Virtual Lunchbox Talk: Therapeutic Horticulture as a Nature-Based Response to War-Related Trauma

August 8, 2024
with Emilee Weaver, Tony Allison, Andriy Prokopiv, and Ariadna Reida

Since the Russian invasion in early 2022, Ukrainian botanical gardens have experienced a dramatic increase of visitors as those affected and displaced by the ongoing war flood into the Gardens in search of respite, environmental education, and healing. Horticulturists and scientists employed by these gardens are well versed on the horticultural side of their profession but have identified the need for additional training to responsibly address the needs of visitors who experience trauma, grief, and a deep desire for social connectedness within the walls of their Gardens.

The Ukraine Project is a significant collaboration between the North Carolina Botanical Garden’s (NCBG) Therapeutic Horticulture (TH) Program, the non-profit, Partnerships for Nature (PN), and several Ukrainian Botanical Gardens. The primary goal of this collaboration is to provide unprecedented online and in-person therapeutic horticulture training and consultation for Botanical Gardens and clinical facilities in Ukraine that builds their capacity to integrate plant and nature-based healing interventions into their current practices/sites, develop TH leaders, and support those affected by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Join us as we share the victories of this inspirational model of international collaboration and hear directly from TH-trained Ukrainian Botanical Garden representatives about how NCBG and PN’s therapeutic horticulture training has inspired and prompted the creation of unprecedented TH programs across Ukraine.