Held every April since 1992, Stress Awareness Month is a way for healthcare professionals to increase awareness of the dangers of stress, and educate the public on successful strategies for coping with stress. This April, Health Resource Network is focusing on new information developed over the past 20 years that can help millions of Americans cope with stress.

“We live in a society where we’re just maxing ourselves out all the time in terms of paying attention,” said Andrea Faber Taylor, Ph.D., a horticulture instructor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

According to CNN Health, the sights, smells and sounds of a garden can promote relaxation and reduce stress. Visiting gardens like those in the Arboretum can also improve mood.

The Arboretum is maintained entirely by volunteers, who tend nine display gardens, including the Smith/Mossman Western Azalea Garden and one of the largest Hardy Fuchsia gardens in the Northwest.

To volunteer, email info@lakewildernessarboretum.org or call 253- 293-5103.

Learn more about Stress Awareness Month by visiting StressAwarenessMonth.com.

Docent Tours resume April 20 and the 42nd Annual Spring Plant Sale will be held May10 and 11.