Bringing the Outside Inside: Nature’s Path to Healing
In this touching episode, dive into the transformative world of nature therapy with Taylor Eagan and the Nature Connection team. Explore how they use nature to heal and boost mental health, igniting responsibility and trust with at-risk youth through therapeutic animal interactions. Discover moving tales of personal growth, like a young boy overcoming his fears with a bearded dragon. Uncover the value of small, everyday connections with nature - so important in our fast-paced world! Embrace the ripple effect of positivity the program instills in those battling disabilities and degenerative diseases. Navigate the hurdles in making such impactful programs accessible to all. Lastly, connect with Taylor and her colleagues as their own lives are profoundly changed by these life-affirming encounters. This episode beautifully encapsulates the transformative power of nature.
Taylor Eagan is the Program Director for The Nature Connection. She is a biologist, animal welfare advocate, educator, and gardener.
Podcast Transcript
Pat:
"Fill To Capacity, crazy good stories and timely topics. Podcasts for people too stubborn to quit and too creative not to make a difference. Inspiring, irreverent, and informative. Stay tuned. Hi, I'm Pat Benincasa, and welcome to Fill To Capacity!"
Pat:
"Today's episode: "Bringing the Outside, Inside: Nature's Path to Healing." My guest is Taylor Eagan. Taylor is a biologist, animal welfare advocate educator and gardener, and she is Program Director for the Nature Connection, where she designs and evaluates accessible and therapeutic programs utilizing plants and animals for people of all abilities and backgrounds. Well, welcome Taylor. I'm so happy to have you here."
Taylor:
"I'm glad to be here."
Pat:
"I'd like to start by giving our listeners a little bit of background. The Nature Connection was founded in 1983 and is located in Concord, Massachusetts. Now, that's Middlesex County and the Greater Boston area? Okay. Their mission is to improve the well-being of individuals and communities through the therapeutic use of nature, by bringing the outside, inside through plants, animals, and natural materials to people with limited or no access to the outside world. Programs are delivered to at-risk youth, people with disabilities, and older people with Alzheimer's and dementia. I love on your website the quote, "We bring nature. Nature does the rest!""
Pat:
"I'd like to start with the Nature Connection's mission of using nature therapeutically to improve the well-being of individuals and communities. Taylor, what does using nature therapeutically mean? How's it done and how's that different from other forms of therapy?"
Taylor:
"Yeah, it's a great place to start. It's very similar, I think, to maybe where art, music, dance therapies were about 20 years ago when they were kind of coming onto the scene and gaining popularity. And I think the pandemic has really helped shed light on how important nature is for our well-being. How important it is for us to be able to continue to get outside. And it's really come into the mainstream, the importance that it has in our mental health. And there's eco psychology and nature therapy and green therapy. It's got all these different names right now, but it's popping up in all of these different places and we know it's important. That's why there's therapy dog programs and forest bathing. And why, on a stressful, crazy, hectic day, you take a minute to go outside and breathe or take a walk, pet the dog."
Taylor:
"So, it's something that we know is really important for us, for humans. And there's... studies out there that are really starting to show it. Some, going all the way back again to 1983, actually with Ulrich's study of "View Through A Hospital Window," where patients who had had surgery, if they had a view outside of nature from their hospital bed, they recovered faster than patients who didn't. And we know it, historically, hospitals had garden centers and we knew it for a really long time, as humans, human society. And then we seem to have forgotten it with all of our technology, but it's coming back. That's the important part. It's coming back."
Taylor:
"One of the things that I think nature is able to do is, it is so integral to our biology. We are a part of this planet, and we are a part of our ecosystems and where we are. So being able to have time with nature, feeling connected to nature. And Nature Connectedness is a real phrase, not just the name of our organization, but in being able to have that, it brings a sense of community and belonging along to those of us who are able to spend time in it. And that in itself, I think is healing."
