Michigan State University

Michigan State University

Michigan State University is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States

The overarching objectives of the Michigan Veterans Therapy Garden Project are to:

1. Support veterans and the general public via therapeutic horticulture services and spaces
2. Create educational opportunities for residents pursuing careers in the horticulture industry
3. Develop a replicable infrastructure template that can be widely disseminated

Four key areas of physical infrastructure are addressed in this capital improvement project which represent major financial obstacles for future therapy garden construction. These areas include strategies for meeting/exceeding ADA accessibility recommendations, methods of low-impact vertebrae pest control, reduction of fossil fuel consumption, and responsible natural resource management. Details of how these areas will be supported by grant funds can be reviewed in the project descriptions. In addition to the demonstrative infrastructure, visual media will be developed to communicate the important considerations of planning, design, and implementation.

Upon completion of the capital projects, recommendations developed during the above activities will be published in an accessible format and widely disseminated to potential end-users such as VA medical centers, non-military affiliated hospitals, community centers, schools, corrections facilities, military affiliated organizations, churches, local governments, and other public facing organizations.