anyone knows of a Community of Practice for grief and loss, please let me know!

Nature Activity of the Month

It's time to start your seeds! The process of planting and caring for seeds fosters a sense of responsibility and connection to nature, promoting emotional well-being and resilience.
Thank you for dedicating your time to deepening our connection with nature and illuminating the world with its wisdom and beauty.

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