Pat:
"Yeah. I love how you bring in that macro eco connection, but yet you're a one-on-one organization. I love that duality. And so that segues into my next question. Can you highlight some specific examples of how your programs have positively impacted people with disabilities, Alzheimer's, or dementia?"
Taylor:
"It happens in a group setting, and we're very much talking on, we're designing our programs on an ecosystem level. So, bringing in the beach or the meadow or the forest. But then it does break down into these one-on-one interactions during the program hour. And that's when our, our staff and our volunteers are able to talk to participants. And we're talking about folks with disabilities. We're talking about folks with dementia and Alzheimer's, people with behavioral challenges and concerns. So, the person on your left is nowhere near the same as the person on your right. And you really need someone to be right there to talk with that participant about where they're at, what's connecting them to this experience. And we're able to really then, meet them where they're at. That very buzzword phrase these days, "meet them where they are" in terms of their interest and ability."
Taylor:
"And if it's an ocean program, it's summer right now we're doing a lot of ocean programs. We might have some hermit crabs with us. And for some participants, all that we're doing is really looking at how incredible that seashell is on the hermit crab's back and feeling the texture and just right there in the moment, exploring with our senses. And that's the moment. And it's amazing. Beautiful. Wonderful. But the next person might really wanna get into the science of this and like, well, how does the hermit crab fit in there? And we can talk about how the tail like curves in and holds onto that shell and how they need to change the shells as they grow. And that's within the same program. That's two different participants right next to each other. And so, we're able to really make meaningful connections with our program participants wherever it is that they're at, and whatever would be really meaningful and engaging for them at that time."
Pat:
"So, your staff and volunteers really have to have a refined E.Q., Emotional Quotient in order to read what's going on with each individual and sense what will be helpful for that person."
Taylor:
"Yeah. There's a reason why these programs are not everywhere. It is a huge resource and not just the time and the money, but for the people power to make it happen. To be able to sit there and converse, take the time, which sounds like should be a no brainer, but in today's fast-paced society, it so often gets missed to just sit and take the time and talk with someone and figure out where it is that they're at, and hear their stories and their experiences and hold that space for them, so that they can have that moment."
Pat:
"Now, I taught art at an Arts high school and art programs in college. And so, I'm, of course, youth-focused. I'm just gonna fess up right now. And I'd like to talk about your Youth At Risk Youth Program. Now, during the pandemic, teen mental health issues soared, and an American Psychological Association study found that during the pandemic, depression and anxiety in youth doubled compared to pre-pandemic levels. Now, with that said, Taylor, youth at risk are already in challenging situations. How has your program impacted these kids?
Taylor:
"So, two ways. The first way is our traditional, you know, we're traveling out, we're bringing, doing this sensory exploration therapeutic nature program that builds nature connectedness through repeated sensory exploration. It activates that parasympathetic nervous system to relax, renew that stress reduction of nature. There's that aspect to it. But something that we actually started just before Covid and we've been able to get back up and running, is we have a couple of critters, nothing crazy, some snails, a snake, some Madagascar Cockroaches that live with us at Nature Connection."
Pat:
"Excuse me. Of course, everyone has Madagascar Cockroaches! Okay. I'm sorry, I just had to butt in and say that. Please continue."
Taylor:
"They're really very cool. They can get up to like two, three inches long. So, they're, they're great insects when you're like trying to really look at an insect, especially for someone that has maybe some visual impairment or something like that. But yeah, you get that kinda like, ew factor as well around Halloween. But anyways, we have some critters that we have that live with us here at Nature Connection that need to be taken care of. And yeah, we have a huge collection of plants as well, to be taken care of. So, we've started a volunteer program, which to me is really just like a program in reverse that we're doing where we have specifically set aside blocks of time for kids in group homes or special education or therapeutic schools to come and volunteer with us to help take care of these animals."
