AHTA Annual Conference
2025 AHTA Conference: Nurturing Community: Planting The Seeds of Our Future
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See the Conference videos below.
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Thursday October 9th, 2025
| Date/time (Pacific) | Room | Title | Presenter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday 8:30 AM - 9:45 AM | California Redwood | Keynote Speaker | Derrick Stowell, PhD, HTR, CTRS |
| Thursday 9:45 AM - 10:00 AM | Screen Break | ||
| Thursday 10 AM - 10:30 AM | California Redwood | Reclaiming Spaces: Acessible Healing Gardens | Dr. Ivette Ruiz |
| Thursday 10 AM - 10:30 AM | California Aster | Pediatric Nature Stations: Therapeutic Garden Programming for Hospitalized Children | Meghan Mckiernan, BS, HTR |
| Thursday 10 AM - 10:30 AM | California Fuchsia | Therapeutic Horticulture at the University of Florida: 12 Years of Service & Learning | Elizabeth (Leah) Diehl, RLA, HTM / Sam Kaplan/ Lauren St. Clair |
| Thursday 10:30 AM -11:00 AM | California Redwood | Gardening for Health: Therapeutic Horticulture for Neighbors Facing Food Insecurity | Lauren Hickman, HTR |
| Thursday 10:30 AM -11:00 AM | California Aster | Cultivating Resilience: Horticultural Therapy for Outcomes with Post-Secondary Student | Bianca van der Stoel |
| Thursday 10:30 AM -11:00 AM | California Fuchsia | Horticultural Therapy as Part of Normalization Reforms in Correctional Institutions | Julia Kuzovkina/ John Campanelli/ Laura Urban |
| Thursday 11:00 AM - 11:15 AM | Screen Break | ||
| Thursday 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM | California Redwood | Mental Health | Carol LaRocque |
| Thursday 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM | California Fuchsia | Seniors | April Ellis |
| Thursday 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM | California Aster | Youth | Kelly Warnick |
| Thursday 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM | Coyote Mint | Greenhouse/horticulturalist | Matt Jansen and Trish Hildinger |
| Thursday 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM | Coyote Mint | Physical Disabilities | Katie Ryzhikov |
| Thursday 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM | Western Goldenrod | Education | Sara Rodriguez |
| Thursday 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM | Western Goldenrod | Developmental Disabilities | Maryanne McMillan |
| Thursday 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM | Western Goldenrod | Veterans Active Duty Military | Donna Hunt |
| Thursday 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM | Coyote Mint | HT/TH students & HT education | Christine Capra and Rebecca Haller |
| Thursday 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM | Coyote Mint | Independent Contractors | Megan Goulden |
| Thursday 12:15 - 12:45 PM | Lunch | ||
| Thursday 12:45 PM - 1:15 PM | California Redwood | Rutgers University | Gary L. Altman, MS, LAC, CRC,CVE, HTR |
| Thursday 12:45 PM - 1:15 PM | California Aster | Horticultural Therapy Institute | Christine Capra/ Rebecca L Haller, HTM |
| Thursday 12:45 PM - 1:15 PM | California Fuchsia | College of DuPage | Kelly Warnick, HTR, JD |
| Thursday 1:15 PM - 1:45 PM | California Redwood | Temple University | Peg Schofield HTR |
| Thursday 1:15 PM - 1:45 PM | California Aster | University of Florida | Elizabeth Diehl, HTM, RLA |
| Thursday 1:15 PM - 1:45 PM | California Fuchsia | Oregon State University | Anne Gearhart/ Melissa Bierman, MS, HTR |
| Thursday 1:45 PM - 2:00 PM | Screen Break | ||
| Thursday 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM | California Redwood | Conference Kick Off:Announcement and Fireside Chat on Credentialing | Lana Dreyfuss, LPCC, LCADC, SEP, HTR |
| Thursday 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM | California Aster | Moth Session | Laura Rumpf |
Friday October 10th, 2025 / Saturday October 11th, 2025
| Date/time (Pacific) | Room | Title | Presenter | Moderator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRIDAY | ||||
| Friday 8:30 AM - 9:45 AM | California Redwood | Keynote - The New Nature Movement | Richard Louv | |
| Friday 10:00AM -11:00 AM | California Redwood | Healing through greenery: The Role of Horticultural Therapy in the Revival of Ukraine | Yuliia Rashkovska | Jeanne Schultz |
| Friday 10:00 AM -11 :00AM | California Aster | Cultivating Inclusivity: Creating Safe, Equitable, and Honest Teaching Spaces in Horticultural Therapy | Sarah Tanke, HTR/ Dr. Emily Boehm | Tina Kocol |
| Friday 10:00 AM -11:00 AM | California Fuchsia | Horticultural Therapy: Enhancing Motor Skills & Emotional Intelligence in Adolescents of Kerala | Dr. Beela G.K. | Kamyshia Thompson |
| Friday 11:00AM - 11:15 AM | Screen Break | |||
| Friday 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM | California Redwood | TeleHT and Veteran Well-Being: Lessons from the THRIVE Pilot Study | Brooke Lorenzetti/Anne Meore LMSW, HTR | Kamyshia Thompson |
| Friday 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM | California Aster | Strength in Numbers: Growing impactful HT programs through community partnerships | Gayle Gratop, HTR | Tina Kocol |
