Horticulture Therapy Should Be Applied to Schools

Categories: Technology In Schools Therapy

Essay, Pages 6 (1348 words)

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Schools could use horticulture therapy to improve the lives of their students. “...we highlight the growing body of evidence that green school grounds, as a school setting, can contribute to children’s physical, mental, social and spiritual well‐being” (Bell 2). Schools need Horticulture Therapy classes to improve the health, learning, and well-being of students. It has been proven that this therapy can improve the health and mental state of people. “Going outside or being under the influence of plants can increase memory retention up to twenty percent, a recent University of Michigan study showed” (Sewach 1).

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Increased memory helps students memorize and hold information in their minds. When students are involved in nature they are more active, more energetic, more sensitive and generally more content. “The effect of nature in the home and in the workplace serves to stimulate both the senses and the mind, improving mental cognition and performance” (“Health and Well-being Benefits of Plants” 2).

The effects of nature in the home also can be seen in schools.

Their performances improve on homework and tests. It encourages more social behavior in home and schools. When students are less stressed they focus more and are happier. “Horticultural therapy has been shown to reduce stress as measured by a variety of physiologic markers (blood pressure, HR, skin conductance, and cortisol levels)” (Wichrowski, Whiteson, Haas, Mola, Rey 3). Besides psychological and emotion improvements there are improvements in the student’s physical health, as well. The overall health of the students improve when working in a natural environment.

It lowers blood pressure and steadys the heart rate. It takes some of the stress away from a person. Stress can cause mental as well as fiscal strain.

Stress can cause headaches, muscle pain, sleep, and stomach problems, as well as putting one at a higher risk for heart disease. So, in order to improve the all-around health of future generations Horticultural therapy practices should be widely considered. Nature can generate the positive feeling that support professionals and therapists should consider. “Contact with natural settings appears to generate a range of positive feelings to that extent that therapy and support professionals should consider routinely asking clients about their connectedness to nature,” (Hegarty 1). Clients and those seeking therapeutic help could benefit from horticulture. People searching for therapeutic help are often deprived of horticulture therapy. They never evan learn that it is an option. Many clients would benefit greatly from being more connected to nature. Without prior knowledge of these alternative therapy options clienty are left deprived of many helpful resources. It should be the responsibility of early educators and therapist to help teach people of other options. The world has become more stressful. Students have more stress than ever before in history. The expectations in schools are rising and are sometimes unreasonable.

A horticulture class could benefit the students by giving them a break and teach them a way to help themselves to relieve this terrible stress. “An increasing body of research has shown that HT is effective in reducing stress” (Wichrowski, Whiteson, Haas, Mola, Rey 2). Schools are always looking for research-based learning and this is a lifelong learning and a lifelong benefit. Being in the garden can help with relaxation. It is a comforting and healing interaction. It gives an individual time to think and relieve stress. Horticulture is thought of hard to agree on. Many think there is not enough evidence to back up horticulture benefits in therapeutic use. This can be contradicted by new and ongoing research as well as the way people describe their experience when connected to nature. Hegarty realizes there is controversy. He states, “Indeed a recent multidisciplinary project to conceptualize green care” (Sempik, Hine, & Wilcox, 2010)” shows how wide-ranging the concept is, which makes it difficult if not impossible to find an agreed way to establish the therapeutic efficacy of contact with nature” (Hegarty 2). Horticulture therapy is already being used successfully. Though there is controversy on how exactly to apply it there is still evidence of the useful effects it has.

Add some here. Schools could imply Horticulture therapy into their school system to better benefit the students. Schools should definitely consider adding a class where students arrange plants, work in gardens, and learn the benefits of therapy. Adding greenhouses to schools and introducing more students to the environment could help them relax and breathe more. Greenhouses are already in some schools but they are not used to their full potential. If more students were introduced to the resources that already exist then there could be a big difference in the way that they interact with nature. Businesses could get involved with plant-based therapy too. There are many businesses that leave people cooped up in offices all day. Leaving people disconnected from nature. Adding plants to the workplace can create more energy in employees. It can make people enjoy their work more. If we have Horticulture therapy classes in schools they could influence future adults to add more plants to there surrounding in work improving the quality of their health and other workers health. Just a few plants in the office or workplace can encourage improvement in health and mood. After describing his understanding in the controversy Hegarty goes on to say, “However, “nature connectedness” can be thought of as a manifestation of biophilia and, as I explore here, people frequently describe nature-connectedness experiences when asked, and recognize that nature-contact is good for them” (Hegarty 2).

“Biophilia is a hypothetical human tendency to interact or be closely associated with other forms of life in nature” (Webster's dictionary) Before conducting a research experiment on the benefits of Horticulture Hegarty spoke to his participants about nature-connectedness. The responses he got were mostly positive feelings towards nature. Nature has already been observed as positive and helpful. It only needs to be applied more to daily interactions and therapeutic discussion. Money is often believed to be unavailable for new classes. It is believed that there is not enough funding for horticulture classes to added. People believe that the money is unexisting. But the money is there. It's in the money that can be taken from other things and added to therapy. We need to redirect some funds from taxes and other school activities and put them towards the beneficial practices of horticulture therapy. This class is highly needed. It can teach kids how to take care of there self and the world around them. It teaches kids how to take care of the earth and the environment. With these benefits in mind, this topic is in the federal government's field to assist with financing these classes. The federal government should form a Horticulture Agenceys for schools. American should have the opportunity to participate in Hortical Therapy to make their educational experience more enjoyable and rewarding. Adding natural therapy to schools can only better the lives of many. “The best way to ensure that people get the greatest benefit from their interactions with plants is through education” (Relf 4). Therapy discussion can greatly benefit students. There are many benefits in Horticulture Therapy.

In Order to ensure that people obtain everything they can about such therapy it should be added to classroom discussion. Not only could it help them improve themselves but it could help students learn about the world around them, and teach them how to help others. Therapy encourages growth and health in people. The best way to help and inform people of the benefits is by adding classes to schools involving natural therapy. The benefits of nature can last through a lifetime, helping on to heal and relax for years. The stress reducing and health lifting interactions are something everyone should be able to experience. This is why It is important that we add Horticulture Therapy to school programs. Students need a place in their school that feels comfortable and less stressing. One that helps them enjoy their school experience more. The students school experience and well being should be the primary focus of the education board; and what better way is there to improve the life of the people than through therapeutic discussion?