The Healing Power of Nature
By Katie Crail, CGC Intern and UC Student
I joined the Civic Garden Center (CGC) crew back in August as part of my service-learning capstone for my Medical Sciences degree at UC. Once I graduate this May, I plan to take a gap year before applying to Medical School, with the goal of becoming both a physician and a professor.
While I’m deeply passionate about science, medicine and education, most of my learning has taken place inside a windowless classroom. So, when I had the chance to choose an organization to volunteer with this school year, I knew it was the perfect moment to explore health, education and environmentalism in action. That desire—and my interests in Integrative Health and Public Health—led me to the CGC!
From the moment I first visited the CGC and saw the Tiger Lilies (my favorite flower!), I could tell this place was something special. I’ve studied the healing power of nature in many Integrative Medicine classes, but it wasn’t until my second morning at the CGC when I walked through Hauck Botanical Garden picking flowers to press that I could feel that healing power within myself. I left that Thursday with a sense of tranquility, simply from spending time outdoors enjoying the beauty around me.
By the end of my first official week, I was helping out at the Fall Native Plant Festival, which quickly showed me just how vital the CGC is to the local community. I spent most of that event helping with children’s activities to teach the kiddos about pollinators. Within just a few days, I already felt welcomed by the CGC team and it was clear how passionate each staff member is about their work.
In the time since, I’ve jumped in wherever I can by picking and pressing plants for the CGC Herbarium, supporting high school field trips and Nurturing the Mind events, sorting compost and watering plants. Time has a funny way of flying by here, because it never really feels like “work.” Whether I’m chatting with gardeners from around the world at a HUB Garden class, listening to Luis give a birding presentation while I paint a birdhouse or learning more about the CGC’s mission during a tour of the GLS with Mary, I’m constantly learning and loving it! There’s a contagious sense of joy that fills the air at the CGC, radiating from both the staff and visitors who come for classes and events.
My work at the CGC has deepened my appreciation for the connection between community, environment and well-being. I have witnessed how access to greenspaces and community gardens can support both physical and mental health, reinforcing my belief in a holistic approach to medicine. Engaging with community members in my work at the CGC has also strengthened my communication and teaching skills, which are qualities I hope to bring into both clinical settings and the classroom as a future physician and professor.
Stepping outside the classroom, meeting new people and immersing myself in the natural beauty of Hauck Botanical Garden has been a highlight of my week, time and time again. I’m excited for the months ahead at the CGC!!
When you donate to the CGC, you’re helping shape the stories of interns like Katie as they forge their paths and find their places in the world. Together, we can do the vital work of connecting the next generation with the natural world!