About

CHTN History

Prior to CHTN's formation, horticultural therapists in North and South Carolina were a part of the Carolinas Chapter of the American Horticultural Therapy Association (CCAHTA). This organization was formed in 1998 for the purpose of bringing together Carolinians who understood the role that plants and gardening play in improving quality of life, especially for those who are physically, emotionally or intellectually challenged.

In 2008, at the annual meeting/conference of the CCAHTA, the membership voted to disband as a result of new requirements AHTA implemented for all of its chapters.

Several years later, an opportunity to restart as a loose networking group occurred in 2011 when AHTA had its annual conference in Asheville, NC. That gathering had many attendees from NC and SC, and a meeting was held to discuss how to begin. The Carolinas Horticultural Therapy Network (CHTN) officially began as an unstructured group in 2012 with its first meeting in the fall of 2012 at NCBG in Chapel Hill.

In 2022, CHTN formed a 501(c)6 to ensure the sustainability of promoting horticultural therapy and therapeutic horticulture in the Carolinas.