Success StoryGardening and Outdoor Activity for Physical and Mental Healthiness



Gardening and Outdoor Activity for Physical and Mental Healthiness

Author: Lynn Blankenship

Planning Unit: Metcalfe County CES

Major Program: Community Gardens and Horticulture Therapy

Plan of Work: Develop Individual Youth and Adults for Leadership Volunteer Roles

Outcome: Initial Outcome

This FCS Agent created a comprehensive curriculum and evaluation, for the April 2021 Mammoth Cave Area Homemakers Leader training, with the theme of Gardening and Outdoor Activity for Physical and Mental Healthiness.  This FCS Agent was the first to travel to all ten Counties post COVID, to deliver an approved, COVID safe monthly area Homemaker Leader Training in person, to 64 Homemaker Leaders.  These leader volunteers then delivered the lesson to the members of their Homemaker Clubs, in April 2021.

Program evaluation indicated that as a result of participating in this program, the majority of participants: increased awareness of mental health and mental distress issues, increased awareness of tools available to help to prepare to discuss mental health with a healthcare provider, increased ability to implement modified gardening methods or other outdoor activities to improve their physical and mental healthiness and increased their understanding of the benefits to mental and physical health of outdoor activities including gardening, walking, day hiking, deep breathing, and bird watching.






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