The Rocky River Reservation, on the west side of Cleveland, provides opportunities for family outings, walks, runs and time to socialize with others in an environment full of green grass, tall and strong trees and the ever-flowing Rocky River. The park is never empty, bustling with residents of neighborhoods that surround this jewel in Cleveland’s Emerald Necklace, formally known as the Metroparks. On a warm, sunny afternoon, you can catch families enjoying the weather by walking along the river, having cookouts or even just enjoying the many man-made trails along the roads. These human visitors bring the parks to life as much as the natural life existing there already.
Having the vast reservation in the backyard of many Clevelanders provides a form of horticultural therapy, as a venue to enjoy the free and liberating aspects of nature without traveling too far from home. The trails that follow the wooded areas provide a walk space for many people who enjoy a morning or afternoon run alongside nature, or a casual walk space for those who just want to catch up with a friend or family member while getting valued exercise. Even when the weather isn’t the greatest, residents still make an effort to get outdoors, enjoy the weather and take a chance fishing in the river.
What makes the Rocky River Reservation — or indeed, all of Cleveland’s Metroparks — so special? What makes the reservation special is not just based on those who use the Metroparks for their own personal benefit. The Metroparks hug the city of Cleveland in a manner that has earned its title, The Emerald Necklace, resembling a beautiful green belt of jewels. The shape of the Necklace provides a chance for animals to travel within their home environment and between parks in a natural and uncompromising manner.
In The Economic Benefits of the Cleveland Metroparks, author Jessica Sargent says, “These facilities provide diverse recreational opportunities to the general public for free or at a minimal cost. Activities include biking, birding, boating, cross country skiing, exercising, fishing, exploring nature, golfing, hiking, horseback riding, playing in play areas, picnicking, sledding, swimming, viewing wildlife, walking, and more.”
Sean Cain, a sophomore at John Carroll University, says, “The Metroparks are the only true way to experience nature in a big city. There is not a full, big space of nature close by other than smaller parks. The Metroparks provides a genuine experience of nature that engulfs its guests right outside of their homes.”
The Metroparks help to create a city people want to move to and live in throughout their lives. “A 2009 report from the National Association of Realtors found the premium for homes near parks can extend three blocks and start at 20 percent for those homes directly adjacent (declining with distance from the park),” says The Economic Benefits of the Cleveland Metroparks. The value of homes increases where the park is a short and convenient trip away. In addition, the opportunity to exercise and be active results in better health for many residents.
“Strong evidence shows that when people have access to parks, they exercise more. In a study published by the Centers for Disease Control, (a federal agency), creation of or enhanced access to places for physical activity led to a 25.6 percent increase in the percentage of people exercising on three or more days per week,” says Paul M. Sherer in Why America Needs More City Parks and Open Spaces: The Benefits of Parks published in 2006.
Physical benefits are not the only outcome from the Metroparks. “The benefits extend to psychological health,” says Sherer in his article. He quotes Howard Frumkin, in a review of previous studies of benefits of parks published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, saying, “The concept that plants have a role in mental health is well established.”
“Horticultural therapy evolved as a form of mental health treatment, based on the therapeutic effects of gardening. It is also used today in community-based programs, geriatrics programs, prisons, developmental disabilities programs, and special education,” Sherer writes.
The history of horticultural therapy starts back in 2000 B.C. in Mesopotamia, when large and lush agricultural environments existed there. The Persians in 500 B.C. started to build gardens that stimulated the senses and create positive emotions while combining aesthetic beauty.
In 1812, Dr. Benjamin Rush, a professor of the Institute of Medicine and Clinical Practice at the University of Pennsylvania, published a book titled Medical Inquiries and Observations Upon Diseases of the Mind. Rush wrote — and The American Horticultural Therapy Association quotes him in its position paper, published in 2007 — “Agricultural and gardening activities were included in both public and private psychiatric hospitals, and Friends Asylum for the Insane was the first known example [of horticultural therapy], opening in 1813 in Pennsylvania.”
With parks and reservations made for the use of residents, the Cleveland Metroparks are locations where many people can have easy access to the benefits of nature and practice meditation and many other activities that relate and are classified under horticultural therapy.
Mardie Hay, horticultural therapist at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital spoke in an interview about the effects of horticultural therapy that have shaped people lives.
“Horticultural therapy is a method of plant treatment (that’s used) to work with whatever population that lives with psychiatric problems,” she says. “It re-grounds the individual to get more in touch with nature and earth, where food comes from.” Hay worked with many individuals, whether their conditions were physical or they had emotional boundaries that held them back from normal interaction.
Hay also said horticultural therapy has “helped children learn physical and emotional boundaries, teaching them how to care and nurture for something or someone that is not themselves. Children who spent time at the Cincinnati hospital ended (up) staying for many months, giving the children a chance to see the plants grow, teaching them many valuable lessons.”