Taylor:
"You know...on our end, it's similar to a program 'cause we need to have a dedicated staff member there to kind of walk through and go with them. But it flips the script a little bit, right? We're not just showing up and we're like, hey, explore some nature. We're like, Nope, this is really meaningful. We need to take care of the animals. It has a real purpose and real meaning. Put it on an activity resume, put it on your resume for work experience. And our organization, our staff are coming with the understanding that these kids are coming to us from these particular backgrounds where it's challenging. And one day, they might not be able to show up. They might be having behavior challenges, whatever's going on. It doesn't mean that you're fired, it doesn't mean that you can't come back, we know that. So, it's really providing a stepping stone in their integration into the community that they're in. So that's been a really amazing program."
Pat:
"So, they come in and their job is to take care of, let's say the Madagascar Cockroach or the snake or the snails. So, they come in, they do their part to take care of it. And what I'm struck by is that at the heart of that is learning to trust, that you guys are setting up a wonderful platform, much like teachers do. You have to earn the trust of your students to have any kind of learning happen. And ... they have to work, it's like something that they can feel proud of that, yeah, I'm taking care of the snails or I'm doing this. So that's really a phenomenal approach that they come in and participate."
Taylor:
"Yeah, it's great. And they get to spend time with the animals and work with them. So, it's a win-win, win all way around."
Pat:
"Well then, Taylor, can you describe a powerful, memorable experience where the Nature Connection program pushed beyond the boundaries of someone's life and brought them joy?"
Taylor:
"Oh, yeah. One story that's coming to mind was me personally out on a program a couple years back. There was a little boy, he's in a, in a group home. It was a, a residential therapeutic school. So, he lived there, went to school there with 12 other boys, and we would come in once a month. And this particular program, we had a bearded dragon with us. His name was Jim. He is the chillest bearded dragon I've ever met. Would just flop and sit there and really just let the kids ooh and awe over him. But this little boy was very afraid to pet him. So, we went through this whole process where I put my hand in the way, kind of blocking his head, and Jim was very accommodating and let us put a little wash rag over his face."
Taylor:
"So, it was like, there's no way that he is gonna bite you. But even if he wanted to, no way this is gonna happen. And little boy reached out and he did pet Jim. He touched him very, very lightly, but like, just this huge explosion of joy in that moment. High fives all around. He reached out and he challenged himself and did this thing that was so scary, pushed his boundaries. And one of my favorite quotes is, "A mind stretched by a new experience can never return to old dimensions." Right? He stretched, had a new experience, touched that bearded dragon. The best part for me is we came back the next month with a chicken and he comes running up and he is so excited. What did you bring? What did you bring? And I tell him, we've got a chicken. And he is like, all right, I'm gonna pet it. And I know that I can, because I did it with Jim, the bearded dragon. So, he took that like amazing explosion in the moment, but then carried it forward into that next month, into that next program. And, you know, that he took that into other things as well. I faced my fears, I did it, and it worked."
Pat:
"What a beautiful life-changing moment. You mentioned a little bit earlier that how we've become disconnected from nature in our everyday life. And I was thinking about it getting ready for this podcast that people have to plan special trips, or they scroll through social media just to catch a glimpse of nature. And when you think of urban dwellers who can go for weeks without seeing a tree, it's as if we've put nature outside of ourselves as if we made it separate from our very existence. What can we do to bring nature back into our lives?"
Taylor:
"Yeah. It's such a real problem. I think that this is a fundamental issue, not only when we think of ourselves and our mental health and well-being, but when we think of things like climate change and some of the larger issues facing our planet. Because if, if you don't personally have a connection with nature, it is that much harder to get invested. And to care about some of these larger issues. So, this idea of nature connectedness, exactly what you described, you know, there is a scale of how connected do you see yourself with nature, how integral is it to who you are and your day-to-day life. And it's, it is something that we build over time through repeated sensory exploration with nature. So think little kids running around, outside playing, pulling up grass, looking for caterpillars, turning over rocks that builds this idea. But you need it over and over again. It's like going to the gym. You can't just do it once and expect to be good forever. It's something that every day would be the correct amount."
