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The Power of Plants:
Welcoming People with Disabilities to Home and Community Gardening

A Participatory Conference at Olbrich Botanical Gardens
3330 Atwood Avenue
Madison, WI
Thursday, October 16, 2003

Featuring
Gene Rothert
Horticultural Therapy Services
Chicago Botanic Garden
and author of The Enabling Garden: A Guide to Life-Long Gardening

Who Should Attend?
Gardeners—Master gardeners, community gardeners, home gardeners (beginners, too!)
Caregivers and support providers--Anyone interested in rehabilitation, psychology, supported and assisted living, aging, occupational therapy, social work and direct services to people with disabilities and older adults.  If you have a disability that affects your gardening, by all means come! 

Hosted by the
Health Promotion Project
Department of Professional Development and Applied Studies
Division of Continuing Studies, UW-Madison

in collaboration with
Community Action Coalition of South Central Wisconsin
Community Food and Gardening Network

Here are the details:
Anyone Can Garden
Some people call it horticulture therapy. Others just call it gardening. However you see it, you know that there is something about growing plants and experiencing natural environments that helps both individuals and neighborhoods grow. Many medical and social researchers agree. Unfortunately age, illness or disability present many challenges to safe, comfortable gardening for millions of Americans. But there are many ways to adapt both the garden and gardeners to overcome these challenges, enabling gardening to remain a vital part of life.

What You Can Learn
Making gardens physically accessible is only part of the picture, but it’s a critical beginning.  This conference will help you learn how—and why--to make it easier for someone in a wheelchair, with physical or other disabilities to garden. 

You can also learn about:

·       Adaptive tools, materials and techniques
·       Raised beds, containers and vertical gardening methods
·       Unique sensory qualities of plants
·       Teaching and partnering with individuals who have learning challenges
·       The rehabilitative value of growing things
·       The social value of planting, weeding, harvesting and sharing home-grown produce

Hands-on activities for beginners and master gardeners:

·       Inexpensive supplies and equipment
·       Ideas for funding and sponsorship
·       How to design, build and make best use of raised beds

Educational displays, free resource materials and two break-out sessions for small group interaction. 

And in the afternoon…
Tour model programs, home and community gardens which use many of the techniques explained in the morning instruction.  Meet with gardeners who explain what they do and how well it works.  Visit Atwood, Troy, Eagle Heights, Quann community gardens, Focus Corp and outstanding home gardens with raised beds. 

 
Agenda
8:30am    Registration, displays
8:45 am  Welcome
9:00   Keynote  “The Enabling Garden: Design Elements for Lifelong Gardening.” Gene Rothert, Chicago Botanic Garden
10:00 Break 
10:15 Q & A with Gene Rothert, panel.  Teaching and Learning Styles—how to help someone learn, regardless of disability. Practical tools and techniques for adapting every day gardening tasks

10:50  Break
11:00  Breakout session
A       Getting Started
You don’t have to be an expert gardener or a therapist.  This session is all about making it easier to plant and grow something…and enjoying the experience. 

B       Share What You Know
All about adaptive tools and “tricks of the trade.”  Techniques for gardeners teaching people with disabilities and people with disabilities teaching gardeners.  Samples, displays, “hands-on” instruction and

12      Break for lunch  
1pm     Field Trips/Garden Tours Visit unique home and community gardens throughout Dane County .  Hosted by the CAC Gardening Project

3:15pm Where Do We Go From Here? How to get involved one-to-one, at your home or in the community. 

3:45pm Door prize drawings  Closing 

About Gene Rothert
Throughout his over 25 year career in public horticulture Gene Rothert has been committed to the belief that human interactions with plants, gardening and nature have many positive physical, social, intellectual and spiritual influences.

Former president of the American Horticulture Therapy Association, Rothert manages the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Horticultural Therapy Services programs including the 11,000 square foot Buehler Enabling Garden, which opened July 1999.  It is the state-of-the-art, interpreted public exhibit of universal garden design, techniques, tools, plants and programs that actively engages anyone in lifelong gardening.

The Horticultural Therapy Services Program which he manages is also a major local, national and international resource for professional education, technical assistance and consulting in horticultural therapy program planning, barrier-free and therapeutic garden design. 

Bonus!

·       Door Prizes!  Grace from the Garden:  Changing the World One Garden at a Time, by Debra Landhwehr Engle.  Books, tools and gift certificates from Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition (MACSAC), hardware and garden suppliers

·       A bountiful harvest lunch
·       Samples of edible flowers and organic vegetables from local growers.

General Information
Fee: $59; $54 if two or more come from the same agency; $49 if five or more. *A limited number of scholarships are available.  Call 608-265-4077.

Registration/Cancellation
Enrollment is limited in these programs so to help us accommodate you. Please register early. If you are not able to attend, you may send a substitute. If you must cancel and do so up to three business days prior to the program you will receive a refund minus a $15 administrative fee. If you cancel less than three business days prior to the program or do not attend, you are responsible for the entire fee.

Need More Information?  Brochures? 
If you have questions about the program, please talk with members of the Community Food and Gardening Network, call toll-free at (800)442-4617, or email: rbrooks@...

*********To Register call UW-Extension Registrations: 608-262-3909; toll-free 800-725-9692  (TDD 265-2370).  Refer to Program #8303*****

Please share this information with colleagues.  Sign up now; come and bring a friend!  Forward to any lists you can. 
Thanks.

Rick
Richard S. Brooks, Director, Health Promotion Project
Department of Professional Development and Applied Studies
Division of Continuing Studies, UW-Madison
520 Lowell Center, 610 Langdon Street
Madison, WI 53703
608-265-4077