Madison Square Park Conservancy’s Horticultural Symposium: The Transformative Properties of Horticulture

For its second annual Horticulture Symposium, Madison Square Park Conservancy will gather experts in the fields of landscape design, horticulture therapy, and forest therapy to discuss the significance of access to public green spaces in our city. With a diverse lineup of speakers and a keynote presentation by Amos Clifford, founder of the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs , the symposium will explore the role green spaces play in our mental health and physical well-being, initiatives that build restorative landscapes in our communities, and what the future holds for horticulture therapy programs in the face of the climate crisis..

Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in collaborative activity led by Black Urban Growers (BUGS). The event will conclude with an optional, guided Forest Bathing session in Madison Square Park, led by author and keynote speaker, Amos Clifford.

Free and open to the public. The event will be held on November 15, 2019, in Eataly’s rooftop restaurant SERRA by Birreria overlooking the Park. RSVP is appreciated, please respond to: [email protected].

This year’s speakers include:

• Amos Clifford – Founder of the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs and author of the bestselling Your Guide to Forest Bathing
• Gwenn Fried – Manager of Horticultural Therapy Services at the New York University Langone Medical Center
• Naomi A. Sachs – Associate Professor in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture at the University of Maryland and Founding Director of the Therapeutic Landscapes Network 
• Stephanie Lucas – Deputy Director of Horticulture and Operations at Madison Square Park Conservancy

Eataly’s SERRA by Birreria, 200 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010