Taylor:
"I don't think it has to be as big as, as sometimes we think that it does. You don't have to take a trip to the beach. You don't have to go climb a mountain. You could just go sit outside on your lunch break, take an extra minute on your trip to the car, to, to look up and see the clouds or the stars, depending on what time of day it is. when you, when you hear a bird song, you know, stop for a second and listen just for a second. And just like those teeny, little pieces start sneaking their way into your life. "
Pat:
"Yeah. You know, you, you touched on it earlier, that C O V I D caused many people to discover nature. One way I would phrase it is that many people discovered their backyards. And I have to say for myself, I'm an artist. My studio I built is 12 feet from the house. And I put a green room, I built a green room in there with shrubs and miniature trees and flowers. But during C O V I D I would go out there and all of a sudden, I'm seeing the number of squirrels, the number of chipmunks, the bunnies. We even had ducks waddling through our yard. And so all of a sudden, I thought, how did I miss this before I looked at flowers and shrubs? But it was the, the furry creatures, the winged creatures that all of a sudden came to life. And when I went online, people started talking about, and social media, oh, my backyard, I noticed, or this animal came back there, you know, whatever it is, it seemed like, and C O V I D was horrendous. I wouldn't wish that on anybody. But as we're getting away from it, there were some dark angel gifts that came from it. And I think one of them was the discovery of, of nature."
Taylor:
"Yeah. And, like you said, your own backyard, you don't need that much space to start noticing. And I love that phrase that you said, "I notice," because you don't need to know facts. Nature documentaries have us so trained that, like, you need to know your facts about nature in order to appreciate it. But you, you don't, you so don't. You can really just go outside, and I promise you, if you look at the same little square foot of dirt every day, something about it is gonna be different. You're gonna be able to notice something."
Pat:
"Now I'm urban. But one of the things I've done, and it started as a way to, to just relax and calm myself. I go outside in my little green room; I close my eyes and I count 10 different sounds that I hear. And I thought, well, there's not that many. What are you doing? And you know what, Taylor, there were more than 10. So, every day there were different sounds, birds, dogs barking, whatever it was, it was my way of going into the now, meditating into the now, the world around us, the audio world . It was phenomenal. So, as you say, "I notice," and that to me is huge."
Taylor:
"It's amazing how much there is. And, and now we're like slipping into this conversation, getting on the fringes of mindfulness and how wonderful that is. And nature is everywhere. Nature is everything. It's this big raw material that is just completely covering our planet and we can put all of these different lenses in front of it. So whatever way it works for us, nature just becomes this catalyst for us to, to get more in tuned and slow down. And whether that's counting the audio, counting the blades of grass, petting the dog, there are all these different ways that we can interact and get into even cooking. People that think that like, oh no, I don't have connection to nature. That's not for me. I would say even your food is nature. You know, get into some herbs and spices, and think about where your food's coming from. And that in itself can lead you right into those connections."
Pat:
"That's huge. You know, on your website, you guys have on there that you have over 15,000 nature connections. So, as I was thinking about that, can you tell us what are some of the long-term benefits that participants have reported back to you from their interaction with your program?"
Taylor:
"Yeah. I tell you; I do know of one girl that went on to vet school because of The Nature Connection Program visiting her group home. That is like one of those big, huge kind of long-term moments there. But I will say a lot of the folks that we work with are in memory care, have dementia, have disabilities and degenerative diseases. So that in itself can make it tough. You know, we're not seeing folks really get better over time, but what we do see is the ripple effect of a positive moment in the day. And even when we're talking about folks with dementia and Alzheimer's, their emotional knowledge, and abilities, they're still largely intact in the deeper parts of the brain. And so the facts of the situation, the fact that we were there, that we brought a bunny rabbit and explored a forest meadow in the summer, that part might go, but the feeling of connection and being in this room with bubbly energy and conversation and someone stopped to listen to your story about that time where you had rabbits all over your, that piece stays and you know that you have those little positive moments in your day, and that can change everything."