Several types of horticultural therapy exist to target and improve distinct aspects of a person’s mental and physical health. The American Horticultural Therapy Association names these as Therapeutic Horticulture, Social Horticulture and Vocational Horticulture. The benefits are listed by the association as enhanced cognitive functioning, improvement in concentration, stimulates memory, improvement in goal achievement, improvement in attentional capacity, improvement in self-esteem, improvement in sense of well-being, reduction of stress, improvement in mood, decrease in anxiety, alleviation of depression, improvement in social integration, social interaction, healthier social function and improvement in group cohesiveness. These are some of many benefits that people may experience while involving themselves in horticultural therapy.
It does not require a therapist for someone to practice horticultural therapy. Many people who spend time outdoors, whether it be gardening, exercising or meditating, do so to benefit from the environment around them. Walking around the Cleveland Metroparks provides a horticultural therapy experience in the backyard of many Cleveland residents. Even if a horticultural therapist is not always required to practice therapeutic practices, the American Horticultural Therapy Association also notes, they can help. “Horticultural therapists determine individual goals and work plans to help clients improve skills and maximize abilities.”
Hay spent a lot of time with children who had troubled childhoods. Reflecting back on previous experiences being the horticultural therapist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Hay remembered stories that will always touch her.
“I remember teaching children about boundaries, and how to take care of a plant properly. The children were around the ages of 7–10, and spent a lot of their childhood in homes that abused and neglected them. They didn’t have the perception of boundaries and the feeling of care, but learning from the plants, they grew to know the feeling.”
One anecdote involved a particular plant that required special care.
“There were plants that were covered in a powdery, white layer,” Hay said. “I told the children to not rub the powder off because it would harm the plant. As soon as I said this, the children would remind each other not to touch the plant and began to protect it. This was when they learned how to care for something other than themselves. They learned the idea of boundaries and respect.”
Horticultural therapy provided these children the opportunity to grow from their troubled childhoods and evolve into much stronger individuals. The Cleveland Metroparks can provide the opportunity to many residents of the Cleveland area. The parks are special because they give you the chance to grow as an individual, while the plants and animals grow around you, too.
References
Christyson, M. J. (1996). Attracting new audiences through special events. Legacy, 7(1), 12–14.
Cleveland Metroparks, Cuyahoga County Ohio Parks. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.neonaturalist.com/parks/cleveland_metroparks.html
Encyclopedia of Cleveland History: Stinchcomb, William Albert. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2017, from http://ech.case.edu/ech-cgi/article.pl?id=SWA
Floyd, M. F., Spengler, J. O., Maddock, J. E., Gobster, P. H., & Suau, L. (2007). Environmental and social correlates of physical activity in neighborhood parks: an observational study in Tampa and Chicago. Leisure Sciences: An interdisciplinary journal, 30(4), 360–375.
Fulton, D. C., Skerl, K., Shank, E. M., & Lime, D. W. (2004). Beliefs and attitudes toward lethal management of deer in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The Wildlife Society.
Godbey, Geoffrey C., Linda L. Caldwell, Myron Floyd, and Laura L. Payne. Contributions of leisure studies and recreation and park management research to the active living agenda.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 28(2), 2.
HINKLE, R. D. (2010). Developing a sense of place in non-traditional spaces. Legacy (National Association For Interpretation), 21(1), 12–15.
Home. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2017, from https://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Main/Home.aspx
Kyle, G. T., Mowen, A. J., & Tarrant, M. (2005). Linking place preferences with place meaning: An examination of the relationship between place motivation and place attachment. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 24(4), 439–454.
Moilanen, D. C. (2002). Placement of regional parks: a case study. Journal Of Park & Recreation Administration, 20(2), 111–124.
Merriam, D. (2016). Parks: an opportunity to leverage environmental health. Journal Of Environmental Health, 78(6), 112–114.
Messer Diehl, E. R., HTM. (2007). Position Paper. American Horticultural Therapy Association.
NPS.gov Homepage (U.S. National Park Service). (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2017, from https://www.nps.gov/index.htm
Payne, L. L., Orsega-Smith, E., Roy, M., & Godbey, G. C. (2005). Local park use and personal health among older adults: an exploratory study. Journal of Park & Recreation Administration, 23(2), 1–20.
Payne, L. L., Mowen, A. J., & Orsega-Smith, E. (2002). An examination of park preferences and behaviors among urban residents: the role of residential location, race, and age. Leisure Sciences, 24(2), 181–198. doi:10.1080/01490400252900149
Sargent, J. (2013). The economic benefits of Cleveland Metroparks. Cleveland: The Trust for Public Land.
Scott, D. (1995). A comparison of visitors’ motivations to attend three urban festivals. Festival Management and Event Tourism, 3, 3, 121–128.
Sherer, P. M. (2006). The benefits of parks: why America needs more city parks and open spaces. [PDF]. Cleveland: The Trust for Public Land.
The EDGE Group, PROS Consulting, Inc., & Wallace Robers & Todd, LLC. (2012, May 17). Cleveland Metroparks 2020: The Emerald Necklace Centennial Plan [PDF]. Cleveland: Cleveland Metroparks.
Volbrecht, V. E., & Hereford, R. (1996). An example of effective urban outreach: Cleveland Metroparks’ NatureTracks Program. Legacy, 7(4), 8–11.