| Friday 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM | California Fuchsia | A Swedish model for nature-based rehabilitation – insights from 20 years of treating stress- related exhaustion | Marja Abrahamsson/ Hanna Berko/ Emelie Rödström | Matt Jansen |
| Friday 12:15 PM -12:45 PM | Screen Break | |||
| Friday 12:45 PM - 1:45 PM | California Redwood | Membership Meeting and Awards | AHTA Board | |
| Friday 1:45 PM-2:00 PM | Screen Break | |||
| Friday 2:00 PM - 3:00PM | California Redwood | The Power of Proximity: Unlocking the Benefits of Nearby Nature | Elizabeth (Leah) Diehl, RLA, HTM | Linda Brown-Kuhn |
| Friday 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM | California Aster | Aligning Your HT Program with Community Partner Needs | Mike Maddox, HTR | April Ellis |
| Friday 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM | California Fuchsia | Cultivating Intergenerational Connections Through Horticultural Therapy | Betsy Anderton Tipton, PhD | MaryAnne McMillan |
| Friday 3:00 PM -3:15 PM | Screen Break | |||
| Friday 3:15 PM-4:15 PM | California Redwood | Blossoming Together: Integrating Chinese Flower Culture into Community Horticultural Therapy | Li Zheng, Ph.D./Lin Ji/ Tong Zhu | Linda Brown-Kuhn |
| Friday 3:15 PM-4:15 PM | California Aster | School Sensory Gardens: Building Therapeutic Wellness Through Nature-Based Learning | Carmen Ketron, MS, MPA/ Noni Langford | Nicole Giron |
| Friday 3:15 PM-4:15 PM | California Fuchsia | Meet Me at the Garden: Horticultural Therapy for dementias | Lydia Burton (MPH) | April Ellis |
| Friday 4:15 PM - 4:30 PM | California Redwood | Announcements | AHTA Board | |
| SATURDAY | ||||
| Saturday 8:30 AM - 8:45 AM | California Redwood | Opening and Announcements | AHTA Board | |
| Saturday 8:45 AM - 10:15 AM | California Aster | Reach for Growth: A pathway back to our wisest self" | Stephanie Ramirez, LCSW, THP | Tina Kocol |
| Saturday 8:45 AM - 10:15 AM | California Fuchsia | It's NO Joke~ Humor and Horticultural Therapy | Libba Shortridge, MLA, HTR/ Hsiang-Hua Chen (Melanie), MS, HTR | Jeanne Schultz |
| Saturday 10:15 AM - 10:30 AM | Screen Break | |||
| Saturday 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM | California Redwood | Mindful Gardening Program Integrating Mindfulness and Compassion | Eva Creus, DVM, PhD | Katie Ryzhikov |
| Saturday 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM | California Aster | Eco-Psyche Nexus (EPN) Framework | Daniela Silva-Rodriguez | Matt Jansen |
| Saturday 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM | California Fuchsia | Co-Designing Therapeutic Gardens for Multilayered Community Benefits | Deidre Schuetz/Kenneth Powell-Wilson | Tina Kocol |
| Saturday 11:30 AM -11:45AM | Screen Break | |||
| Saturday 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM | Various Rooms | Poster Session (see below) | ||
| Saturday 12:45 PM - 1:45 PM | California Redwood | Horticultural Therapy for Perinatal Mental Health | Manuela de Szyszlo | Lana Dreyfuss |
| Saturday 12:45 PM - 1:45 PM | California Aster | Building Community: Horticultural Therapy and Youth with Substance Use Disorder | Kenneth Harvey, MA, IAH, THP | Linda Brown-Kuhn |
| Saturday 12:45 PM - 1:45 PM | California Fuchsia | Sense of Place? How Does This Apply to HT/TH? | Lesley Fleming, MA, HTR/ Bree Stark | Tina Kocol |
| Saturday 1:45 PM - 2:00 PM | California Aster | Nature Nests: A Calming Creation for All Ages | Cantrece Jones | |
| Saturday 2:00 PM - 3:30PM | California Redwood | Closing and Announcements | AHTA Board |
Saturday October 11th, 2025 - Poster Presentation
| Date/time (Pacific) | Room | Presenter/Title | Presenter/Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM | Coyote Mint | Dr. Paul Shing-fong Chan - The Impact of Horticultural Therapy on Student Well-being | Phasakorn Fungfoo, PhD student - Horticultural Therapy and Cognitive Function in Dementia: A Meta-Analysis |
| Saturday 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM | Coyote Mint | Virginia Cioncoloni, PhD Student - Impact of Horticultural Therapy on Cancer Patients: A Pilot Study | |
| Saturday 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM | California Fuchsia | Christopher Banke - School-Based Groups: Integrating CBT and Horticulture Interventions | Rohini Y. Deshpande, Phd (Hort), HTR. - Pulses in Horticultural Therapy: Growing Wellness through Legumes |
| Saturday 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM | California Fuchsia | Elizabeth D. Eubanks, M.Ed. - Therapeutic Horticulture and Grief Healing: A Holistic Approach for Children | Julia Kuzovkina/ John Campanelli/ Laura Urban - Horticultural Therapy as Part of Normalization Reforms in Correctional Institutions |
| Saturday 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM | California Aster | Stacey LaFave, MS - Nature-Based Approach to Living Beyond Cancer | Queshaun Sudbury, DNP, CCM, PMHNP - The Gardener-Garden Mutuality: A Dance of Growth and Well-being |
| Saturday 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM | California Aster | Avery Wageman, M.A., LPC. - Walk & Talk Therapy: Cultivating Mental Health in Rural Colleges | Annette Hatala, OTL/OTD, - Portable/Temporary Vertical Gardens |
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