Healing garden will provide therapeutic respite in Franklin We Energies Foundation Healing Garden at the Conservancy for Healing and Heritage

The one-acre Healing Garden will provide a therapeutic respite in a natural, communal setting for people suffering from diseases or for those who desire to visit and connect with nature.

GRAEF provided ecological services to identify and protect the natural resources on the site, stormwater management services to minimize runoff and increase infiltration of rainwater from new development and permitting services at the state and local levels.

The Healing Garden, which will be free and open to the public, will be built around the Reiman Healing Chapel in the Woods and within the 36-acre forest of the Conservancy that also includes Koepmeier Lake near the southwest corner of Milwaukee County.

The Healing Garden project was made possible by $500,000 naming sponsorship grant from the We Energies Foundation.

“The trees create a canopy during all seasons, providing the visitor an experience which is world-class. The garden is specifically designed to provide the visitor with the natural environment to reduce stress responses. This affects the endocrine, cardiovascular, immune and nervous systems. Areas for rest, reflection and rejuvenation will be abundant,” said Susan Rabe executive director and chief executive officer of the Conservancy for Healing and Heritage.

“Physicians and patients alike understand that natural environments can interact with the central nervous system to reduce stress responses, which can favorably influence the outcome of diseases that are characterized by an over activation of the stress response,” said Dr. Michael Christensen of the Reiman Cancer Center.

“The Conservancy’s efforts to protect the beautiful surroundings while creating a peaceful setting for visitors to focus on their wellbeing, embraces our foundation’s key areas of focus,” said Kevin Fletcher, president and CEO of WEC Energy Group, the parent corporation of We Energies. “We are very pleased to be sponsoring the healing garden and the east garden gazebo – and look forward to seeing the space develop into a place of tranquility and reflection.”

The Conservancy for Healing and Heritage is a nonprofit organization that owns a 36-acre parcel of land in Franklin.