Taylor:
"That changes your own mood. It changes the caretaker's mood, your family members' mood when they come to see you. So just enough of those small positive moments and you really get a really large ripple effect coming out of just goodness, joy, wonder all around."
Pat:
"So, I'd like to flip the discussion a little bit. Can you discuss some of the challenges the Nature Connection faces in its mission to make sure nature-based programming is accessible to everyone regardless of location, personal abilities, or socioeconomic status. What kind of challenges do you guys run into?"
Taylor:
"I mentioned before resources are the big one, but any nonprofit in any social justice kind of movement and money is always the big one that you can point a finger to. But I think time and people, you know, we talked a little bit earlier where we're trying to have these very personal connections, need to be able to have these very personal connections. So, we need to make sure that there's enough volunteers, interns, staff in the room that are able to engage with all of these folks that come in. Our groups can be anywhere from just a couple of people to upwards of 20, 25 people in the room. And when we get that big of a group, then we need more volunteers. We need more folks with us to come in and talk with people."
Taylor:
"So folks aren't just sitting there too long waiting and sure there's a really cool display to look at, but, you know, having the time for someone there to talk to and being able to, I think, find people as well that are willing to sit in that intersection of nature, exploration, naturalist, environmental educator along with that really high emotional capacity to sit with someone and carve out that space and the time for them and be able to overcome those communication challenges. Some of our folks, they really are nonverbal. They use communication boards, find gross motor difficulties. So, it really is each person that we're talking to, a different style of communication and being able to go around and talk with all of these different folks on an individual level in a room. It's a skill."
Pat:
"Okay. Taylor, we are talking macro what the program does, it's obvious the Nature Connection program is incredibly inspiring in the way it just touches so many lives. Now, I wanna know from when you started there to now, how has it affected you personally?"
Taylor:
"Oh, so many ways, and I think it's an understated piece of this organization because so much of our focus is on our participants as it should be. But I have personally seen so much growth happen with our volunteers, with our interns, with our staff, with myself, where this is an organization that is so committed to honoring the individual, the individual's experiences, the individual's knowledge, their abilities. And so I think all of those other folks that are working to make these programs happen for participants, they get that benefit as well. You know, it's just the environment that's been created here. And so, they too get to feel seen and heard and, and I mean, that can make all the difference in your life. Sometimes when things get challenging, to have a community of people that you can come to and feel seen and feel heard and know that your experiences are mattering here and being aware of that and in tune with that. So, I think it's helped plenty of us on the, the back end of things. Just through life's challenges as well, dealing with the things that come up over the years."
Pat:
"The life things. Yes. I love the back-and-forthness, I know that's not a word, but I don't care, the back-and-forthness of your organization, that the goodness goes out to the community. It comes back to the people who are participating and it's so fluid that way. It's so fluid! And it makes me think at the core of The Nature Connection is empathy and compassion. It not only brings nature to people, but you really go the distance to understand their unique struggles and needs. This is a remarkable alchemy that fuses nature's profound ability to nourish our souls with the means to reach those most in need. And it has the capacity to transform lives. You know, I love your passion. I love your enthusiasm, your energy, and I suspect that the people in your organization suffer from the same thing, this passion and joy in the work that you do. I wanna wish continued success to you Taylor, and to all the dedicated people who make the Nature Connection such a powerful force for good. Thank you so much."
Taylor:
"Thank you so much for having us on, being able to share the story. You know, that's half the battle is getting the word out, and let people know that we're here and that this is something that's going on in the world."
Pat:
"So where can people learn more about the Nature Connection? And Hey folks, if you're in the Boston area and you wanna volunteer or anybody wants to donate, where can they get ahold of you?"
Taylor:
"Our website is, https://www.nature-connection.org/ It's got all of our information on there. We're also on social media. You find us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn."
Pat:
"Once again, thank you Taylor for joining us today. And thank you listeners for joining us on Fill To Capacity. If you've enjoyed the podcast, please let your friends know and pass the word along. Thank you."
