Programs & Services
Supporting the human spirit through nature — for people of all ages and abilities.
For over 40 years, The Nature Connection has delivered therapeutic nature programs to those who need it most — from memory care residents and adults with disabilities to youth at-risk and children with sensory, emotional, or behavioral needs.
More than just nature education. We create space for emotional well-being, reflection, and connection — through guided experiences with nature, animals, and each other.
We bring nature to you — with programs designed to inspire calm, spark curiosity, and foster connection through hands-on exploration, animal encounters, and sensory experiences.
Our team is trained in trauma-informed care, dementia-friendly practices, and person-centered engagement. We create therapeutic moments through reflection, metaphor, silence, animal connection, and guided curiosity.
Through regular visits, The Nature Connection provides therapeutic and educational nature-based programs. Participants engage with plants, small animals, natural materials, and expressive arts. Our programs utilize evidence-based practices and are based on the understanding that being connected to nature is essential to the human experience.
Interested programming? Contact us at (987) 369-2585 or info@nature-connection.org.
Gentle, sensory-based experiences that support memory, dignity, and moments of connection — designed with the needs of individuals living with dementia in mind.
Assisted Living & Day Health Centers
Nature and animal programs that offer residents a sense of purpose, presence, and participation — no matter their cognitive or physical abilities.
Day Habilitation & Group Homes
Programs for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities that center joy, choice, and sensory-rich engagement with nature and animals.
Shelters & Transitional Housing
Trauma-informed programs that offer grounding, comfort, and connection for individuals and families experiencing instability and transition.
Youth in Therapeutic & Residential Programs
Nature-based sessions designed to support emotional regulation, social-emotional learning, and trust-building — with space for reflection and growth.
Interactive, calming programs that foster focus, confidence, and a stronger connection to the natural world — offered at your camp or community site.
Scout Groups
Hands-on nature and animal programs that fulfill badge requirements while building self-awareness, teamwork, and a sense of wonder. Contact us to learn more!
What to Expect from a Program
In designing a day’s program, we start with the season. Next we choose an environment and add secondary themes, such as animal migration or seed distribution. We use natural materials like rocks, logs, grasses or shells to create an environment directly on the floor of the activity room.
Participants may see a meadow in fall, a salt marsh during winter, or a forest’s edge in spring. The animals we bring are incorporated into these environments, to evoke the animal’s natural habitat. A rabbit, for example, is placed in a meadow, or a stone wall is assembled and individuals explore the life that surrounds it.
Brought indoors, the meadow or the marsh or the forest’s edge can gently transform the institutional setting with a sense of the wild.
During a program, we might explore how seeds are blown away from the “mother” plant, or how a snowy winter requires an inward resting time for plants and animals, following the strenuous growth in spring and summer.
A skittish hedgehog may bristle and hiss to warn people to stay away. Plant and animal natural history and defenses resemble human behavior and coping strategies.
Ultimately, the changing seasons and the lives of animals and plants quietly mirror the lives of the people we visit. Wordlessly, these parallels deepen our programs and the exploration of the natural world becomes an exploration of self.
Why The Nature Connection?
Therapeutic by design
Our programs are built to support social and emotional well-being and are guided by highly trained and qualified staff.
Person-centered and trauma-informed
We prioritize safety, choice, and individual strengths, making nature accessible and meaningful for everyone.
We come to you
Our mobile model brings nature and animals directly to your site — transforming familiar settings into spaces of connection and discovery.
Regularly scheduled programs
By creating a consistent program routine for each individual site we help participants feel calmer, more connected, and more confident.