Growing on...

As practitioners, we can spend a lot of time trying to create the perfect conditions for our participants. We consider each individual, what they like and dislike, what are their triggers for anxiety or anger, what might help them focus more? Which team members are most effective at working with each person, who is the best person (or dog!) to help when someone is upset? We reflect on the group dynamic, how to split it into smaller groups and how to steer each sub group in a positive direction. This extends to our sites too. We think about areas we may need to cordon off for a particular group, or whether to venture further afield in order to create interest and challenge for an older or more energetic group. For every day we spend in the woods, we spend almost as much time reflecting, planning, evaulating and of course dealing with all the admin.

In our organization, we work with all ages including adults. Vulnerable young people grow up and may struggle to fit into college or work. Some have built strong bonds of trust with us and ask us to continue to support them after school.

In late 2016 we set up a satellite project in order to provide for a young man who I couldn't provide for in the woods for legal reasons. I then teamed up with another small organization who obtained funding to lead the project and deliver horticultural therapy aimed at Young Adult NEETs. Everything seemed perfect for a productive collaboration. However, although there have been lots of positives, the journey has not been easy. The person who was funded to run it, struggled. People in these roles need energy and enthusiasm, they need to be manifestors and be able to think laterally when things go wrong. When the horticultural beneficiaries failed to materialize (again a huge amount of work is required behind the scenes to promote a project effectively) she was understandably demoralized and struggled to relate well to the two young adults who did turn up.

Both these young men are autistic, largely uninterested in growing and quite rigid about what they will do. But looking back at the year, I can see that they have grown enormously precisely because of the difficulties with the project. The lack of strong holding meant that they have stepped up and examined for themselves what was needed for it to function better. They felt true ownership of the project. And significantly for them, they were motivated to do things they would normally have refused to do because they could see that their input was really needed. They had to cope with sudden change when the organizer suddenly announced that sessions would stop for a few months. Together they rallied around and discussed ways to keep the project going during that lull and into the future. Hearing them converse about how to interact with the project lead to manage her anxieties, I was bowled over by how far they had progressed in their social skills and ability to read people. I also reflected that this was true role reversal - they were the 'beneficiaries' but by providing a 'gap' they were pushed into evaluating the situation with insight and maturity.

In fact these lads are going to carry on the project now that the other organization is pulling out as their funding is ending. I have been training them to complete risk assessments and they are setting up their own community group.

In this case the universe intervened to provide what these lads really needed and it was not at all what we would have thought would best serve them, a year ago.
It was difficult for me - I had relished the prospect of enjoying being a volunteer at a smoothly run project and it didn't turn out that way. But I do know that if the project had worked out in the way we wanted it to, the lads probably would not have developed and grown to the same degree.
Sometimes less is more!

If you are interested in hearing more about this project, do look up The Field Project on facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/wilderwoods.org/