Canadian Horticultural Therapy Association (CHTA)

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Canadian Horticultural Therapy Association (CHTA)

www.chta.ca

06/10/2026

Welcome, Erin! Our Education committee has a new leader, and we are so excited for this new chapter.

Erin's bio:

Dr. Erin Gilbart is a longtime college professor transitioning into a second career in therapeutic horticulture and nature‑based wellness. She blends her background in teaching and research with a deep commitment to the healing power of plants, gardens, and natural environments. She brings expertise in performance measurement, quality improvement, knowledge management and the application of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. Career highlights include supporting a province-wide quality improvement initiative to improve the transition of patients from hospitals to appropriate discharge destinations (FLO Collaborative); management of the first Ontario Health System Scorecard; analysis of RAI Minimum Data Set (MDS) tools to produce quality indicator performance reports in the long-term care and assisted living sectors; contributions to the development of the Patient First Strategy at Alberta Health Services; curriculum design and teaching adult health professionals in higher education in areas including operations management, quality improvement, entrepreneurship and health policy; received a SSHRC-funded Institutional Explore Grant to develop and evaluate a community of inquiry/practice to support career development among internationally trained health professionals; as well as the development of an Outdoor Classroom (funded through the Toyota-Evergreen Learning Grounds program) at an Alberta elementary school. Guided by her own journey through grief and renewal, Erin now helps others reconnect with the grounding rhythms of the natural world. Her practice focuses on creating accessible, restorative nature experiences that support emotional well‑being, resilience, connection and fun. As she works toward HTR designation, she is delivering therapeutic horticulture programming to long-term care residents, volunteering at an inpatient mental health facility in HT and has joined the Education Committee of the CHTA to further grow her core knowledge and skills.

06/09/2026

Introducing our new Events Coordinator, Kristina Stocks-Heath! Please drop a comment below to welcome Kristina.

About Kristina:

Kristina brings over ten years of experience in marketing, communications, and event planning. She also holds a Master of Arts in Writing, which informs her approach to clear communication, storytelling, and creative engagement. She grew up on a flower farm, greenhouse, and market garden just outside Edmonton. Horticulture has been a lifelong influence, and she maintains a deep and continued interest in creativity, art, but particularly the natural world and its tangible therapeutic effects. She is intentionally working toward combining horticultural therapy with her background in communications, writing, and creative practice. Kristina is inspired by CHTA’s mandate and is eager to contribute consistently and thoughtfully to its work.

06/07/2026

June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada.

This month we encourage our members and anyone engaged with nature-based practices to think deeply about how our work intersects with Indigenous history. This means not only learning about the historical and current effects of colonization, but elevating Indigenous voices and advocating for their rights.

On our website, you will find several collections directing you towards resources. To find these in the members portal, go to Resources and enter “Indigenous” in the search bar!

Indigenous Plant Knowledge Resource List: https://chta.ca/evidence-based-research/

Links to Truth and Reconciliation resources can be found at the bottom of this page: https://chta.ca/land-acknowledgement-and-pledge/

We’d also like to highlight two Indigenous owned and operated book sites (which also have print-outs and activities!)
www.strongnations.com
www.goodminds.com

What are you doing to observe National Indigenous History Month? Leave a comment below!

06/02/2026

We are thrilled to be hosting Jacqueline Bennett for a webinar this month!

About Jacqueline:
Jacqueline Bennett is a nationally recognized leader in Indigenous land-based education, nature connection, and community wellness in Canada. Her work focuses on advocacy, professional learning, facilitator development, curriculum, and relationship-centred organizational practice. Through her role with the Child & Nature Alliance of Canada, Jacqueline supports educators, organizations, and communities in deepening their relationships with the Land through reciprocal, decolonizing, and land-connected approaches.

The webinar:
Rooted in Relationship: Land, Care, and Community Wellness
This session will explore the relationship between land, care, and wellness through an Indigenous land-based lens. Jacqueline Bennett will invite participants to reflect on how nature-based and horticultural practices can move beyond activity-based programming toward deeper relationships with Land, place, community, and self. Grounded in themes of reciprocity, relational accountability, and belonging, this webinar will offer gentle reflections for practitioners who support healing, learning, and well-being through the natural world.

As always, this event is free to members, $10 to non-members. You can sign up by going to the events page here:
https://members.chta.ca/events/

05/28/2026

Sharing a free webinar hosted by Florida Horticulture for Health Network and Nova Scotia Horticulture for Health Network!

Poetry as Therapy: Using Poetry as a Therapeutic Tool
Thur June 18, 2026 12pm ET

Register: https://tinyurl.com/poetry-therapy

Info:
Poetry is one of the most ancient arts modalities. It began, as did all the art forms,
germinating from the senses. Creating poetry can build resilience and promote
awareness of the potential within each of us. In his work as a Horticultural
therapist, Cliff Thorbes uses poetry as a key element for his therapeutic sessions.
Cliff will share with us how he uses the poetry process as a transformative practice
to reconcile with the conflicting forces within our lives and regain stability.
Presenter: Cliff Thorbes, HTR, CCDP, Expressive Artist.

05/10/2026

Thurs, May 28, 4:00 PM PT/ 7:00 PM ET

Join us as we gather from coast-to-coast to network with other HT/TH professionals in your region! This is also a great opportunity for anyone interested in learning more about HT/TH as we discuss successes, stories and what we would like to learn from each other.

The majority of the webinar will be set in small groups for meaningful discussion.

Sign up online - free for members, $10 for non-members.

*Networking events are not recorded*

https://members.chta.ca/event/networking-event/

04/29/2026

We invite presenters to join us in exploring the rhythms that shape our work and our lives.

This year’s conference theme, “Honouring Seasons & Cycles in Horticultural Therapy” invites proposals that explore:
The Season of Self
The Season of Community
The Season of Practice

Deadline for proposal submission is May 15, 2026. Head to this link for. more information: chta.ca/conference-2026

Proposals will be reviewed by the CHTA Board and the Events Committee. Presenters will be notified by June 15, 2026 as to the status of their proposal.

The CHTA appreciates all submissions and reserves the right to select proposals best suited to the conference theme.

Conference details:
Dates: October 22–24, 2026
Format: Virtual (Zoom)

Link with further details online at chta.ca/conference-2026

04/28/2026

Join us October 22-24 to discuss this year's theme: Honouring Seasons & Cycles in Horticultural Therapy: for Self, Community, and Practice.

Our conference will be held on Zoom over three days and will be an opportunity to learn and network.

Save the date, tickets will be going on sale soon!

04/21/2026

Volunteering has many benefits, here are a few that our members enjoy!

The CHTA has various committee roles to fit your skill set and interest. They are flexible and virtual, so you can fit it into your schedule.

Want to join us? Members can fill in a volunteer recruitment form through our members portal.

Questions? Contact [email protected] to learn more!

04/20/2026

This Volunteer Appreciation Week, we want to extend our gratitude for the people who keep the CHTA going, furthering our mission and supporting the HT community across Canada. Without our amazing volunteers who give their time and energy, this would not be possible.

Address

PO Box 74628 Kitsilano
Vancouver, BC
V6K2G4

Website

http://www.chta.ca/

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