Deborah Krause, B.S, HTM

Deborah joined The Nature Connection in August of 2021. She is a Registered Horticultural Therapist and received her B.S. in Floriculture and Ornamental Horticulture with a minor in education from Cornell University. She has served on the board of directors and as chairperson of the Core Curriculum/Competency Test committee with the American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA). Deborah co-founded the Northeast Horticultural Therapy Network (NEHTN) and served as President, Vice-President, New England Spring Flower Show chairperson, fundraising coordinator, and is currently on the Board of Directors. She created and developed the horticultural therapy program at Perkins School for the Blind and was the horticultural therapist and coordinator of the horticulture center there for 40 years dedicated to working with students with blindness, visual impairments, and multiple disabilities. Deborah is the horticulture educator at the Memorial Spaulding Elementary School Garden where students renovated a garden and grew produce to donate to the Newton food pantry. She is also an instructor at Tower Hill Botanic Garden where her popular adult education classes focus on relaxation, stress reduction, and positive thinking through creating sensory-rich seasonal flower arrangements, wreaths, and herbal activities. Deborah has led virtual horticulture programs for Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters during the pandemic. She consults with non-profit organizations, day programs, Mass Audubon, and park and recreation departments to design and facilitate therapeutic and educational indoor and outdoor horticulture programs. Deborah is passionate about wellness and the therapeutic benefits of horticulture and nature for people of all ages and abilities. She is happy to join The Nature Connection team to support people with limited access to nature so they can enjoy and experience the amazing healing power of connecting with the natural world.

When not working, Deborah volunteers with Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters in the Friend2Friend program as a mentor for adults with developmental disabilities and with the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired to assist clients with errands. She enjoys her temple community and volunteers there on the social justice committee, in the choir, and as a Torah reader. Deborah loves spending time with her daughter, close friends, and their two rescue dogs which they adopted. She plays piano and found it was especially rewarding to accompany students on the piano at Perkins School for the Blind. Deborah is enthusiastic about music and gardening to grow produce herbs and flowers for cooking and sharing with others. She refreshes her soul on Cape Cod by the ocean and in the Berkshires at Tanglewood and on nature walks with waterfalls and scenic views.