Causes: Animal-Related, Animals, Arts & Culture, Arts, Culture & Humanities, Education, Human Services, Special Education

Mission: The Nature Connection's mission is to improve individual and community wellbeing through the therapeutic use of nature. By bringing the natural world into institutional settings, NC provides much needed opportunities for its participants to experience first-hand the learning, support, and joy that nature, animals and the arts can provide. In addition, by fostering interactions with the natural world, NC strives to foster an ethic of environmental stewardship in its participants. Our programs serve as effective tools for stimulating personal and community change. As the participants in our programs explore our re-created natural settings, metaphors about survival, loss, safety, trust and community become more accessible to them.

Results: We work with 30+ program partners throughout Middlesex county and the Greater Boston area and have provided over 3,800 connections to nature this past year alone!

Target demographics: youth at-risk, elders with memory loss and people of all ages with disabilities

Direct beneficiaries per year: over 500 people across 31 program sites

Geographic areas served: Middlesex County & Greater Boston area

Programs: Therapeutic nature programs that help people who have limited or no access to the outdoor to feel alive again. We believe in the healing power of nature! We bring life animals, seasonal nature elements, poetry and the arts through bi-weekly programs in residential settings.