Practitioner Experiences Illustrate Benefits of HAI

Farm Program Grows in the Forest at Clearpool

May 7, 2021

November 6, 2020

While the COVID-19 pandemic has created substantial challenges for both Green Chimneys and the University of Denver-based research team, the portfolio of research projects has proceeded with data that had been collected concurrently with content for the recently published “Documentation of Nature-Based Programs.” The result is several qualitative studies on the perceptions of Green Chimneys staff and practitioners in the integration and impact of nature-based activities on participating youth.

The first in this series of studies focused on describing the essence and nature of special education teachers’ lived experiences in incorporating nature-based interventions as a tool to improve youth social-emotional learning outcomes and promote positive youth development. “Human-Animal-Environment Interactions as a Context for Child and Adolescent Growth” indicates that almost universally, teaching staff perceive nature-based interventions to effect marked improvement in:

Prosocial behavior

Caregiving and nurturing

Connection to animals, plants and humans

Curiosity and excitement about learning

Recently published in “Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice” a second qualitative study asked farm staff to describe how they’ve seen youth be impacted by nature-based programs, particularly in shaping outcomes related to their development and well-being. Staff shared that youth interactions with plants, animals, and nature improved mood, strengthened relations, self-regulation, and self-conception.

The third study in the series, conducted with Green Chimneys clinicians, appears in “Journal of Child and Adolescent Social Work” and features clinical perspectives on how animal-assisted therapy impacts youth. View all articles published to date

Mac

Crabapple Hollow Macintosh, “Mac” for short, is among the newest additions to the Green Chimneys Equine Program. Purchased in part through a generous donation from the Parent Association, Mac fulfills the need to carry larger riders in the program. He is an 11-year-old Clydesdale gelding (male) with striking white markings and long, white hair on his legs called “feathers.” Clydesdales originated in Scotland as one of the smaller draft breeds but have been bred to be taller to look more impressive in parades and shows.