'Nature is a familiar place for all of us': Therapeutic garden brings benefits to Vancouver Veterans Affairs campus
A new garden on the Vancouver Veterans Affairs campus offers therapeutic benefits to patients at the medical center while creating a vibrant habitat that supports local bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects.
The garden was unveiled to veterans, caregivers and families on May 22 through a collaboration among VA FARMS, the Vancouver Bee Project and Legacy Health's therapeutic garden program.
By using horticulture as a therapeutic medium, the garden helps veterans meet specific treatment goals and improve health outcomes, said Meghan Mckiernan, Legacy's therapeutic garden program manager.
"Nature is a familiar place for all of us," Mckiernan said. "You see the cognitive shift, and as someone who works in patient care, it's just a very profound thing to witness that part of a patient's healing journey."
Children enrolled in Legacy Health's therapeutic garden program worked with Mckiernan to curate a list of plants suitable for the VA FARMS space. Community organizations such as the Elks and Nature Play Designs assisted in procuring plants for this project.
"It just really kind highlighted how wide-reaching nature and horticulture can be in our community," Mckiernan said.
She hopes to bring more programming to veterans in partnership with fellow VA therapeutic garden coordinator Mandi Atkinson, whose efforts were instrumental in making the collaboration possible.
Healthcare settings are increasingly adding therapeutic gardens due to the myriad health benefits correlated with nature and green spaces, according to the American Horticultural Therapy Association.
For example, multiple studies show higher levels of exposure to green space were associated with significantly lower levels of symptoms for depression, anxiety and stress.
Patients aren't the only ones benefiting from quiet time in nature. Nurses and medical professionals also significantly benefit from proximity to a green space, which is why every Legacy hospital has a therapeutic garden, Mckiernan said.
At Legacy Salmon Creek, the public can visit the therapeutic garden on the third floor near the cafeteria at any time of the day.
"For our employees typically working long shifts inside, being able to take a break out in the garden is really important as an opportunity to just reconnect with nature and get some fresh air before they go back into a really stressful, busy environment," Mckiernan said.
This story was made possible by Community Funded Journalism, a project from The Columbian and the Local Media Foundation. Top donors include the Ed and Dollie Lynch Fund, Patricia, David and Jacob Nierenberg, Connie and Lee Kearney, Steve and Jan Oliva, The Cowlitz Tribal Foundation and the Mason E. Nolan Charitable Fund. The Columbian controls all content. For more information, visit columbian.com/cfj.
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